Cummins 6Bs and engine heaters

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 16th, '08, 13:17

In our mild climate here in Coonassland I've been toying for years with putting some engine heaters on my Cummins....bought some magnetic ones only to discover the 6BTAs have aluminum oil pans and if you mount them on the side of the block the backs get too hot, like 550-600 degrees. The engines do not have glow plugs and are pretty hard to start when the temps are under about 55 degrees.

I had a pair of finned resistor heaters left over from a project 45 years ago----pulled them out of a junk box, cleaned them up and rigged power to them.....each draws 1.5 amps at 120VAC so that's 180 watts. Rigged them up through a 120 volt thermostat and put one low on each engine. We had a big cold front come through Sat. night, blew and was real cold all day yesterday, and about 31 last night. Checked both engines this morning with an infrared gun and both were a toasty 70+ all over. Both engines rolled to life on the first full rev with throttles at dead idle......

Thermostat is set to come on at 60 degrees. I leave AJ in the water all year and the worst case cold we get here is a night or two every decade in the low teens....but we get plenty of nights in the 30s on and off over our short winter...the heaters are a no brainer, plus keep the engines boxes and contents dry.

UV

Terry Frank · Post by **Terry Frank** » Nov 16th, '08, 15:28

I leave my block heaters plugged in year round. There's never any condensation on the engine and the space around the engine stays dry. I've got to think that this goes a long way to slowing down the rust process.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 16th, '08, 15:37

Terry - yeah, they are a damn good thing to have. Like I said, I've been fiddle faddling around meaning to install them for a very long time and once I put them in guess I'm sort of amazed how effective they are. 180 watts goes a long way in a small area like the B31 engine box and with the Soundown keeps the heat from going up thru the box and escaping.

Now if I can just figure out a way to kill the ants and dirtdaubers and keep the pine needles out of the boat......

UV

dougl33 · Post by **dougl33** » Nov 16th, '08, 17:02

Vic,

Like Terry, I keep my block heaters going all season long. A few weeks before I hauled for the season I had shut them off for a reason I can't remember. The day I went to use the boat it was around 55 degrees or so and they were very hard to start.

My engines are older cpl970's and there's no glow plug or air heater.

When the block heaters are on they start in about half a second.

JK · Post by JK » Nov 16th, '08, 17:34

Just bought a pair of block heaters as well. I remember last year pulling the boat, Dec 7 with about 3" of snow all around. Took awhile to get the Cummins started in 30 degree weather. Won't have that problem anymore.

--JK
www.seanile31.com

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Nov 17th, '08, 11:18

Vicroy wrote: Now if I can just figure out a way to kill the ants and dirtdaubers and keep the pine needles out of the boat......

UV

Latitude adjustment.....but i think you're happy where you are, otherwise.

joeh · Post by **joeh** » Nov 18th, '08, 11:01

I have 6bta'sand block heaters as well. I agree with all of the comments and left mine on last year with the boat in as well.

Are there any real safety concerns with leaving these on all the time? Secondly, I know they help with condensation, but do they accelerate breakdown of anything such as gaskets?

Thanks,

Joe

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 18th, '08, 11:40

Joe - good question but logic teaches the answer is no. I just can't imagine that keeping the engine at a constant 70-80 degrees, or even 100 would do any harm at all to gaskets, hoses, etc that are designed to withstand far higher temps in commerical continous duty. The advantages of ease of starting and less strain on the starter, dryness, etc. far otustrip any imagined disadvantage.

On the other hand, if you have a genset, be sure to turn off the heaters when underway as you could upset the engine cooling system.

The other observation about the electric air intake heaters on 6Bs is a good one. Most folks I know have disconnected the air intake heaters as they eat alternators and batteries, and the only good thing they do is lessen the famous Cummins 6B blue smoke at cold start up. I happen to like the blue smoke for a couple of reasons, first it tells you the way the wind is blowing, and also clears out the mosquitos for a wide area.

UV

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Nov 18th, '08, 15:23

It's 35 snowing here in Baltimore! Crazy thing is that by Christmas it will be 55 & raining, we don't get a white Christmas all that offten.

I have just finished wiring up outlets for the one's for my "new-to-me" Cats. I'm only plug-in one at a time right as they draw 10-15amps per side and I need to pick up a second 30a shore power cord so I don't over draw. I'm doing that on the way home tonight.

The FW system is winterized and I'm not planning on winterizing the motors, we get a handfull or more days each winter that creap up into the 60's and I might want do some "Howdy Boating"

I'm liking having diesels, so far....

br,
John

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Nov 18th, '08, 17:26

Vic-Air intake heaters? That on older/early engines like ours? Didn't realize they existed. 12Volt triggered? Walter

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 18th, '08, 19:37

Walt - they came stock on the later 6B models to cut down on cold start smoke.....an EPA thing. Seems I remember the first showed up in the late 90s on the 315 hp Diamonds. Tony Athens hates them and takes them off all his new engines, so he probably has boxes full he'd sell cheap, and they would be an easy retro fit to our old clunkers. Yep, they are 12v and draw a boucoup of amps - have to use a couple of relays to handle the current. They have a built in timer that cuts them off after so many seconds, but from what I've read they are just more trouble than they are worth. Any sort of external engine heater will accomplish the same thing to cut down the smoke, plus gives the advantage of easy starts.

UV

randall · Post by **randall** » Nov 18th, '08, 20:02

john...i was in baltimore on saturday....pretty warm...shirt sleeves....guess i got out just in time.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Nov 18th, '08, 22:06

walt i guess you were elseware in montauk.i lifted the engine boxes and told the guys to look at the harmonic balancer as i push the start button.the crank may move 5 degrees or less and the engine is running.they start on a blink of a eye!! they started today at a freak cold wave 28degrees in 1 second.i use a in block 240volt heater plug into a 110 volt w/p outlet with a in use cover.by using this method the block heater will last a hundred years.ok---only kidding lets say it will outlast me.there is a threaded plug just to the rear of the oil filter remove and screw in block heater.if anybody wants to know the trick how to do this without losing any antifreeze just ask.i also use the air box heaters.just keep up basic maint. and there is no problems on the 2005 and later "storm block" cummins.you must have good batteries and some common sense buy the good part is there is not a trace of smoke summer or winter.and with the incoming air charge warm up and the block warm you get instant start.

JK · Post by JK » Nov 18th, '08, 23:04

Bob-

What is the trick to not loosing any fluid? I have a new pair of block heaters in my car and I am waiting to install them on the 6BTA's soon.

--JK

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Nov 19th, '08, 05:29

yea bob
cold and windy, guess ill stop down at the boat and plug in my heaters

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Nov 19th, '08, 08:13

Randall, you did escape in time. Saturday I worked until noon or so then it was time to pull the crab pots and dock-boat and powerwash the crud from them, this was in shorts and a t-shirt. I was hating life towards the end when it started to rain and I was finishing the boat. Sunday's when it started to trun colder.

Air-heaters, I have them on my 3126's and had no smoke at all all summer, no soot on the transom either. I don't know if it was due to the air-heaters or the fact that the motors are still fresh. I do know they suck the amps and will not tolerate a week battery.

Since the block heaters are new to me, I'll be intersted to see how starting the motors go. Tomorrow I'm going to run down the creek to the marina and get the final pump-out of my holding tank and winterize it.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Nov 19th, '08, 23:20

went to the boat today to fish offshore reef. about 27degrees this morning.the engine needed a halfturn that is way more then nomal.when they started they smoked white until they warm up to 150degrees.so much for the above post.
jk here we go;1/2" drive 12" extension,1/2" drive breaker bar.there is a 1" N.P.T plug with a 1/2" recess sguare (extension end fit perfect).the plug is located about 3" to the rear of the oil filter.break it with the breaker bar next have block heater ready to insert keep plug and cord wrap up so you can spin the heater in.ok you have to create a slight vacuum in the cooling system so make sure expansion tank cap is tight.there is a overflow hose at the top of the expansion tank under the cap remove hose from barb and insert golf tee ,install a short new hose and if you have fuel bulb pump once and insert golf tee if not use your mouth nothing will come out of the hose,just a slight suction is all that needed now remove the plug the rest of the way and no antifreeze will pour out.insert block heater and hand tighten snug ---no teflon . remove tgold tees install hose and enjoy. make sure batteries are up to snuff and constantly on a battery charger.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 20th, '08, 10:50

Good one Bob! I have used a shopvac to keep from losing oil when changing fittings on oil pans before. Works great for boats!

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Nov 20th, '08, 11:09

Bob,
You da man. Just bought a pair of block heaters on Ebay and was going to install after lunch. Timing is everything. Let you know how it goes.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 20th, '08, 16:44

Mikey: When I was down draining the pipes in the boathouse last night I found a big chunk of ice on the edge of the dock where one of the faucets had dripped. It looked like a big frozen sea nettle with its tentacles hanging off the deckboard as icesickles!!! About 4" round and 3" tall after being in the 40's all day. It must have been cold Tuesday night, eh!!

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Nov 20th, '08, 17:36

i used the words common sense in my above post on the air heater to indicate the average 31 bertram owner has somthing on the ball thats why he bought a 31 bertram in the first place.a cummins air heater draws 190 amps on start and the block heater draws 750watt (less than a 1 amp)now if you have parallel 2150 odassey batteries or 8d`s producing 2200 c.c.a. with 4/0 copper wire to and from starter motor to on off switch you then proceed with a compression lug on the studs of the batterys and cover in penetrox instead of those crap lead car battery terminals i assure you you engine will fire in 1 turn or less.when you start bitching and complainig about the air boxes block heaters or my starter draws too much current! i walk away -go back and do the right thing before condeming one of the components.i do the same thing with 3126 cats.they litterally explode ---instant start all you have to do is follow a guide line.just went for a ride in a 32blackfin with 3126 cats instant start in ice cold weather today.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Nov 21st, '08, 10:06

Rawleigh,
Cold enough that I broke out the long johns, but remember I'm a wuse. My favorite tree . . . palm tree! See any on Carters Creek? I'm in the wrong place.

On the heaters I decided to try the ones in the blocks first even though the contacts looked like crap. The AC cords were toast. I hooked up the new AC cords and, voila!, heat! So I'll put the new ones away for another season. One question for the Faithful, the old cords had thermostatic switches on them. What do you think about using them to save electricity when it warms up during winter?

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 21st, '08, 11:24

Mikey: This won't short out and burn up your new boat. It is rated for the amperage. I am suspect of the little inline cube thermostats for boat heater usage. I use one of the hardwired versions I bought from these people.

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/Pr ... ctId=50304

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Nov 21st, '08, 15:41

Rawleigh,
Very interesting. Think this is a better solution that Merritt's but thought about calling him and scouring his memory as to how well they worked.

bertram31.com

Cummins 6Bs and engine heaters

Cummins 6Bs and engine heaters

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