I have been looking into installing a block heater on my truck for the cold winters up here in Minnesota, but my brother-in-law that is a mechanic says they are a lot of work to put in....So then if that is the case, should I go with a tank heater then? I just want it so basically my truck doesn't have to sit and idle outside to get warm as much....Any opinions would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

HI!... Once you drain the coolant from the block, you can install a factory block heater in about 30 minutes at the most. Very simple.

 

Neal, you always have the answers to questions, thanks. Have you done one on your truck? Just wondering. Thanks agian.

 

i like the ones that work like a coffee perculator, they sit in the bottom of your rad hose, and again, u drain the rad, and cut your lower line & put it in... allthough, if u have a newer F150... don't have a block heater allready?

 

New F-150's don't come with a block heater standard. They can be ordered from the factory as an option. My truck didn't come with one, but it has survived just fine in our wonderful Minnesota winters as an outdoor truck for the last 4 years. Now I have a garage, so that makes life a little easier on the truck Often times you can negotiate your deal pricewise, ask them to throw the block heater in, and most salepeople won't even question it.

I didn't think it was all that big of a deal either to get one installed, but I just haven't found any true need to get one installed, although I'm sure it would lessen some of the cold weather wear...

 

Goes right in the freeze plug. Drain, pop the old one out, pop the heater in. Route the wire where you want it, done.

My '95 has one, can't be too safe in these frigid Virginia Beach areas!

Seriously, mine truck came from up north. You really don't need it, but it sure helps things warm up much quicker and saves a little battery life.

 

Well guys, guess what, it turns out that my truck already has a block heater on it.....Just never realized it until I crawled under it this weekend.
What it was, my first motor that had the leaking head, and cold engine knock didn't have one, well the one that they replaced the original engine had one, and I didn't know. I just assumed that it didn't have one. Opps, my bad.