Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Diligent MOG owner - warm engine prior to starting

Gentlemen,

Last week I went on a walk about in Norway/Finland and Sweden in my little Defender 90. [Yes-I did visit Nordkapp]
As the temp can get down as low as minus 40C at this time of year, the vehicle was properly prepared and fitted with a Defa warm up system ...this warms the engine / charges the battery and heats the interior by plugging into an external 220v power supply.

http://www.defa.com/en/automotive/warmup/

[they do not have a uk dealer]

I thought I would pass on this information as I know a lot of MOG owners look after there little 'babes' in the garage.

Defa do a range of engine heaters or block heaters - and their catalogue does give which heater fits which dia pipe etc so with a little research and internet time you can work out, which one is best for your engine if not listed.

The beauty about the Defa warmup system is that the cables come already made up and just plug in for a waterproof connection.


Heater fitted in lower radiator to block pipe.



Socket was mounted in front panel for external power, but can be mounted in various positions and comes with different mounts so can be hidden.
Heater £85 & Mini cable/Power cable £40




So if any one fancy's having a warm engine prior to the sunday drive, just switch it on a couple of hours before starting and hey presto - reduced engine wear.

Interesting stuff - thanks for sharing.

I always fancied one of the self-contained auxilliary heaters- like a smaller version of the cab heaters for trucks. To me that would be real luxury- you can keep all your fancy electric windows and door mirrors, in car TVs etc. Gerry.
http://www.webasto.com/int/markets-produ...ers/small-cars/

I have a Webasto diesel pre-heater in the 90. Wonderful in Winter!
Bumpy, that's really intersting find - the Kenlowe pre-heater, alone is over £200, so that one is good value at around the £85 mark - might just consider one for the Mint

I had fitted something similar 45 years ago when the 4/4 was my daily transport. It now lies somewhere in the garage. I took it off because I had the impression that it restricted the water flow and was the culprit for higher water temperatures in the heat of the summer.

During the coldest months, in almost all regions of Canada, the usage of similar types of vehicle/equipment engine pre-heating is an absolute requirement if you have any hope of reliably getting underway. Propane and diesel-fueled heaters are also commonly used for pre-heating engines on highway tractors and heavy equipment. There can be no denying that frequent cold starts will seriously impact an engine's longevity.

In Quebec we used both block heaters and remote starters so that the interior of the car was already warm when you got to it. Sometimes, it way the only way to get the doors open!
Don.

My dad used to have a little flat, round paraffin heater he left under the sump overnight in the cold of winter!

I still have a little round paraffin heater under the bench. Last used under the Gilbern. Even in the harshest frosts, the front wings, bonnet and screen stayed frost free. All from one tiny flame. Mind you it was always tricky to start.