Block heater

I am thinking about putting in a block heater in my 08 Tacoma, has anyone done this and if so, how hard was it to do.

 

If it's the 3.4 engine, I put one in my 98 T-100 a few years back. I had to drain the coolant, pop out a freeze plug and install the heater. It's not too bad but was kind of a booger to get to. I had to go in from my driver side fender well. It may well be different on your Taco depending on which freeze plug is easiest to get to.
If your winters are cold, it's money and time well spent!

 

Thank you for the reply.

 

I had one on my old ford ranger that goes on the bottom radiator hose. heats up the coolant inside the block. just cut the hose and slide both ends over the heater tube. don't remember where I got it from but it worked well and was easy to get at.

 

The 4.0 has a dedicated spot in the block for a block heater.

 

Yea its a slide in style cylinder that goes into the block. Its located at the back of the block under the master brake cylinder.

It's not that hard, just make sure the engine is cold when you install it, the cat is right beside it and gets red hot.

You loom the cable up along brake lines then up to the front.

 

This idea makes a lot of sense.

 

I had an old 65 Nova back in the 80's that had one of those lower hose engine heaters in it. We lived in Iowa and had a particularly cold winter one year. As long as that car was plugged in, it was the only vehicle we had that was parked outside, that would start. That thing was worth it's weight in GOLD!

I didn't use the one in my old T-100 very often, but when it was going to be below 20 degrees at night, I'd plug it in. Our winters here have been mild but I may one day have to put one in my new Taco.

 

I purchased a block heater but could not install it due a sensor bracket being in the way of it.... has anyone installed one on a 2015? If so how did you go about working around the bracket?

 

I just did on my '14, same thing. I did it from underneath. I assume you have the one that fits in the machined hole in the back of the block.

Take off both of the undercover factory skids if you have them and that will give you a bit more room. If you can put the front up on ramps or jack stands that will help too.
A 17mm wrench size bolt holds the bracket and you will have to undo it. The bolt is one of those that holds the transmission and engine together. It worked the best for me to take out the 3 bolts (12 or 14mm wrench size) from the bracket that supports the cat. One bolt is attached to the cat and the other two thread into the transmission case. Put the bracket aside.

I was able to get that 17mm bolt out using some long extensions on a 3/8" drive using a 17mm socket. The 1/2" socket has a bit too thick walls IMO. I used a 90 degree ujoint at the socket and a long breaker bar. You need to get as straight a run as possible (this is relative) so I went back down the exhaust just down from the cat. It would probably be easier using a impact wrench as that bolt can be in there pretty tight. Wear gloves as it will help with the skinned knuckles.

Once lose, I backed out the bolt a little bit at a time using a long combination wrench. If you has a 17mm gear wrench that would make it faster.

The bracket has to go on last after you insert the heater because of the same clearance problem. In retrospect, it may have been easier to attach the red plug to the heater and then insert. If you do it that way check to make sure the three terminals fully engage into the red plug. Finally, I thought I got the wrong part number because the red plug on the end of the heater was rotated wrong. But I discovered you can rotate the clip and red plug a bit.

 

Taco'09, Thanks for the write up, I will give it another try using your advice.... it was just a bummer after seeing how simple of a task it was prior to this bracket being in the way.

 

When I lived in Idaho, years ago, I heard of the kind that you shove down the dipstick tube and it plugs into a 110 outlet. Seemed like a good idea.

 

i run the oem block heater and a oil pan/battery heater from wolverine. I only use it when temps go below -5

 

I have seen the oil dipstick one but not the battery heater. when I was looking at the radiator hose kind they had a oil pan one that was just a magnet you stick on the bottom of it.

 

I have the block heater and ran into the sensor issue on my 2012. I think it's just on the 12+ models. Someone in a thread suggested a stubby handled ratchet with a pivoting handle. It made the job easy. Well worth purchasing a new tool that I've used many times since.

 

Finally installed my block heater this weekend.... I removed the bracket that attaches to the trans and the exhaust just after the catalytic converter to gain some room to get my arm up in there. Modified the O2 sensor bracket that was blocking the way for installing the block heater and reinstalled. I have only had the block heater for 2+ years and am happy I finally got it installed.

Thanks again for your write up....

 

That battery heater is a damned fine idea. When we lived in Wisconsin, there was a two week stretch when I had to take my battery out every night and put it back in every morning. That doesn't sound bad but keep in mind it was -60F with wind chill.

 

Is it all wired up to the same circuit?

 

Sure, happy to help. The block heater really works. BTW, how many cuts you get on your hands?

I think this job used to be easier on the V6 but in '12 Toy added the horrible secondary air injection and the tubes for it and the manifold redesign take up space .

 

A few cuts, but not as many as last weekend's RAAMmat install...