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Yes, they exist. They thread in to the block on the underside where the coolant drain plugs are. They take a 14mm allen key socket and a lot of force to pop loose. I take a long sturdy punch and a 3lb hand sledge and whack the plug around it's face a few times before trying to loosen it using an extension and a breaker bar. By whacking it it tends to loosen up the corrosion on the threads and crush the aluminum sealing washer a bit.

 

Once the old coolant plug is out, the block heater threads in, and you run the wire where it will be out of the way of hot exhaust and spinning belts and zip-tie it into place.

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I recently put one on my 99 obw. I read all the horror stories about that stubborn plug. I sprayed it with pb blaster, waited a day, sprayed it again, tapped the area around it, warmed up the car a lil. Used a 14mm half drive with a breaker bar and a 3ft piece of black iron pipe. It came right out! You can pick up an oem kit on eBay for 40 bucks. Just screws right in. I have only used it once but the car was almost instantly warm and the piston slap was gone! Going to set up a timer to turn it on 2hr before I leave for the day. Really a very nice option.

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What is the benefit of a block warmer?

 

Car starts easier in the cold, oil isn't as thick and lubricates better, the warmer engine provides heat to the interior faster, less wear on the engine, etc. They also reduce the time you need to idle your car in the morning warming it up, and help it run more efficiently sooner, so they reduce air pollution.

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Car starts easier in the cold, oil isn't as thick and lubricates better, the warmer engine provides heat to the interior faster, less wear on the engine, etc. They also reduce the time you need to idle your car in the morning warming it up, and help it run more efficiently sooner, so they reduce air pollution.

 

Interesting. I have lived in Chicago and Boston my entire life, places not very enjoyable in the winter. I never let the car idle nor has it ever failed to start because of the cold, tho it sometimes takes an extra crank. How much is a block heater? How do you install it?

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How much is a block heater? How do you install it?

 

Both are answered in the posts above. ;)

 

Another benefit that I forgot to list: The electric block heater can safely warm your engine up while the car is in the garage with the door closed. So while many people purchase and install remote-start systems for the wintertime, this is one area where block heaters come out way ahead. Accidentally remote starting a car that is in an attached garage with the door closed can be a deadly mistake. :eek:

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Both are answered in the posts above. ;)

 

Another benefit that I forgot to list: The electric block heater can safely warm your engine up while the car is in the garage with the door closed. So while many people purchase and install remote-start systems for the wintertime, this is one area where block heaters come out way ahead. Accidentally remote starting a car that is in an attached garage with the door closed can be a deadly mistake. :eek:

 

"coolant drain plugs are". You mean from the radiator, the drain plug?

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Under at the front of the block there are two drain plugs for apparently officially draining the block. Not that I know anybody using these.

They are located right in the middle in front of the oil pan.

 

Same place on both the ej22 and ej25?

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They both have the same size threads. The only diff in the oem kits is the wiring. I was in the middle of replacing my thermostat when i pulled my plug. From what i have read (and there is a very good write up on scoobymods about this job with pics) very little coolant comes out if you choose not to drain the system. I would be careful about air pockets however, attached is a pic of the plug that needs to be removed.

post-38864-136027651396_thumb.jpg

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I would expect quite a bit of coolant to come out the block plug when it is removed. I have this heater on two of my soobs but I drained the coolant before installing it. It takes a 14mm hex to remove the plug. I usually put it on my impact wrench and let it have at it. You also need your own thread sealant when you install the heater. I have used either permatex ultragrey or the white permatex thread sealant. I don't think the sealant is really necessary since the heater has a washer on it, and it appears to have straight / non-tapered threads.

 

Usually you would probably need a block heater only if you're talking like temps around -40. Many cars including rentals come with block heaters in areas where they might be necessary. Sometimes you need a battery heater though then too.

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