I swear I read somewhere the other day that our trucks don't need to plug in unless below zero. I'll see if I can find it. Think it might have been manual.

 

From the 2015 Ford Super Duty Diesel Supplement

At temperatures of -10°F (-23°C) or below, it is recommended that you use an engine block heater to improve cold engine starting

 

Wish I had a heater...build March 2011.

 

you should have the heater in your block unless it is a rebuild and was not put back in. just need to buy the connector and harness. You can check buy looking on the passenger side back of the wheel well up on bottom side of block. You will either see the heater threads inward or a plug with a 3/8 indent.

 

6.7 engines were the first to not come with the block heater preinstalled if the option was not ordered. It was nice on the IH engines, but it's a luxury no more. You need to get the whole assembly-the heater and cord, and install it in one of the freeze plugs after draining all the coolant, if it did not come from the factory with a block heater.

The need to plug in these trucks is literally nonexistent because they start so easy nowdays. It won't do any good to leave it plugged in over a few days you won't drive it, just cost you more on your electric bill. If its below 0, you may plug it in for a few hours before you leave. Else the glowplugs handle the starts quite well.

 

Yep...I can see the bright cadmium plug.

 

I have a timer set in mine. It will come on three hours before I leave for the morning. I use it at below about 0. That plus the rapid cab heater makes for a nice warm truck before I leave.

 

Yes! This is the way I do it and I don't plug in unless it is going to single digits.

 

I added a block heater on my first 6.7l it wasn't hard at all. All Ford parts come in a bundle from fairway Ford on eBay for around $80. Just pull the plug and screw in the element real quick and you hardly loose any coolant. Run the cord then top it off with distilled water or new orange coolant.

I didn't necessarily need the heater but I like having it for some reason.

 

There is something that just makes you feel manly having to plug in the truck lol

 

Second part of your question... should I leave it plugged in all the time if not a daily driver.

The only people I know personally who do this live up north, friends in ND. Is it the right thing to do, not really sure, will it hurt anything, can't think it would. I did read on the other diesel forum site that guys in Alaska do the same thing, leave it plugged in 24/7. Here in CO I use a timer also for the days I need my truck and the temp is below 15 degrees (personal preference) . Mine is not a daily driver. There are times my truck sits during winter for over a week, not plugged in.

 

No, you do not need to plug it in all the time. Many only plug it in a few hours before they use the truck when there is temps cold enough to need it.

 

Are these factory block heaters equivalent to a 100 watt light bulb, as far as wattage used?

Also, does anybody know how much these block heaters warm up the engine, 20 to 30 degrees above the surrounding ambient temperature?

 

I believe the block heater is rated at 1000 watts. On one forum, someone reported that he sees about 900 watt usage. He lets his heat for like 5 hours. He state that over 8 hours had no advantage. I do not remember if it was stated how much the temp was raised. There was also a statement that using a 12 gauge extension cord provided better heating action than a smaller wire guage.

 

Years ago I ran a route and my van had a 3.9 Cummins in it Our management was really anal about micromanaging all the way to fuel supplements and block heaters. I pretty much followed my own mind on the block heater. I plugged in whenever the overnight temps would be in the teens or low twenties. It started easier and made heat faster (the biggest plus in a 16' van), but it would still fire without it. We did the same on farm tractors in my early years, though we didn't use them much in winter. It really was a non-issue in NE Arkansas. My truck has a heater, but it won't see much use unless it gets un-seasonably cold.

I'll make one recommendation, if you plug in, run the cord where you can't get in the truck without tripping over it. That may help prevent an embarrassing situation. We made an ambulance call one cold day when I was working at the FD. My green partner failed to unplug the shore line. We arrived on scene with a 100' extension cord trailing along behind us. To this day I can't see how we kept from running over it an pulling it out.

I can't think of winter and diesels without recalling the first hard freeze we had after the route fleet went to diesel. Most of the truck had been through rebuild and the 3.9's dropped in. Management was adamant that we follow Cummins recommendation that no fuel additives be used. We had an unusually cold snap with temps in the single digits for a few days. On the second morning I fired my truck and made it about 500 yards before it quit. Had to call a wrecker to have it towed in and wait for it to thaw. Put of 70 odd diesels in my area, less than 5 were running that morning. Those had broken protocol and treated their fuel. The company was more than receptive to us buying anti-gel by the gallon the next year.

 

I haven't had this truck home yet, but my 6.0 I ran a timer for hour on hour off through the day and steady three hours before I'd leave for work. This was I. Alaska and the temps could be as low as -60. It also had oil, trans, and power steering heaters. I never had a problem starting even once at 30 below when it hadn't been plugged in. It did sound like it was going to come apart though.