So my dad says he has a subaru block heater he bought for the Loyale but never put in, since they are the same block he said I could have it for the GL, BUT he says, remembering from the same job on my mom's legacy, that taking the plug out to put the heater in, you drain all the coolant/antifreeze out, and that it is a PITA to get it all back in. Any more info/tips/tricks on this? he says you get air in funny places and it's very hard to get out, and my haynes and chiltons manuals are very vague on that. Any help would be much appreciated since it's getting EXTREMELY cold here (20 below this morning!).

 

Thanks!

Don't worry about it. Drain the system like you are doing a drain and fill, put the heater in and put the coolant in. Idle the engine until the fans come on and drive as usual.

flip car over on roof. keep air from getting into the block heater hole..

flip car over on roof. keep air from getting into the block heater hole..

BAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA, that's awesome, I may try just that!

 

seriously though, thanks Shawn, I may try to do it tomorrow

What I did

remove rad cap

remove rad cock drain plug

remove lower rad hose

remove upper rad hose

remove temp sender wire

remove rad

use 3/4" drive impact, air tool, the 1/2" did nothing

use 14mm hex bit from cornwall tools, $8, it fits, snapon, $24, is too long

 

make sure gasket is on heater

install, 34mm? socket

install and route cord

 

enjoy

 

 

 

 

if you have extra cord, loop it around the passing lamp

 

 

 

BTDT

I got a magnetic one that just sticks to your oil pan. Welcome to it as my Subaru gets the garage now Much easier install than draining the cooalnt in sub zero weather! :-p

the magnetic one does different things. the idea of a block heater is that it keeps your entire block warm. an extermal oilpan magnet heater just makes a hotspot in your oil. they make urethane on pads made for the bottom of the oilpan. its only like 40 watts where as that magnetic one is prolly running about 250 watts.

 

You will not get the same effect with a magnetic one. Being in minnesota, you need a block heater, oil pan heater and perhaps a battery blanket.

I've got the 40 watt NAPA stick-on kind on my '95 Legacy (The Pretty One's 2000 gets to stay in the heated garage, but my airplane kicked mine out into the cold). I bought the heater pad for my last airplane, but sold it before installing, so when I needed heat I grabbed it. After I stuck it on with the high-temp goo, I taped it all over with aluminum tape. In the morning I see the hood formers outlined in the frost or snow, so I know it's radiating heat throughout the engine compartment. The car starts quietly and I've got heat in less than a minute regardless of outside temp ... but then +19 is as cold as it's gotten so far in NW Montana.

 

Wherethehell IS winter anyhow?

winter is here...

 

-20f last saturday night.

 

supposed to hit -25 on wed night or so. still not much snow though. thats a bad combo, cold and no snow.... hope the pipes dont freeze.

 

hey numbchux- do you have the 14mm hex socket to get out the drain plug on the block? if not, i have one and i am in duluth every weekday if you want to borrow it.

I got a magnetic one that just sticks to your oil pan. Welcome to it as my Subaru gets the garage now Much easier install than draining the cooalnt in sub zero weather! :-p

I'm using one of those now, but it sucks putting it on and off outside, in 6+ inches of snow! I want something i can leave on, and we already have one, and I can put it on in my parents (soon-to-be) heated garage! anyway, I didn't try this morning, took 2 hours to get new tires, then changed the oil, and tried to fix my exhaust "leak" so I could drive the 3 hours up here to duluth for finals, needless to say, I was unsuccessful, and my ears are ringing, bigtime!