i discovered a 120v plug in my engine....someone said its used to preheat it?

[ilyafish]

hey guys,


so today i found a 120v plug in the engine compartment coming out somewhere by the engine (it was dark outside) and its about dead smack in the middle of the engine about neck level or so.  not sure if this is stock or if someone put it on afterwards, but i was told by the previous owner when i talked to him that it is to preheat the engine....is this true/is this stock/if not what is it?

thanks guys!

[plyonsMC9]

We have an '83 MC9 with the 120 volt plug.  A 120v outlet is available at the rear of the bus to plug in an a/c power supply.  I believe this was used at the bus stations to pre-heat the engine.  You can probably trace the wire to a "plug" where it enters the engine block. This should be the heating element.

In our case, this no longer works - and I'm hoping it is a simple repair.  I've heard these are great for cold weather.  If you live in the cold weather (like we do) you know how hard it can be to start these engines when the temps are waaaaaaaay  below freezing.

Kind Regards, Phil

[ilyafish]

yup....experienced that today 

now is there any method of testing if mine still works or not?  also, what amount of time from when plugged in to where its warmed up am i looking at?

[jackhartjr]

Don't be like a friend of mine that plugged his up and looked at the meter on the side of the house, the bearings were about to smoke!
If it is a block heater as most folks call them, they will burn a lot of electricity.
Jack

[TomCat]

You're very lucky, you have a hybrid coach!

They are very rare!

Plug it in for a few hours and you should be able to tool around town on a single charge!

I'll bet it's so quiet it's freaky!

 

Jay
87 SaftLiner

[Jerry32]

Block heaters work great as there was one on mine and I used it in freezing weather to keep the engine warm. draws about the same as an elextric heater.Jerry

[bobofthenorth]

To tell if its working, plug it in.  You can often hear them start to "sing" shortly after they are plugged in.  If not, put your hand on the block close to the plug and it should start to feel warm.  Its going to be a 1000 or 1200 watt element - a watt is a watt so about the same as a cube heater.

[Utahclaimjumper]

It is ten degrees here and I am running mine now to preheat the engine for a trip in the morning, they preheat the water in the engine and cooling system and are very effective. I installed mine years ago for Utah weather, I have also used my generator in the boonies for the preheat.
They are generally installed in one head of the engine, are not expensive, and available at NAPA stores.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

if the engine is a V71 series most on the right head, on 82 series it will be on the right lower corner of the block looking from the front of the engine on both      good luck

[cody]

For anyone that lives in the colder areas of the country, that plug certainly comes in handy, just by plugging it in for an hour or so makes it easier to start without taking down your batteries or damaging your starter, picture filling your crank case with mollases and then putting the engine block in a deep freeze for a while then use a hand crank to turn it over, much easier to warm it up first and less wear and tear on the engine, the meter cost is minimal unless you choose to leave it plugged in all the time in the winter.

[VanTare]

I have a fork lift with a Detroit Diesel in it and it has glow plugs for cold weather starting.   

David

[Dreamscape]

At least you have a 120v plug in the engine bay! Tha's on my list of things to do! Now where'd I put that list? 

Paul

[Len Silva]

With my memory, I would also include a timer switch.

[Dreamscape]

With my memory, I would also include a timer switch.

Ditto!

[John316]

We have a similar plug. And ours works !!! It does a fine job of heating the engine, if we have been plugged in for a while.

God bless,

John