New guy here. I came across this site a while back while looking for information about a JD 1025R and then again when installing an engine block heater on a 1025R. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but I found enough similar information to help me decide I could make use of a heater and do the install. When I did my install, I took some photos of those areas of which I originally had questions, and I'll contribute back to this great forum by posting my installation steps.
While I'm not too crazy about sharing personal information in the Internet, I do believe in sharing experiences. That said, I am by no means an expert, but I am a tech-schooled mechanic who worked in the business in a previous life, and I still get along pretty good with a wrench. I installed a couple block heaters in vehicles in the past and this install wasn't much different. Actually, because of the easy access and visibility, I'd rate this install pretty simple compared to my past experiences. However, there are several ways to skin most cats. The installation methods I used might not be the best, but they worked for me. If you have other ideas or methods, I won't be offended if you post them. Hell, if you see something I screwed up you'd be doing me a favor by pointing it out!
I'll try to be very detailed and make mention of steps I took to assure my install was successful. I'll write from a non-mechanic's perspective and hopefully make note of those areas and steps that an experienced mechanic would not give second thought.
Assemble the parts:
I ordered JD parts AR87167 - Engine Coolant Heater and AM134805 - Engine Block Heater Adapter. I didn't take a photo of the unassembled parts but the adapter is an aluminum housing that bolts to the engine block and in which you thread the heater. I assembled the adapter and heater on the bench prior to installing in the block.
I applied three or four wraps of Teflon tape to the male threads on the heater, and over the tape, a light coating of pipe dope. This heater was then threaded into the adapter. The parts were secured in a wood-lined vise and made fast. The heater fit nicely in a 1 3/8 socket, but a crescent or pipe wrench would have worked fine. I can't say how tight I fit the pieces as I went by feel, but you want them snug. The heater is brass and the adapter is aluminum so you can't go too crazy, but you want them securely joined. As the joint is filled with tape and dope, it is better to be too loose rather than so tight that you crack the heater or adapter. You can always tighten a loose joint after the heater is installed on the tractor. You'll know when they feel right.
Don't test the heater! I like to bench-test components prior to install if possible. I plugged the heater cord into an outlet while holding the heating element. The heat was instant and if I hadn't been holding the element and noticed the rapid heat and then immediately unplugged the cord, I might have burned the element or melted the solder that holds the element into the heater body. Hindsight says that the heater is intended to be immersed in liquid when operating, but I didn't give it a thought at the time. Take my word for it and do not plug in the heater if not installed in the engine block with coolant present. Unless of course, you enjoy the smell of burnt flesh.
(Ignore the numbers next to the images. They are placeholders for image names in case this post fails.)
IMG_1035 copy.jpg1035
After assembly: Heater on top - adapter on bottom - Note: The recessed holes in the adapter face the heater.
IMG_1036 copy.jpg1036
Back side: Adapter on top - heater on bottom. I've also installed the gasket that fits between the adapter and engine block. I've spread a thin layer of RTV silicone on the gasket. I prefer to use high-tack sealant on a fiber gasket, but my can (of high-tack) was dried out and the RTV was handy. (RTV vs. high-tack is a debate I don't care to visit.:lol:)
These images are not all in the sequence in which I performed the work and the gasket and RTV were applied just before installation of the heater in the engine block.
IMG_1040 copy.jpg1040
Drain the engine block of coolant:
Remove the FEL if equipped.
Remove the the right engine cowl - one bolt and nut.
My tractor is pretty new and is not in need of a coolant change. I intended to save as much of the coolant as I could assure was cleanly recovered.
There is a radiator petcock (drain plug) and hose at the bottom right front of the radiator. I felt around down there and decided it would be easiest to open and close the petcock if the battery was out of the way.
I removed the negative and positive battery terminals and tried to lift the battery out of the tractor. I discovered then that you have to first remove a headlight to lift the battery clear. Instead, I temporarily moved the battery to the left side of the battery compartment (to the right when working from front.) The petcock is then easily accessible as shown by the arrow.
IMG_1023 copy.jpg1023
The radiator drain hose protrudes from the bottom of the tractor just forward of the front axle. There is a battery vent hose in the same vicinity, which I removed when I moved the battery. (See the empty battery vent-tube hole between the arrow and battery in the previous image.)
I rinsed out an old gallon jug I've been saving for just such a purpose and wedged it between the front axle and tie rod. I checked the end of the drain hose and finding it clean, I stuck it in the top of the jug. I used a scrap 2x6 to assure the drain hose reached and stayed in the jug. I was careful not to dislodge any debris from the tractor as I positioned the jug and drain hose, as I didn't want to contaminate the recovered coolant.
I clamped off the hose that runs from the coolant reservoir tank to the top of the radiator as there was no need to drain the reservoir. (It's not necessary to do this if you don't have a clamp and you'll just have to wait while the coolant in the reservoir drains into the radiator and then into the jug.) I removed the radiator cap and then opened the petcock to allow the radiator to drain into the gallon jug. (I drained an initial small bit of coolant into a cup to carry away any debris that might have been inside the drain hose. This coolant was later discarded.)
Draining the radiator let me recover about 2/3 gallon of coolant which I would later put back in the radiator.
IMG_1024 copy.jpg1024
Remove and cap the jug so you don't knock it over or contaminate the coolant.
Close the petcock! Do it now or you will forget to do it later.
Now the real work begins.
The heater is installed in, actually over, a freeze plug hole, but you need to remove the freeze plug from the hole first. The hole you are interested in is on the right right side of the engine. It is located just forward (to the right) of the fuel filter. The hole has an integral flange to which you bolt the heater adapter. The arrow points to the hole which is obscured by a fuel line. Missing from the image is the wire and plug that connect to the oil sending unit which is located just to the arrow's right. I moved the wire prior to the photo, but it will appear in later photos.
IMG_1020 copy.jpg1020
Here is the hole with the flange onto which you bolt the adapter/heater. The oil sending unit is just below. At the bottom center of image is the coolant drain plug which I will not be touching during the heater install. Others might prefer to drain their engine block's coolant by removing this plug and I would remove it if I intended to completely replace old coolant, but it is not necessary to use this drain plug during a heater install. I consider any coolant recovered from here on to be contaminated, as it washes along the dirty engine block prior to reaching a drain pan. Why try to save 5 bucks of coolant and risk damage to your engine from some garbage that remains in reused coolant? Not saying that I haven't done this in the past, but hell, this is a pretty new tractor and I'm not going to be cheap about it.
IMG_1021 copy.jpg1021
The hole with the flange (and others in the block) is plugged with a freeze plug. This is a flanged disk that is press fitted into the block during manufacturing assembly. I have read that the freeze plug holes are necessary for the engine casting process and maybe they are, but I have seen them function as freeze plugs and be driven out by ice forming in the water jacket of a coolant-missing engine. Anyhow, I call them freeze plugs and you can call them whatever feels right.
The freeze plug is present in the engine prior to the engine being painted. When you remove the freeze plug, you might chip the paint on the flange. I didn't worry about the painted flange and I installed the heater/adapter over the paint. If you would rather attach your heater/adapter to bare metal, now is the time to get in there with your choice of sandpaper or emery cloth. If your flange has flaking paint or the flange is rusted, it certainly should be cleaned. I'll revisit this topic later.
IMG_1019 copy.jpg1019
I tapped around the inner circumference of the freeze plug with a line-up bar and hammer. My intention at this time was not to dislodge the freeze plug, but only to break the paint seal between the plug and the hole's edge. (This painted joint is very evident in the previous image from 2:00 to 5:00.) I was successful in breaking the paint loose from the joint and I wiped away the paint chips before proceeding.
IMG_1027 copy.jpg1027
Now comes the "touchy" part. The intent is to dislodge the freeze plug so that it can be removed from the engine block. This is accomplished by striking the flange of the disk (at the very edge of the disk) until the disk spins in the hole. It is not really complicated. I used a large screwdriver and chose the left edge as a target because I was holding the screwdriver in my left hand and could easily "pull" the screwdriver tight to the edge of the hole and on top of the freeze plug flange.
You can proceed gently and check your progress by visually confirming that you are spinning the disk, or you can just go ahead with a few good whacks of the hammer and the disk should / will spin in its hole. Coolant will flow or gush from the hole depending on your removal method, and it will wash away any paint chips that were left behind. (This is why I didn't use the drain plug. I want my hole flushed and clean. :tongue:) You can spin the disk back in by hand to slow the coolant flow and see if your drain pan is properly positioned ... or to stage a photo showing the coolant draining from the hole.
IMG_1029 copy.jpg1029
The escaping coolant flows along the engine block and drops to the ground indiscriminately. The bigger the drain pan the better. This coolant is contaminated and does not go back in my radiator.
IMG_1068 copy.jpg1068
Now that your freeze plug is sideways in the hole, reach in with a pair of pliers and wiggle it out of the hole. It may come out with hand force if you're a tough guy. Can a freeze plug be accidentally driven inside the engine block? Not as far as I know and I've never worried about it. I've had occasion to re-install freeze plugs and they are very difficult to drive straight in as they have an inclination to spin one way or the other. If you have not removed one before, proceed slowly, make a few taps with the screwdriver and hammer and then feel the edge of the freeze plug. The edge you are tapping should be more recessed than the opposite edge. If the edges are equal, tap a bit harder. Eventually, the tapped edge will become more recessed than the opposite edge and soon, the plug will spin in the hole and you'll have a face full of coolant. Not really. You'll have a mess, but it doesn't gush out too far from the block.
IMG_1030 copy.jpg1030
After removing the plug, I cleaned around the edges of the hole. In the previous image you can see paint fragments and pieces of red sealant that were removed. I splashed my finger in the coolant laying just inside the hole so that it was below the level of the hole and wouldn't drip out onto the flange after I dried it off. Then, its time to install the adapter / heater.
With the gasket in place and both bolts protruding from the engine side of the adapter, set the adapter in position and thread both bolts into the flange. It's pretty easy as there is plenty of room to work. Make the bolts finger tight and then prepare your favorite torque wrench for final fitment.
The adapter is secured to the block with two Class 12.9, M8 cap screws that are supplied with the adapter. The spec on this fastener calls for a dry torque of 47 Nm or 35 ft/lb and a lubricated torque of 37 Nm or 27.5 ft/lb. I was using Blue 242 Loctite on the bolts so I split the difference between dry and lubricated torque values and went with 42 Nm for my install. It felt right when I tightened the bolts. I don't know if my split-the-difference method is correct or not when using Loctite, but it's my practice and it works for me.
The head of the cap screw is intended for a 6mm metric hex bit or wrench, but will also accommodate a T40 torx bit, though this is not preferred. If I didn't have a 6mm hex socket that fit a torque wrench, but I did have a T40 bit that fit my torque wrench, I would use the T40. The minor fitment issue between the T40 and the cap screw is less of a concern than the proper torque value that can be obtained by using the T40. As a last resort, an old fashioned angled hex wrench can be used to secure the cap screws, but proper torquing is not likely and you'll be hard pressed to obtain 42 Nm of torque with a 6 inch hex wrench. Though, there have probably been more engine block heaters installed with angle hex wrenches than hex sockets and in this case, torque values may not be too critical.
I had a 6mm hex socket and a click torque wrench and after applying Loctite to the bolt ends, I torqued both bolts to 42 Nm, moving from one bolt to the other in alternating increments so as not to warp the adapter.
IMG_1081 copy.jpg1081
The installed heater / adapter is pretty good looking but you can make it better looking now. I had aligned the heater's plug fitting parallel to the bolt holes in the flange when I originally assembled them in the vice. I could see after bolting the assembly to the block that the bolt holes are not parallel to the ground. I gave the heater a quick little turn so that the electrical cord would fall straight down when secured to the heater. The previous image shows the realigned heater.
I plugged the oil sensor wire back on, moved the ground strap back to where it was originally and I plugged the heater cord into the heater.
IMG_1092 copy.jpg1092
I covered a section of the heater cord with a piece of split vinyl tubing and secured the cord to the left side of the engine mount. The plug is readily accessible and not in the way of anything that might be going on. I'll probably remove the cord after the cold weather passes just to prevent wear and tear.
IMG_1098 copy.jpg1098
I confirmed that I closed the petcock earlier in the install and I refilled the radiator to the top with the coolant I recovered in the jug. I added less than a quart of new Cool-Gard II coolant to replace that which was lost when the freeze plug was knocked out and I then removed the clamp on the reservoir tube. I repositioned the battery and reattached the battery cable ends. I started the engine and ran it until warm and all was well. During warm up, I checked the adapter/heater joint and adapter/block joint for leaks and none were found.
A few days after, I looked at the images I made during the install. I was quite surprised to see a huge paint run on the right side of the engine block flange and which is visible in many of the images. I couldn't believe I missed that run when I did the install and it looked large enough to impact the gasket and fitment of the adapter to the engine block.
I drained the radiator, this time leaving the battery alone as I knew I could manipulate the petcock without seeing it. I removed the bolts and heater/adapter and lost less than a quart of coolant. I carefully removed the gasket from the block. I felt the paint run. I could hardly feel anything. Apparently the images and the direction from which they were lighted made the paint run appear of much greater thickness than it actually was.
I flattened the paint run (and another at the bottom edge of the flange) with a piece of emery cloth simply to justify my having taken everything apart. Then I put everything back together. I used high-tack adhesive on the gasket during my second install. If nothing else, I remembered to get photos of steps that I missed during the first install.
That's it. Piece of cake. I don't know if my wife could follow these steps and install a block heater but that's how I tried to write it. Anyone with any mechanical inclination shouldn't have any problems. It took way longer to resize images and put together this post than it it took to perform the install ... both times combined.
If one reader finds this post helpful then this forum's wheel has come full turn for me. Please don't hesitate to comment, correct and critique.
While I'm not too crazy about sharing personal information in the Internet, I do believe in sharing experiences. That said, I am by no means an expert, but I am a tech-schooled mechanic who worked in the business in a previous life, and I still get along pretty good with a wrench. I installed a couple block heaters in vehicles in the past and this install wasn't much different. Actually, because of the easy access and visibility, I'd rate this install pretty simple compared to my past experiences. However, there are several ways to skin most cats. The installation methods I used might not be the best, but they worked for me. If you have other ideas or methods, I won't be offended if you post them. Hell, if you see something I screwed up you'd be doing me a favor by pointing it out!
I'll try to be very detailed and make mention of steps I took to assure my install was successful. I'll write from a non-mechanic's perspective and hopefully make note of those areas and steps that an experienced mechanic would not give second thought.
Assemble the parts:
I ordered JD parts AR87167 - Engine Coolant Heater and AM134805 - Engine Block Heater Adapter. I didn't take a photo of the unassembled parts but the adapter is an aluminum housing that bolts to the engine block and in which you thread the heater. I assembled the adapter and heater on the bench prior to installing in the block.
I applied three or four wraps of Teflon tape to the male threads on the heater, and over the tape, a light coating of pipe dope. This heater was then threaded into the adapter. The parts were secured in a wood-lined vise and made fast. The heater fit nicely in a 1 3/8 socket, but a crescent or pipe wrench would have worked fine. I can't say how tight I fit the pieces as I went by feel, but you want them snug. The heater is brass and the adapter is aluminum so you can't go too crazy, but you want them securely joined. As the joint is filled with tape and dope, it is better to be too loose rather than so tight that you crack the heater or adapter. You can always tighten a loose joint after the heater is installed on the tractor. You'll know when they feel right.
Don't test the heater! I like to bench-test components prior to install if possible. I plugged the heater cord into an outlet while holding the heating element. The heat was instant and if I hadn't been holding the element and noticed the rapid heat and then immediately unplugged the cord, I might have burned the element or melted the solder that holds the element into the heater body. Hindsight says that the heater is intended to be immersed in liquid when operating, but I didn't give it a thought at the time. Take my word for it and do not plug in the heater if not installed in the engine block with coolant present. Unless of course, you enjoy the smell of burnt flesh.
(Ignore the numbers next to the images. They are placeholders for image names in case this post fails.)
IMG_1035 copy.jpg1035
After assembly: Heater on top - adapter on bottom - Note: The recessed holes in the adapter face the heater.
IMG_1036 copy.jpg1036
Back side: Adapter on top - heater on bottom. I've also installed the gasket that fits between the adapter and engine block. I've spread a thin layer of RTV silicone on the gasket. I prefer to use high-tack sealant on a fiber gasket, but my can (of high-tack) was dried out and the RTV was handy. (RTV vs. high-tack is a debate I don't care to visit.:lol:)
These images are not all in the sequence in which I performed the work and the gasket and RTV were applied just before installation of the heater in the engine block.
IMG_1040 copy.jpg1040
Drain the engine block of coolant:
Remove the FEL if equipped.
Remove the the right engine cowl - one bolt and nut.
My tractor is pretty new and is not in need of a coolant change. I intended to save as much of the coolant as I could assure was cleanly recovered.
There is a radiator petcock (drain plug) and hose at the bottom right front of the radiator. I felt around down there and decided it would be easiest to open and close the petcock if the battery was out of the way.
I removed the negative and positive battery terminals and tried to lift the battery out of the tractor. I discovered then that you have to first remove a headlight to lift the battery clear. Instead, I temporarily moved the battery to the left side of the battery compartment (to the right when working from front.) The petcock is then easily accessible as shown by the arrow.
IMG_1023 copy.jpg1023
The radiator drain hose protrudes from the bottom of the tractor just forward of the front axle. There is a battery vent hose in the same vicinity, which I removed when I moved the battery. (See the empty battery vent-tube hole between the arrow and battery in the previous image.)
I rinsed out an old gallon jug I've been saving for just such a purpose and wedged it between the front axle and tie rod. I checked the end of the drain hose and finding it clean, I stuck it in the top of the jug. I used a scrap 2x6 to assure the drain hose reached and stayed in the jug. I was careful not to dislodge any debris from the tractor as I positioned the jug and drain hose, as I didn't want to contaminate the recovered coolant.
I clamped off the hose that runs from the coolant reservoir tank to the top of the radiator as there was no need to drain the reservoir. (It's not necessary to do this if you don't have a clamp and you'll just have to wait while the coolant in the reservoir drains into the radiator and then into the jug.) I removed the radiator cap and then opened the petcock to allow the radiator to drain into the gallon jug. (I drained an initial small bit of coolant into a cup to carry away any debris that might have been inside the drain hose. This coolant was later discarded.)
Draining the radiator let me recover about 2/3 gallon of coolant which I would later put back in the radiator.
IMG_1024 copy.jpg1024
Remove and cap the jug so you don't knock it over or contaminate the coolant.
Close the petcock! Do it now or you will forget to do it later.
Now the real work begins.
The heater is installed in, actually over, a freeze plug hole, but you need to remove the freeze plug from the hole first. The hole you are interested in is on the right right side of the engine. It is located just forward (to the right) of the fuel filter. The hole has an integral flange to which you bolt the heater adapter. The arrow points to the hole which is obscured by a fuel line. Missing from the image is the wire and plug that connect to the oil sending unit which is located just to the arrow's right. I moved the wire prior to the photo, but it will appear in later photos.
IMG_1020 copy.jpg1020
Here is the hole with the flange onto which you bolt the adapter/heater. The oil sending unit is just below. At the bottom center of image is the coolant drain plug which I will not be touching during the heater install. Others might prefer to drain their engine block's coolant by removing this plug and I would remove it if I intended to completely replace old coolant, but it is not necessary to use this drain plug during a heater install. I consider any coolant recovered from here on to be contaminated, as it washes along the dirty engine block prior to reaching a drain pan. Why try to save 5 bucks of coolant and risk damage to your engine from some garbage that remains in reused coolant? Not saying that I haven't done this in the past, but hell, this is a pretty new tractor and I'm not going to be cheap about it.
IMG_1021 copy.jpg1021
The hole with the flange (and others in the block) is plugged with a freeze plug. This is a flanged disk that is press fitted into the block during manufacturing assembly. I have read that the freeze plug holes are necessary for the engine casting process and maybe they are, but I have seen them function as freeze plugs and be driven out by ice forming in the water jacket of a coolant-missing engine. Anyhow, I call them freeze plugs and you can call them whatever feels right.
The freeze plug is present in the engine prior to the engine being painted. When you remove the freeze plug, you might chip the paint on the flange. I didn't worry about the painted flange and I installed the heater/adapter over the paint. If you would rather attach your heater/adapter to bare metal, now is the time to get in there with your choice of sandpaper or emery cloth. If your flange has flaking paint or the flange is rusted, it certainly should be cleaned. I'll revisit this topic later.
IMG_1019 copy.jpg1019
I tapped around the inner circumference of the freeze plug with a line-up bar and hammer. My intention at this time was not to dislodge the freeze plug, but only to break the paint seal between the plug and the hole's edge. (This painted joint is very evident in the previous image from 2:00 to 5:00.) I was successful in breaking the paint loose from the joint and I wiped away the paint chips before proceeding.
IMG_1027 copy.jpg1027
Now comes the "touchy" part. The intent is to dislodge the freeze plug so that it can be removed from the engine block. This is accomplished by striking the flange of the disk (at the very edge of the disk) until the disk spins in the hole. It is not really complicated. I used a large screwdriver and chose the left edge as a target because I was holding the screwdriver in my left hand and could easily "pull" the screwdriver tight to the edge of the hole and on top of the freeze plug flange.
You can proceed gently and check your progress by visually confirming that you are spinning the disk, or you can just go ahead with a few good whacks of the hammer and the disk should / will spin in its hole. Coolant will flow or gush from the hole depending on your removal method, and it will wash away any paint chips that were left behind. (This is why I didn't use the drain plug. I want my hole flushed and clean. :tongue:) You can spin the disk back in by hand to slow the coolant flow and see if your drain pan is properly positioned ... or to stage a photo showing the coolant draining from the hole.
IMG_1029 copy.jpg1029
The escaping coolant flows along the engine block and drops to the ground indiscriminately. The bigger the drain pan the better. This coolant is contaminated and does not go back in my radiator.
IMG_1068 copy.jpg1068
Now that your freeze plug is sideways in the hole, reach in with a pair of pliers and wiggle it out of the hole. It may come out with hand force if you're a tough guy. Can a freeze plug be accidentally driven inside the engine block? Not as far as I know and I've never worried about it. I've had occasion to re-install freeze plugs and they are very difficult to drive straight in as they have an inclination to spin one way or the other. If you have not removed one before, proceed slowly, make a few taps with the screwdriver and hammer and then feel the edge of the freeze plug. The edge you are tapping should be more recessed than the opposite edge. If the edges are equal, tap a bit harder. Eventually, the tapped edge will become more recessed than the opposite edge and soon, the plug will spin in the hole and you'll have a face full of coolant. Not really. You'll have a mess, but it doesn't gush out too far from the block.
IMG_1030 copy.jpg1030
After removing the plug, I cleaned around the edges of the hole. In the previous image you can see paint fragments and pieces of red sealant that were removed. I splashed my finger in the coolant laying just inside the hole so that it was below the level of the hole and wouldn't drip out onto the flange after I dried it off. Then, its time to install the adapter / heater.
With the gasket in place and both bolts protruding from the engine side of the adapter, set the adapter in position and thread both bolts into the flange. It's pretty easy as there is plenty of room to work. Make the bolts finger tight and then prepare your favorite torque wrench for final fitment.
The adapter is secured to the block with two Class 12.9, M8 cap screws that are supplied with the adapter. The spec on this fastener calls for a dry torque of 47 Nm or 35 ft/lb and a lubricated torque of 37 Nm or 27.5 ft/lb. I was using Blue 242 Loctite on the bolts so I split the difference between dry and lubricated torque values and went with 42 Nm for my install. It felt right when I tightened the bolts. I don't know if my split-the-difference method is correct or not when using Loctite, but it's my practice and it works for me.
The head of the cap screw is intended for a 6mm metric hex bit or wrench, but will also accommodate a T40 torx bit, though this is not preferred. If I didn't have a 6mm hex socket that fit a torque wrench, but I did have a T40 bit that fit my torque wrench, I would use the T40. The minor fitment issue between the T40 and the cap screw is less of a concern than the proper torque value that can be obtained by using the T40. As a last resort, an old fashioned angled hex wrench can be used to secure the cap screws, but proper torquing is not likely and you'll be hard pressed to obtain 42 Nm of torque with a 6 inch hex wrench. Though, there have probably been more engine block heaters installed with angle hex wrenches than hex sockets and in this case, torque values may not be too critical.
I had a 6mm hex socket and a click torque wrench and after applying Loctite to the bolt ends, I torqued both bolts to 42 Nm, moving from one bolt to the other in alternating increments so as not to warp the adapter.
IMG_1081 copy.jpg1081
The installed heater / adapter is pretty good looking but you can make it better looking now. I had aligned the heater's plug fitting parallel to the bolt holes in the flange when I originally assembled them in the vice. I could see after bolting the assembly to the block that the bolt holes are not parallel to the ground. I gave the heater a quick little turn so that the electrical cord would fall straight down when secured to the heater. The previous image shows the realigned heater.
I plugged the oil sensor wire back on, moved the ground strap back to where it was originally and I plugged the heater cord into the heater.
IMG_1092 copy.jpg1092
I covered a section of the heater cord with a piece of split vinyl tubing and secured the cord to the left side of the engine mount. The plug is readily accessible and not in the way of anything that might be going on. I'll probably remove the cord after the cold weather passes just to prevent wear and tear.
IMG_1098 copy.jpg1098
I confirmed that I closed the petcock earlier in the install and I refilled the radiator to the top with the coolant I recovered in the jug. I added less than a quart of new Cool-Gard II coolant to replace that which was lost when the freeze plug was knocked out and I then removed the clamp on the reservoir tube. I repositioned the battery and reattached the battery cable ends. I started the engine and ran it until warm and all was well. During warm up, I checked the adapter/heater joint and adapter/block joint for leaks and none were found.
A few days after, I looked at the images I made during the install. I was quite surprised to see a huge paint run on the right side of the engine block flange and which is visible in many of the images. I couldn't believe I missed that run when I did the install and it looked large enough to impact the gasket and fitment of the adapter to the engine block.
I drained the radiator, this time leaving the battery alone as I knew I could manipulate the petcock without seeing it. I removed the bolts and heater/adapter and lost less than a quart of coolant. I carefully removed the gasket from the block. I felt the paint run. I could hardly feel anything. Apparently the images and the direction from which they were lighted made the paint run appear of much greater thickness than it actually was.
I flattened the paint run (and another at the bottom edge of the flange) with a piece of emery cloth simply to justify my having taken everything apart. Then I put everything back together. I used high-tack adhesive on the gasket during my second install. If nothing else, I remembered to get photos of steps that I missed during the first install.
That's it. Piece of cake. I don't know if my wife could follow these steps and install a block heater but that's how I tried to write it. Anyone with any mechanical inclination shouldn't have any problems. It took way longer to resize images and put together this post than it it took to perform the install ... both times combined.
If one reader finds this post helpful then this forum's wheel has come full turn for me. Please don't hesitate to comment, correct and critique.