Looking to buy a block heater for my 5.4 for this winter. I've been looking into them and I see they make magnetic ones which would be nice and easy, they have adhesive patches which I haven't heard much about, they have in line lower radiator hose ones and they make circulation pumps tht connect to your heater core lines Which I hear do the best job. I know they make freeze plug ones but I don't wanna mess with that. So any suggestions on which one to get and a good place to get one would be great. Been looking on amazon and they have a lot to choose from.

 

I have a 1500 watt circulation heater on mine. Takes 20 minutes to heat the thing up. It's the one that is $45 and has a little tank that I'd the heater element. You have to buy some heater hose to run up to the heater lines and you'll have to remove the coolant drain plug from the block.

 

I used to use the tank heaters, but with the freeze plug heaters, there is nothing better. If I couldn't use a f/p style heater, the silicone pads can be a good choice. NOT on the pan though, (as they show) or you will burn the oil if you leave them on too long (seen it here in AK too many times). Radiator hose heaters are an absolute joke. They only heat the water where they are located. Nothing to keep the rest of the water hot.

Why not a freeze plug heater? Goes into one hole, and you are done. Just wondering.

 

I got mine because it was 1500w instead of 400w for the plug heater. Otherwise I would have done it.

 

Just don't really feel like dealing with taking out a freeze plug. Probably would be a pain in the *** knowing my trucks past and I don't wanna deal with that. I live in Illinois so it's not horribly cold in the winter but my truck definitely lacks some juice when I go to start it in the winter. Like barely starts like there's no power hardly going to the starter. I'm thinking maybe a magnetic heater would work good. There like the pads but just magnetic. Plus I could take it off and simply stick it to another car at my house if I needed to use it on them. I don't necessarily need a permanent heater since my truck doesn't get driven everyday. So doesn't a magnetic one seem like a good idea? If so what wattage should I get?

 

Just knowing the past on my truck I know If I did a freeze plug one that it would be a pain in my *** and I don't really need a permanent one since I drive my truck once a week. I'm thinking maybe a magnetic one. That way i could use it with the other vehicles in the house. What wattage would you recommend for a magnetic one? I would plug it in the night before or possibly leave it plugged in all the time.

 

Maybe 400w. I know on mine you can't leave it on for more than twenty minutes or it will boil the coolant

 

I went up and look at the magnetic one I have in the garage. I keep it for really cold days when I want to start a small engine or things. It is the 1160 Kats model, and works great. I used to have their older unit which worked even better, but they discontinued it. It worked too well, I guess. lol

Anything smaller is probably to low on wattage. The 1160 is 300w and will heat a 7.3 diesel block in 30 minutes at -20 weather. It won't be hot, but it will make it easy to start. Just have to knock off the cold edge. It does a snow blower so you can pull start it easy in about 10 minutes. Hope that gives you an idea. Good luck.

 

Oh yes, one more thing. On magnetic or silicone pad heaters, if you put high wattage (300 or more) or use an oil dip stick heater, you can burn the engine oil. Think about 300-400 degrees of temperature against a metal pan. The oil will get to whatever temp the heater puts out in relatively short time. Conventional oil with sludge up, and synthetic with turn darker color. What does the heat take out of the oil's properties? Can't be a good thing.

Put the heaters on the water jacket areas, not the oil pan.

 

I'm looking at a Kat 200 watt magnetic heater. Would I be okay to stick tht on my oil pan over night and not burn the oil?