Block Heater L2350 question

[Flintknapper]

Perhaps it is self evident....I don't know.

I have ordered a Block Heater for my Kubota L2350DT. I can start it in cold weather (sub 30°F temps) but it takes a few minutes of running the glow plugs and cranking the engine. Engine will fire, quickly die, repeat....until it finally warms up.

So....hoping a block heater will make things better.

Question:
After removing the 'knock out' style freeze plug, does the new adapter drive in all the way to the 'step' on it. Appears that it would.....but also looks unnecessarily long. The instructions do not say.

Also no mention of a sealant on the adapter itself (where it seals against the block). Only for the bushing.

What say you guys? Thanks.

 

[whitetiger]

The lip may or may not contact the block, the bushing may contact the inner wall first.
Remove the soft plug, clean the bore, and dry it. Use lock-tite on the insert and tap it into the bore. It will drive in fairly easily, you will see if the lip contacts the outside edge or it will stop if it contacts the inside wall. You can hear when it contacts.
I screw a pipe plug into the sleeve to drive it in and to paint it.
Put some sealer on the heater and screw it in, refill the cooling system, and plug in the heater to test it.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

All of mine don't bottom out.
They are about 1/2 way up the taper if that.
I use a block of hardwood to drive mine in.

 

[GeoHorn]

A hair dryer directed at the air filter/intake while cranking will make most of these diesels believe it is summertime.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

My forklift had one big glowplug IN the intake, needed 2nd battery for that !

If you need a block heater ,consider also installing a battery warming blanket. batteries lose a LOT of power when cold, take longer,harder to recharge. Nice warm battery spins the engine faster,starts quicker.

 

[Flintknapper]

The lip may or may not contact the block, the bushing may contact the inner wall first.
Remove the soft plug, clean the bore, and dry it. Use lock-tite on the insert and tap it into the bore. It will drive in fairly easily, you will see if the lip contacts the outside edge or it will stop if it contacts the inside wall. You can hear when it contacts.

^^^^^

Hopefully I will be able to see or measure the depth of the cylinder wall after removing the freeze plug and the coolant level is low enough.

I don't want to hit the cylinder wall and the instructions DO warn against that situation.

Thanks all for the replies.

Probably should have done this years ago....but I don't use my tractor very much during the winter (what we have of a winter here).

But in recent years....we have been experiencing a certain number of days into the 'teens' and low 20's (cold for here).

Whatever happened to 'Global Warming'?

 

[Flintknapper]

So.....the block heater finally arrived.

The Depth of the stepped portion is only 5/8", so hopefully there will be no issues with hitting a cylinder wall before fully seating. I will measure first.

Some sealant for the new adaptor bushing.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Most of my adapters only seat about 1/4 to 1/2 way.
I haven't bottomed one out in the hole or hit a cylinder wall.
And ya you don't want to bash a cylinder wall they are not that thick.
Just dry fit it, I bet you'll find that very little of the sleeve goes into the block.

FYI: Drain the coolant, it's the only easy way to do these.

 

[Flintknapper]

Question:

Does 20 thousandths of 'Taper' sound like a lot for something that is going to be an interference fit?

I was going to install the Block Heater today but thought I'd better check the diameter of it to be sure it was correct. I discovered that over the length of the 'step'....it is tapered somewhat.

Maybe I'm overthinking it....but I'm not sure I like the idea of a tapered plug going onto a diesel engine (with its attendant vibrations).

 

[Russell King]

The hole is also tapered from what I remember about the “freeze plugs”.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

How do I put this nicely...
Yes your overthinking the heck out of this.
I've installed a ton of these never worried about the taper or anything else and have yet to have one leak, let alone fall out.

 

[Flintknapper]

How do I put this nicely...
Yes your overthinking the heck out of this.
I've installed a ton of these never worried about the taper or anything else and have yet to have one leak, let alone fall out.

Good enough, then I'll do it.

The hole is also tapered from what I remember about the “freeze plugs”.

If true....then that would make more sense to me. A freeze plug would seem more malleable than this bushing looks.

Just something about forcing a tapered plug into a non tapered hole (made of cast iron) that spooks me a bit. A cracked block at a core plug hole would be fun to try to fix.