I just picked up a '73 Toronado that will go up to ski country with my son.

I would like to put a block heater in it.

I have used the type that insert into a freeze plug on SBC motors, have never done it on a BBO.

What size are the freeze plugs on a 455?

Any tips greatly appreciated.

David

 

I'll be honest with you, with the proper weight oil and a good battery the car should be fine without one. Most of us drove these cars in the snow and ice for years growing up with no issues.

 

Haha Eric,

You are right of course, but you are also from Texas where a block heater is a unicorn, no?

My kid is in Jay, VT 10 miles from the Canadian border where cold is in the negative numbers.

I'll be putting the biggest fresh battery I can squeeze in there, but in those low temps I always think about spinning a bearing when the oil does not flow...

 

Use Mobil 1 . You won't have a problem.

 

Yep, 10-30 Mobil 1 is what I bought for it.

I'm leary of using the 0-30 in this old motor.

Anybody using the super thin 0 series oils in old un-rebuilt motors?

 

Yes I live in Texas now and absolutely, unquestionably, detest cold weather. However I grew up in New York/New Jersey and it got plenty cold in the winter and I weathered many snowy winters. Just used 10w30, made sure the antifreeze was sufficient, a can of dry gas every now and then, a good battery, and snow tires. Had more trouble getting in the frozen car than getting it started. My cars were not garage queens, they lived outside.

 

10W - 30 will be fine . 0W-30 is unnecessary , I wouldn't use it.
BTW I'm originally from Wisconsin.

 

A block heater takes a lot of the stress out of starting a cold car, when the temperatures drop into the single digits. I don't know what size the freeze plugs are, however, I will bet that the local auto parts store can look it up for you. The other choice is a lower radiator hose heater that you insert into the lower hose, after you cut the hose. I don't care for them, but it is an option. The best is when it goes directly into the block, since it heats the coolant, the block, and the carburetor. It also makes it a lot nicer to get into a car where the heater can be turned on immediately.

 

The freeze-plug heaters were the original kind if you ordered it as an option.

It gets pretty cold in Jay. If I'm not mistaken, it's in the zone where they don't use salt in the middle of the winter because it's so cold that the salt won't melt the ice.
I lived in Burlington for a few years, and I can attest to the fact that 35-45° below zero is pretty frickin' cold.

The coldest weather I ever drove an Olds in was my '68 88 with the high-compression 455 at about 25 below during a cold snap in Poughkeepsie, and, man, it was chilly, but the car started and ran great, though I did have to keep scraping the ice off the insides of the windows.

If I were going to be up around Jay for a whole winter, though, I would probably install a block heater, too. Just remember that those things draw something like a thousand watts, so keeping them plugged in all night if you're not going to use the car every day can get expensive.

- Eric

 

Poor man's block heater is a light under the oil pan.

Of course, there's the old school way of cutting the oil with kerosene that would then burn off at temp for some 1950s style variable weight oil.

They also make oil dipstick block heaters. I don't suppose this thing will live in a garage?

 

David, IFIRC, the block freeze plugs are 1 1/2", but you can verify this with any "competant" parts man...although these are getting almost impossible to find these days.....lol!

 

I never left my block heater on for days. All it took was about 3 - 5 hours before the engine was warm enough to start easily, and drive away with the heater putting out warm air. You want to warm the block, not boil the coolant.

 

I agree. I was young and inexperienced.

- Eric

 

Living in Windsor Ontario (Canada) block heaters are standard on all newer cars. When it gets really cold I will plug them in overnight. There is a big difference in how they start. One time I forgot and man did it make some weird cranky I don't want to start noises. This was on my 12' Chrysler.

 

I double checked the Kat's listing and bought one of these.



That, along with 10-30 Mobil1, a big battery and a set of chains should get the job done.

FWIW, the Kat's site has lots of heaters and stuff I'd never heard of like heated battery mats and wraps and even ether injection systems!