So I figured out how to install my block heater

[tomdeimos]

I have a 2005 and put my block heater in from below. I have also had the top cowl and wipers off for other reasons.

So picking install method my advice is to measure your arms! If you have skinny arms installing from below works easiest and fastest. Otherwise it may be better to work from above.

If you do it from below, I forgot where I stuck my arm but it was tight. After I was done I found a second hole to stick my arm in that was a longer route but my arm fit much better.

In any case don't try to see anything much. You need to look for the bulge where the cylindrical hole would be but that is it. The rest is done by feel. Once you feel the opening with your fingers the rest gets easier till you have to plug in the cable.

If you do it from above it would be overall easier but take longer. My wipers lifted off with no hard pulling or tools once the bolts were off. I would suggest marking them first since getting them back on the right cogs to cover the windshield correctly took me a while.

[Tom_06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 21 2006, 11:30 PM) [snapback]336282[/snapback]</div>

Removing the head cap for the left wiper arm and the three nuts is no problem.

However, is there a special puller tool for removing the wiper arms? I've tried tapping on the bolt while pulling up on the wipers with no luck, and I don't want to take the chance of damaging anything. After all, this is the first completely new car I've ever owned. That's after nearly 50 years of driving.

Would a spray lubricant be in order?

Dave M.
[/b]

Got this off of Amazon.com:

[attachmentid=5420]

- Tom

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom_06 @ Oct 22 2006, 08:12 AM) [snapback]336374[/snapback]</div>

Got this off of Amazon.com:

[attachmentid=5420]

- Tom
[/b]

Thanks Tom. I'll see if I can find something close enough to that when I go into town today. Shuck's should have something like that.

Dave M.

[Tom_06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 22 2006, 11:25 AM) [snapback]336377[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Tom. I'll see if I can find something close enough to that when I go into town today. Shuck's should have something like that.

Dave M.
[/b]

It was listed as a two-arm gear puller. Most are 3-arm. Was about $10. Good luck!

- Tom

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom_06 @ Oct 22 2006, 01:38 PM) [snapback]336495[/snapback]</div>

It was listed as a two-arm gear puller. Most are 3-arm. Was about $10. Good luck!

- Tom
[/b]

Thanks. I wasn't able to find a two arm puller, and the 3 arm model wouldn't fit. I tried both Schuck's and Napa. I did find at NAPA what was described as a "wiper arm puller" that is supposed to work on domestic and imported cars. I'll let you know if it works after I try it out.

Dave M.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tomdeimos @ Oct 22 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]336358[/snapback]</div>

I have a 2005 and put my block heater in from below. I have also had the top cowl and wipers off for other reasons.

So picking install method my advice is to measure your arms! If you have skinny arms installing from below works easiest and fastest. Otherwise it may be better to work from above.

If you do it from below, I forgot where I stuck my arm but it was tight. After I was done I found a second hole to stick my arm in that was a longer route but my arm fit much better.

In any case don't try to see anything much. You need to look for the bulge where the cylindrical hole would be but that is it. The rest is done by feel. Once you feel the opening with your fingers the rest gets easier till you have to plug in the cable.

If you do it from above it would be overall easier but take longer. My wipers lifted off with no hard pulling or tools once the bolts were off. I would suggest marking them first since getting them back on the right cogs to cover the windshield correctly took me a while.
[/b]

Somehow I missed your post until just now, while going backward. I did get the wiper arms off okay, but using the puller I just bought still required tapping fairly firmly with a hammer on the stud for the nut that was to the right (looking from the front). That was for the right wiper arm (driver's POV). The fitting around the other stud popped off immediately when the first one released. I don't know why it was so hard to get off. The left arm, which seemed to also be very difficult to get off came easily, once the wiper blade was pulled up from the window. From here, it should be fairly straight forward. I'm just going back to check Horatio's post to double check what he said.

Thanks for the feedback.

Dave M.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 21 2006, 06:11 PM) [snapback]336240[/snapback]</div>

It is a difficult place to work, and by your experience of many times under carriage, you have made your own opinion. Attack the beast from above, the wipers is only 3 nuts, the gutter/cowl only 8 10mm bolts and 2 speed fastners, and by the same token, you can clean it from all debris that acumulates there, and 2 bolts for the relay box, no more than 5 minutes, the same amount of time will take you to drag the jack under the car and pump-it up.
Working from above is much cleaner and safer.
[/b]

Well Horatio, I still don't have the block heater installed, but I'm much closer than I'd ever gotten before. Your photos were very helpful. I'll add some comments for anyone else attempting this before I finally succeed.

1. After removing the 14 mm nuts from the studs onto which the wiper arms are mounted, removing the left wiper arm is easy, once the wiper arm is snapped up away from the window.

2. I didn't find an easy way to remove the right wiper arm assembly (with the two nuts), and ended up buying a generic wiper arm removing tool (from NAPA). See attached photo below.


[attachmentid=5446]


I had to trim off the soft red plastic on the lower end to get it to fit under the wiper arm. I then applied pressure to the handles and tapped firmly on the stud with a hammer. The arm popped off completely from both studs. Other people have apparently done this without any special efforts.

Is there a trick of pulling on the wiper arms in a particular direction?

3. I hadn't had experience with the kind of speed fasteners you mentioned (located at the extreme left and right ends of the cowling/louvers), but they are the next items to remove. Pressing down on their centers from above gets them to come out easily. I didn't discover that until I'd already "buggered" (but didn't break) the first. Once they are removed, it's possible to get the cowling off. The repair manual says to disengage the 8 clips and hood to cowl top seal. I don't know if that's actually necessary but it makes it easier to separately remove the left hand and right hand cowl top ventilator louvers. You can just pull the louvers toward the front of the car while lifting (IIRC) to get them off. I did take the seal up from the left louver (i.e., left side of the car) to remove first the left and then right louver.

4. If I recall correctly, there were only 7 10 mm bolts to remove before lifting out the gutter. Of course, the harness to the wiper motor first has to be disconnected, and the clips holding the wiring harness (to the relay box) to the gutter had to be compressed to get them out. And of course, the relay box can be easily unbolted (again 10 mm bolts).

At that point I had gotten everything apart and proceeded to locate the hole. That was no problem using your photos, but that's where my success ended.

I've re-attached one of your clearest photos below.

[attachmentid=5447]

This photo is taken from the left (driver's) side of the car, with the front of the car to the left. The block heater is clearly shown partially inserted (I assume that's the case, so correct me if I'm wrong), with the clip showing at about 1:30 (as viewed from the left side of the car). I presume that you rotated it to about 3:00 before pushing the heater all the way in.

I was able to locate the insertion point with the fingers of my left hand coming in just under the heater hose from between the firewall and block from the direction of the top of the photo. However, any attempts to hold onto the block heater with my left hand actually get it into the desired location was met with frustration.

Advise given within this thread was better than on the instruction sheet in terms of the applying the thermal grease. That is put most of the grease in the hole first, leave the block heater dry, until after you can get it started in the hole, and when partially inserted apply the rest of the grease. Trying to control and position the heater with grease on it is as bad as trying to catch a greased pig, and I couldn't do that either. This is only my suggestion, as I haven't actually succeeded yet.

Unless I hear other suggestions, on my next attempt, I'll try to make a small, but long handled tool to lower the BH into the required location and then orient it to line up with the hole. Then hopefully grease and pull it into the hole the rest of the way with my left hand. You've obviously succeeded at this, so are there any special tricks to get the heater into the hole?

For me, it was like a monkey trap in reverse. I couldn't hold onto the heater and get it to the right location, although I could find the location when not holding the heater.

Putting everything back together was quick and easy (although even that wasn't anything like 5 minutes, more like 15 minutes.

The next time I take it apart I'll finish much quicker, and hopefully get the heater into place. First though, I'll have to get some more thermal grease. Nearly all was wasted in repeated attempts to get the greased heater into the hole.

Oh well, at least I learned how the wiper assembly fits in, AND got all the pine needles cleaned out of the gutter.


It's possible that things might be easier, if the hood had been removed first. But I'm reluctant to do that, as I don't know if there are issues with proper alignment of the hood after it's been remounted.

Dave M.

[efusco]

Man, Dave, I'm not sure what to say. Although it took some persistance I didn't even encounter the kind of difficulties you've described...and clearly your approach from the top is not making things easier.

Once you got the BH partially in the hole did you try reaching it from below? The space is tight, but I'm a normal sized adult with fairly normally sized hands and had no problem adjusting the orientation of the BH. Getting it in the hole was the easiest part for me. It was getting that damn plug on it that was hard.

[mrbigh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 23 2006, 03:46 PM) [snapback]336939[/snapback]</div>

[/b]

Well Horatio, I still don't have the block heater installed, but I'm much closer than I'd ever gotten before. Your photos were very helpful. I'll add some comments for anyone else attempting this before I finally succeed.
The hood is not really necessary to be removed, it will require a lot of fine adjustments later.

Horacio

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 23 2006, 02:26 PM) [snapback]337021[/snapback]</div>

It's possible that things might be easier, if the hood had been removed first. But I'm reluctant to do that, as I don't know if there are issues with proper alignment of the hood after it's been remounted.
The hood is not really necessary to be removed, it will require a lot of fine adjustments later.

Horacio
[/b]

Then I'm glad I didn't take off the hood. I was afraid it would be a real problem getting it aligned properly.

Thanks for the feedback again.

Dave M.