So I figured out how to install my block heater

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 23 2006, 01:25 PM) [snapback]336967[/snapback]</div>

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.
[/b]

Well Evan, I don't know what happened to the post I thought I'd made in reply to your post yesterday. I must have not clicked on Add Reply.

In one sense going from the top was easier. At least I could get my hand to the location where I could find the hole. However, I wasn't able to get the BH even partially into the hole. It may have been because of the combination of tight fit and the fact that I already had grease all over the BH and my fingers. If I'd gotten it started, I could probably have forced it into the hole.

From below, I couldn't get my elbow past the opening I shown (below the "right drive shaft") in my shakey photo in Post #317 of this thread. My photo is from a slightly different angle than yours, but is far enough away to see the shaft that was blocking my elbow. Is that the entry location you used, or was there a better location to try using? It seemed the largest opening I could find, and I could get my hand through, but not my elbow. I don't think my arm is especially bulky (at least the muscles aren't), but when I bend it the humerus protrudes enough to make a very tight (and I thought at the time impossible) fit. It may(?) be a matter of orientation of my body when I try.

Now, I might have forced my elbow through, if I'd worn a short sleeved shirt and greased my arm. I didn't want to force it though. If I knew there was a better entry point or that I could force my elbow through, I'd try it from below again. Barring that, I'll have to try from above again when I have more time.

Thanks for the replies.

Dave M.

[efusco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 24 2006, 06:42 AM) [snapback]337250[/snapback]</div>

Well Evan, I don't know what happened to the post I thought I'd made in reply to your post yesterday. I must have not clicked on Add Reply.

In one sense going from the top was easier. At least I could get my hand to the location where I could find the hole. However, I wasn't able to get the BH even partially into the hole. It may have been because of the combination of tight fit and the fact that I already had grease all over the BH and my fingers. If I'd gotten it started, I could probably have forced it into the hole.

From below, I couldn't get my elbow past the opening I shown (below the "right drive shaft") in my shakey photo in Post #317 of this thread. My photo is from a slightly different angle than yours, but is far enough away to see the shaft that was blocking my elbow. Is that the entry location you used, or was there a better location to try using? It seemed the largest opening I could find, and I could get my hand through, but not my elbow. I don't think my arm is especially bulky (at least the muscles aren't), but when I bend it the humerus protrudes enough to make a very tight (and I thought at the time impossible) fit. It may(?) be a matter of orientation of my body when I try.

Now, I might have forced my elbow through, if I'd worn a short sleeved shirt and greased my arm. I didn't want to force it though. If I knew there was a better entry point or that I could force my elbow through, I'd try it from below again. Barring that, I'll have to try from above again when I have more time.

Thanks for the replies.

Dave M.
[/b]

Dave, the details of where my arm went are long forgotten, it's been a while since I did the installation. I just remember that there was some angle that when I turned my body just right that my arm fit up there adequately. Not comfortably, but I could manuever and such.

I'm also still confused as to the difficulty you're experiencing getting the BH to slide in the hole. It should slip in easily. Mine took no force what so ever to get it in. In fact I thought, at first, I had it in correctly, but it moved in and out too easily and I had to figure out about the clip. You're making me wonder if the hole might be partly plugged up or something. I thought my ordeal was bad, your sounds worse at this point. Is there no one in your area who's done one of these before that could lend a hand?

[mrbigh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 24 2006, 08:35 AM) [snapback]337252[/snapback]</div>

Dave, the details of where my arm went are long forgotten, it's been a while since I did the installation. I just remember that there was some angle that when I turned my body just right that my arm fit up there adequately. Not comfortably, but I could manuever and such.

I'm also still confused as to the difficulty you're experiencing getting the BH to slide in the hole. It should slip in easily. Mine took no force what so ever to get it in. In fact I thought, at first, I had it in correctly, but it moved in and out too easily and I had to figure out about the clip. You're making me wonder if the hole might be partly plugged up or something. I thought my ordeal was bad, your sounds worse at this point. Is there no one in your area who's done one of these before that could lend a hand?
[/b]

You sould try to contact the people from WA local club like hdrygas, Starbug, DaveinOlyWA, inTheWASide, etc., I know that more than one have their EBH installed and probably willing to lend a hand.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 24 2006, 05:35 AM) [snapback]337252[/snapback]</div>

Dave, the details of where my arm went are long forgotten, it's been a while since I did the installation. I just remember that there was some angle that when I turned my body just right that my arm fit up there adequately. Not comfortably, but I could manuever and such.

I'm also still confused as to the difficulty you're experiencing getting the BH to slide in the hole. It should slip in easily. Mine took no force what so ever to get it in. In fact I thought, at first, I had it in correctly, but it moved in and out too easily and I had to figure out about the clip. You're making me wonder if the hole might be partly plugged up or something. I thought my ordeal was bad, your sounds worse at this point. Is there no one in your area who's done one of these before that could lend a hand?
[/b]

It wasn't that I couldn't get it to slide in. It was that I couldn't hold onto it well enough to aim it straight into the hole.

If I try from below again, I'll just have to try aiming my body in different directions to see if there's a better entry angle. I assume you were using your right hand.

Dave M.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 24 2006, 06:43 AM) [snapback]337275[/snapback]</div>

You sould try to contact the people from WA local club like hdrygas, Starbug, DaveinOlyWA, inTheWASide, etc., I know that more than one have their EBH installed and probably willing to lend a hand.
[/b]

I may end up doing that. My mother lives in Olympia and I get over there once every two or three months. I'll be heading over at Christmas in any case.

What I need is to find someone who's done the installation recently enough to recall the details, and perhaps tell them to me over the phone.

Dave M.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 24 2006, 05:43 AM) [snapback]337275[/snapback]</div>

You sould try to contact the people from WA local club like hdrygas, Starbug, DaveinOlyWA, inTheWASide, etc., I know that more than one have their EBH installed and probably willing to lend a hand.
[/b]

Well Horatio, I finally got the heater in and the power cord attached. I just couldn't hold onto either the tube of grease or the heater. I ended up tying a string on them to hold them at the right elevation so I could guide them in with my fingers. It still took be about 5 minutes just on the heater even at that. A lot longer getting the grease in, since I couldn't squeeze the entire tube into the hole. That is, I couldn't get my fingers around the tube to squeeze, so just pressed the side of the tube as I withdrew it with the string. So, I used a second tube to be certain there was enough grease in the hole.

I haven't put the car back together yet, as I have one last question. Of course I ended up doing it from above.

When I push the heater in it tended to spring back out. At first it would come out at least an inch (I'm assuming air trapped inside the hole). I worked it in and out a number of times until I finally got it to bottom out (I think). However, it springs out about 3/8 to 1/2 inch from its innermost position, and then seems to stop. It's possible for me to see the orange connector of the power cord, and a little of the end of the heater as well. I'll go and make another check now that it's been sitting awhile. However, when the clip locks into place, should the heater still be that far out of the hole? It seems like I can't pull it out now, but do you remember whether or not you could see the the power connector and part of the heater from above when correctly installed.

Thanks for all the help.

Dave M.

[efusco]

Mine snapped firmly in place with no play at all when the clip was properly aligned. Don't know about being able to see the orange from above.

[mrbigh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 10 2006, 07:31 PM) [snapback]347232[/snapback]</div>

...........

I'll go and make another check now that it's been sitting awhile. However, when the clip locks into place, should the heater still be that far out of the hole? It seems like I can't pull it out now, but do you remember whether or not you could see the the power connector and part of the heater from above when correctly installed.

Thanks for all the help.

Dave M.
[/b]

Like Evan said, when the clip is in place you can't pull it out so easy; now about the plug, it fits in only one position, being that it is triangular shape, the vertice with the wire faces toward the fire wall, to install it is another job but much easy if your hands are thermo grease free, once connected in place it can be seeing from above with proper illumination. Don't forget to tie wrap the harness securely to avoid rattles inside the motor compartment.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Nov 10 2006, 08:25 PM) [snapback]347322[/snapback]</div>

Like Evan said, when the clip is in place you can't pull it out so easy; now about the plug, it fits in only one position, being that it is triangular shape, the vertice with the wire faces toward the fire wall, to install it is another job but much easy if your hands are thermo grease free, once connected in place it can be seeing from above with proper illumination. Don't forget to tie wrap the harness securely to avoid rattles inside the motor compartment.
[/b]

I got the plug in okay (although it took me awhile to get the orientation exactly right), but I still haven't gotten the heater in quite far enough. I think I have about another mm to go, but I'll try that in the morning. I may end up wedging a block of wood in position and then using a screw driver to force it in the last little bit. I've been turning on the heater and watching it slide out a little, but after doing this repeatedly, it doesn't come out when turned on anymore. As I said, I'll finsih the job in the morning.

Thanks again.

Dave M.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Nov 10 2006, 08:25 PM) [snapback]347322[/snapback]</div>

Like Evan said, when the clip is in place you can't pull it out so easy; now about the plug, it fits in only one position, being that it is triangular shape, the vertice with the wire faces toward the fire wall, to install it is another job but much easy if your hands are thermo grease free, once connected in place it can be seeing from above with proper illumination. Don't forget to tie wrap the harness securely to avoid rattles inside the motor compartment.
[/b]

Finally, the "really" last question. I'm satisfied that the heater is close enough to in position that I put it all back together. If I push the heater out from its deepest position just a mm or two it does spring back again. However, if I push harder I can get it to go out further. This is pushing on the shoulder of the cylinder, not pulling to the right but pushing from the left. Anyway,I'll take off the wiper system again in a month to see if it has remained in place. It shouldn't be able to fall out anyway, with the plug attached.

Now the question for anyone who have done the installation from either above or below. Is there a preferred location for the plug that will go into the extension cord. Out the front grill? Somewhere else?

Dave M.

[efusco]

Mine comes out the front bottom grill.