Hi, All:

Can anyone tell me where the coolant drain plug for the engine block is, and how large it is? I am looking into installing an auxiliary engine heater, and everyone I talk to says to use the engine block drain hole as the outlet for the suction side of a heater that has a pump.

I am also wondering where I would attach the return line with the heated coolant... to one of the hose barbs on the viscous heater?

Is there anyone who has installed an auxiliary engine heater? Any thoughts on electric powered units verses diesel fired units?

Jeff

As far as I know there is no block drain plug. In fact I don't recall a coolant drain plug on the block of any engine I've ever worked on; the drain plug is on the radiator.

PS - NOTE correction in chat below.

That said I would imagine you could plumb the inlet and outlet of an aux heater into one of the coolant lines on top of the engine. Perhaps the one on the driver's side that feeds the EGR cooler.

Any particular reason you are adding an aux heater? I'll admit it doesn't get that cold here, mid to upper teens F, but the stock block heater seems to work quite well.

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Your comments are very strange, Papaindigo. Every engine I have ever worked on has a coolant drain plug for the engine block. I will try in my spare time to find an R428 engine at a wrecker so I can get a good look at it outside of an engine bay. I need to plumb the inlet hose to the auxiliary heater from as low a point in the cooling system as possible to avoid cavitation, and then plumb the outlet hose from the auxiliary heater to as high a point on the cooling system as possible for good heating efficiency.

I stand corrected. Poked around a bit and I see what you mean on like the old Ford 289. Never paid attention or knew what they were; always drained from the radiator.

I can quit for the day as I've learned my daily new thing. Thanks.

Good luck on the search. You might glance at the engine pics I posted over on the CRD Tech site to see if anything jumps out at you.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Maybe this will help you?

Same block as far as I know?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/196 ... 0_UK_M.pdf

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Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

I have sort of looked for the same and the best I can find is a pair of plugs on the exhaust side of the engine block under the heat shielding. I haven't needed to pull them yet. They are (I think) 6 mm hex drive and about 10 x 1 metric threads with copper sealing / crush washers. Appearance is very similar to the plugs you remove to engage the cam locking pins.

As nearly as I can figure this allows air to flow into the block when the bottom hose is removed so the coolant can drain out.
That's all I've been able to find with the motor in the vehicle and using anything I can find printed.
I figured it was too hard for my purposes and so I didn't pursue it and dealt with my issues through other "simpler" means - well different, anyway.

There are plugs on the exhaust side under the heat shielding that use a hex key for removal but they (4 of them with one place used for the turbo oil feed) are in the oil gallery not the coolant system if those are the ones you are referring too.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Possibly.

There is a 24mm hex head bolt on passenger side of the block in front of the oil cooler and below the water pump. I believe this is the block coolant drain plug.

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Take a look at image # 6 at viewtopic.php?f=98&t=74594 I think I see what GDE is talking about tucked in just in front of the rectangular oil cooler.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

I think a spot you could use as the upper outlet could be in the head in picture #5. The dark hex head just above the egr valve.

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[quote="GreenDieselEngineering"]There is a 24mm hex head bolt on passenger side of the block in front of the oil cooler and below the water pump. I believe this is the block coolant drain plug.[/quote]
What I was getting at but better described than in my post.
I'm reluctant to use passenger side as a description to locate as mine is opposite and it gets confusing (or I get confused? )

I believe that you gentlemen have nailed it. I will be doing some more research to see if the installation of a Webasto or Espar Diesel fuelled coolant heater is feasable and cost-effective. God knows I need something to warm up my engine up here in the Great White North.