[Vwdiesel] Block Heater Watts?

[James Hansen]

Hey it works.  My standby heater is a 4 foot length of 3" tubing, with a 90
degree elbow welded on the end, and a piece of flat tacked on to keep it
from rolling over.  Insert the tiger torch in one end, and hot products of
combustion issue from the other end. Place this end under the oilpan.  Turn
it up too high, and it shoots long flame, so with care, if the dog pulls the
cord out off the car at -40, I still get going in 15 minutes.

Grandad started the tractor in winter to plow roads with a half pail of
briquettes every time. That was back when oil turned to a solid at -20, and
stuff like oil pump shafts broke if you turned it over. (if you could even
turn it).
0-40 synthetic is soooooooo good it isn't even funny.
-James
  -----Original Message-----
  From: E. J. Gilbert [mailto:gilbeej at yahoo.com]
  Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:17 AM
  To: jhsg at sasktel.net
  Subject: RE: [Vwdiesel] Block Heater Watts?


  When I was working in Siberia in 1991, it was routine for the diesel truck
drivers to build a fire under the engine every morning prior to firing the
engine over.

  James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net> wrote:
    yeah, inverters are rated at peak current not constant current as I
recall,
    so multipying advertised current capacity by .7 might be in order I
think.
    I can't remember, I was looking at dad's last month, as he was wondering
    what he could power with it and I recall it was not really as advertised
for
    constant load.

    I've seen 400w block heaters too, temro ones I think.

    I would advise against the battery-inverter-block heater scenario
anyway,
    sort of a diminishing return, ya know. If you really need it, find a
tiny
    used gas engine powerplant like a yamaha or a $honda$ that can handle
the
    current. The little ones are really cheap used, except the honda that
is,
    and small enough to almost carry under your arm. Not to advocate burning
    your car down or anything, but a one shot deal that works is some
briquettes
    in an old hubcap/garbage can lid- light them and slide the mess under
the
    oilpan. Wait 20 min, and start the car like it was summer. I've used my
    svea mountaineering stove in a pinch, but that was long ago, before 0-40
    synthetic oil. If the engine is worth anything, it will start to -25C
    without plugging in and -30 with skill and a good battery. If you carry
a
    new fully charged battery in the trunk to boost yourself it should be
all
    you should ever need.

    Cold weather starts are good battery (you cannot beat an Optima or Orbit
AGM
    battery), good heavy amperage battery cables attached to clean posts and
    good clean grounding points, good glow plugs, good injectors, perfect
    timing, and good oil.
    Below -20 will really show off injectors with worn nozzles. I have found
    that slightly higher injector break pressures aid cold starts as well.

    Your 92 has the 1.9 td, right? My recently acquired 97 Golf has the 1.9
td,
    and aside from a tdi, have never had a diesel volks that started as
well. It
    pops off at -30, so others should be able to accomplish this as well,
and I
    know the timing isn't spot on either. I'm waiting for dad to get his new
    duramax out of the shop so I can get the Golf in to give it the once
over. I
    haven't really touched it other than change rims to the Blizzaks off my
old
    Jetta since I got it.
    -James

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com
[mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com]On
    > Behalf Of Lee Hillsgrove
    > Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 7:43 PM
    > To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
    > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Block Heater Watts?
    >
    >
    > >
    > > Just wondering how much the average block heater uses on a 92
    > Jetta TD in
    > > Watts??
    >
    >
    > I think the standard freeze plug heaters are about 350 watts.
    >
    >
    > >If, in the worst case scenario I had to start the car when it
    > > was really cold, I could run the block heater off an AC/DC
    > convertor from
    > > another car. Boosting at -30C doesnt help much.
    >
    >
    > I guess that would work, but you'd have to keep the other car running
the
    > whole time to keep the voltage up. Better use one of the ones that
clips
    > onto the battery, not powered through the cigarette lighter. I'd want
at
    > least a 500 watt inverter to run the block heater.
    >
    >
    > Lee
    > Oo-v-oO
    > PP-ASEL
    > KB1GNI
    >
    >
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