My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

[Scott Danforth]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

as I stated prior, I have used a 60watt often. I normally just hang it off the belts.

the great thing about incandescent light bulbs is that for each bit of energy that becomes light, there is an equal amount becomes heat. geek-fact, caterpillar uses sylvania halogen bulbs in a special fixture to braze heat exchangers. that way there is no open flame.

 

[Chip Chester]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Tractor Supply (among others) sells magnetic engine block heaters, in a couple different wattages. Find a flat place, stick it on, plug it in. It will keep an engine block warm thru the winter with no trouble, with the above-mentioned caveat of continuous uninterrupted electricity. Also works on sports cars, snowblowers, wood- and metalworking machines in cold garages (to fight condensation) and steel objects you want to paint when it's cold outside, but the paint is warm. They don't burn out like lightbulbs. You might guess I have a few of 'em...

It will not prevent freezing in pipes that are not thermally connected to the warm block, and of course, they're no substitute for real winterizing.

Chip

 

[ziggy]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

again, if your worried about a freeze, just drain the cooling system and be done, safe and sound. plain and simple...
i've had multiple over night freezes since i summerized. ea. night i was drained. no muss, no fuss, no worries, no ign. source. it's the proper way for an extended season imho. air don't freeze! thanks for the referance Bondo and others.....

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Temp was predicted to drop to 31 deg last night, so I drained the block / risers / I/O and used the old droplight trick w/ a 60 watt bulb, kind of like a test. Left boat uncovered. Just went out and checked everything. Outside air temp was 30 deg, opened engine hatch and compartment was 63 deg (using an IR temp indicator). Sure, possibly a 40 watt bulb may have been plenty of wattage, but at 63 deg, I am confident the trick works and the engine was perfectly safe from freezing. Only sticking point would have been if the bulb "burnt out".

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Why would one spend the extra money for a block heater or drop light when all you need to do is drain the water out?(just to damn lazy)

 

[scoutabout]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Ah -- the beauty and simplicity of outboards....


(Although I am totally geeking out on this inspite of myself!)


Actually, a tech warned me recently that some of the newer mercs with oil coolers (or fuel coolers - can't remember) have spaces in the exchangers that do hold standing water and so must be opened and drained come winter. So the age-old rule "vertical outboard is a drained outboard" would seem to be conditional...

 

[rbh]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Because there are times in the late fall and winter that people still boat, and or have their boat moored.
You take the west coast (pacific ocean) from Oregon, Washington and BC day time temps are above freezing at night they might dip below freezing for a few hours, its alot easier to plug in the appropriate heat source on some boats than try and winterize it every day.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Why would one spend the extra money for a block heater or drop light when all you need to do is drain the water out?(just to damn lazy)

The reason is that we do not trust that draining out the block actually drains the block Totally.
The temps here have been near 70 daily and 30 nightly.
So it gets drained, covered and warmed.
It is not being lazy, it is being overly cautious.
I would rather spend a buck a night and an extra 20 minutes a half a dozen times a year, totally unncessarily, than take a 1000 to 1 chance at freezing the block.

As an aside....
I started this thread not for the purpose of suggesting that using a trouble light to heat the engine was to be recommended or not.
Some people will try it at least once just so they can sleep better, others will just drain it and forget it.
There is no attempt to change anyones mind.

It was started because there are so many suggestions that get repeated long enought that their truth is taken for granted.
While the trouble light suggestion sounds like a no brainer of an idea to warm and engine to solve a short term problem; I perceived that, all good intentions aside, the actual efficieny of the method was base on a lot of anecdotal evidence.
The geek in me just wanted to put some hard data behind the technique.

The data suggests that the method works moderately well, and can be used in a pinch as anyone deems necessary.
What was not anticipated, was that the engine cools very quickly and can actually get Colder that the air temperature.

Last night was a clear starry night, the temp was forecasted to hit freezing.
And Yes, the block is drained as well as it ever will be. Doesn't matter!
I went out to turn on the light at about 11pm last night, the air temp was right at 40 degrees.
Surprise! The cover already had a light coating of frost on it. (Radiation Cooling is Real!)
Yes, objects in your yard can freeze even when the temperature is what would be considered, well above freezing.

Geek alert... If you have an IR Thermometer, the next time the sky is clear at night, point it UP at the stars, you may be surprised at the reading you get.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: My Block Won't Freeze! .... Optimistic Thinking?

Mythbusters exposed! I put summerizing off for two weeks so I didnt have to deal with this. In that two weeks its been cold and rainy and I've been too busy to boat. Besides in the Northern part of the County nowadays, October is now September and November is now October. I wait until first/second week of May to get going becasue it seems the boating season last alot longer. Good thread btw