Anyone have the block heater?

yellowblaze · Post by **yellowblaze** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:29 pm

Just wondering, we were thinking of getting one, hoping it would help that aweful start up knock in the am during winter...

Hawk296 · Post by **Hawk296** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:23 pm

My mother had one on her 96 outback. If you dont mind plugging it in every night it worked really well. You have nice heat blowing by the time you roll out of the driveway.

Is your knock piston slap or timing belt tensioner knock?

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:49 pm

Hey Blaze, I don't think that the block heater will get the pistons hot enough to make them expand enough to get rid of that piston slap. I had a block heater in my old Cherokee, and used it alot, and it still knocked like hell. Of course, that thing would have piston slap warm, on a 100 degree day. At least you would have instant heat when you got in to drive. I have a remote start, and let mine warm up about 15 minutes. Plenty of heat, but still has the piston slap until I drive it and get it fully warmed up. Mike

Bill Bourne · Post by **Bill Bourne** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:52 am

I put one in mine about a month ago. Pretty easy install once I got the right tool.
It only draws 400watts, so on a real cold night just leave it on all night.

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:03 pm

Hey Bill, how did it go in?? Do you have to knock a freeze plug out, or does it just bolt into the block like we have on the Dodges?? Mike

Bill Bourne · Post by **Bill Bourne** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 6:57 am

The hardest part of the whole project was finding a 14mm allen wrench. Finally found it at Auto-Zone.

Remove the plastic splash guard from under the front end, 5 12mm bolts and 2 screws, one in each wheel well.
Drain the cooling system. Drain is a little hard to find and has a plastic plug with a Phillips head.
Remove the 36mm plug from the block which is located next to the gooseneck that the bottom radiator hose attaches to. This is what the 14mm allen wrench is used for and it is very tight. You'll get about another quart of out when you do this.
Install the heater element in the whole using some good high temp sealant. Install the power cord and route it up front.
Put everything back together and you should be good to go.

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 6:35 pm

Thanks for the info Bill, it sounds pretty easy if you have the right Allen Wrench. Mike

bulwnkl · Post by **bulwnkl** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:40 pm

Old post revived to ask: Is the installation procedure the same on the turbo engine? Is the heater themostatically controlled? I'm thinking this might be a worthwhile item for me this winter. The car is garaged, but it's not insulated and it gets cold here in the winter.

Bill Bourne · Post by **Bill Bourne** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:01 am

Had to install a new one this summer. The original one burnt out last winter. Must have left it on to long or in to warm of weather.

I don't think it has a thermostat cause when I installed the new one and tested it, it started heating up right away on an 80 degree day.

Didn't bother using the radiator drain this time, just unscrewed the bad heater and let the coolant drain into a bucket. Ran the coolant thru a couple coffee filters before putting it back in.

bulwnkl · Post by **bulwnkl** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:36 pm

Wow, sorry to hear it burned out already. Did you ever hear it boiling the coolant/water? I had one once long ago (not in a Subaru) that you could clearly hear it boiling the coolant after a relatively few minutes. IIRC, that one went in a heater hose rather than in the block.