So I figured out how to install my block heater

I have a 2005 and put my block heater in from below. I have also had the top cowl and wipers off for other reasons.

So picking install method my advice is to measure your arms! If you have skinny arms installing from below works easiest and fastest. Otherwise it may be better to work from above.

If you do it from below, I forgot where I stuck my arm but it was tight. After I was done I found a second hole to stick my arm in that was a longer route but my arm fit much better.

In any case don't try to see anything much. You need to look for the bulge where the cylindrical hole would be but that is it. The rest is done by feel. Once you feel the opening with your fingers the rest gets easier till you have to plug in the cable.

If you do it from above it would be overall easier but take longer. My wipers lifted off with no hard pulling or tools once the bolts were off. I would suggest marking them first since getting them back on the right cogs to cover the windshield correctly took me a while.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 21 2006, 11:30 PM) [snapback]336282[/snapback]</div>

Got this off of Amazon.com:

[attachmentid=5420]

- Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom_06 @ Oct 22 2006, 08:12 AM) [snapback]336374[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Tom. I'll see if I can find something close enough to that when I go into town today. Shuck's should have something like that.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 22 2006, 11:25 AM) [snapback]336377[/snapback]</div>

It was listed as a two-arm gear puller. Most are 3-arm. Was about $10. Good luck!

- Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom_06 @ Oct 22 2006, 01:38 PM) [snapback]336495[/snapback]</div>

Thanks. I wasn't able to find a two arm puller, and the 3 arm model wouldn't fit. I tried both Schuck's and Napa. I did find at NAPA what was described as a "wiper arm puller" that is supposed to work on domestic and imported cars. I'll let you know if it works after I try it out.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tomdeimos @ Oct 22 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]336358[/snapback]</div>

Somehow I missed your post until just now, while going backward. I did get the wiper arms off okay, but using the puller I just bought still required tapping fairly firmly with a hammer on the stud for the nut that was to the right (looking from the front). That was for the right wiper arm (driver's POV). The fitting around the other stud popped off immediately when the first one released. I don't know why it was so hard to get off. The left arm, which seemed to also be very difficult to get off came easily, once the wiper blade was pulled up from the window. From here, it should be fairly straight forward. I'm just going back to check Horatio's post to double check what he said.

Thanks for the feedback.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 21 2006, 06:11 PM) [snapback]336240[/snapback]</div>

Well Horatio, I still don't have the block heater installed, but I'm much closer than I'd ever gotten before. Your photos were very helpful. I'll add some comments for anyone else attempting this before I finally succeed.

1. After removing the 14 mm nuts from the studs onto which the wiper arms are mounted, removing the left wiper arm is easy, once the wiper arm is snapped up away from the window.

2. I didn't find an easy way to remove the right wiper arm assembly (with the two nuts), and ended up buying a generic wiper arm removing tool (from NAPA). See attached photo below.


[attachmentid=5446]


I had to trim off the soft red plastic on the lower end to get it to fit under the wiper arm. I then applied pressure to the handles and tapped firmly on the stud with a hammer. The arm popped off completely from both studs. Other people have apparently done this without any special efforts.

Is there a trick of pulling on the wiper arms in a particular direction?

3. I hadn't had experience with the kind of speed fasteners you mentioned (located at the extreme left and right ends of the cowling/louvers), but they are the next items to remove. Pressing down on their centers from above gets them to come out easily. I didn't discover that until I'd already "buggered" (but didn't break) the first. Once they are removed, it's possible to get the cowling off. The repair manual says to disengage the 8 clips and hood to cowl top seal. I don't know if that's actually necessary but it makes it easier to separately remove the left hand and right hand cowl top ventilator louvers. You can just pull the louvers toward the front of the car while lifting (IIRC) to get them off. I did take the seal up from the left louver (i.e., left side of the car) to remove first the left and then right louver.

4. If I recall correctly, there were only 7 10 mm bolts to remove before lifting out the gutter. Of course, the harness to the wiper motor first has to be disconnected, and the clips holding the wiring harness (to the relay box) to the gutter had to be compressed to get them out. And of course, the relay box can be easily unbolted (again 10 mm bolts).

At that point I had gotten everything apart and proceeded to locate the hole. That was no problem using your photos, but that's where my success ended.

I've re-attached one of your clearest photos below.

[attachmentid=5447]

This photo is taken from the left (driver's) side of the car, with the front of the car to the left. The block heater is clearly shown partially inserted (I assume that's the case, so correct me if I'm wrong), with the clip showing at about 1:30 (as viewed from the left side of the car). I presume that you rotated it to about 3:00 before pushing the heater all the way in.

I was able to locate the insertion point with the fingers of my left hand coming in just under the heater hose from between the firewall and block from the direction of the top of the photo. However, any attempts to hold onto the block heater with my left hand actually get it into the desired location was met with frustration.

Advise given within this thread was better than on the instruction sheet in terms of the applying the thermal grease. That is put most of the grease in the hole first, leave the block heater dry, until after you can get it started in the hole, and when partially inserted apply the rest of the grease. Trying to control and position the heater with grease on it is as bad as trying to catch a greased pig, and I couldn't do that either. This is only my suggestion, as I haven't actually succeeded yet.

Unless I hear other suggestions, on my next attempt, I'll try to make a small, but long handled tool to lower the BH into the required location and then orient it to line up with the hole. Then hopefully grease and pull it into the hole the rest of the way with my left hand. You've obviously succeeded at this, so are there any special tricks to get the heater into the hole?

For me, it was like a monkey trap in reverse. I couldn't hold onto the heater and get it to the right location, although I could find the location when not holding the heater.

Putting everything back together was quick and easy (although even that wasn't anything like 5 minutes, more like 15 minutes.

The next time I take it apart I'll finish much quicker, and hopefully get the heater into place. First though, I'll have to get some more thermal grease. Nearly all was wasted in repeated attempts to get the greased heater into the hole.

Oh well, at least I learned how the wiper assembly fits in, AND got all the pine needles cleaned out of the gutter.


It's possible that things might be easier, if the hood had been removed first. But I'm reluctant to do that, as I don't know if there are issues with proper alignment of the hood after it's been remounted.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Oct 23 2006, 03:46 PM) [snapback]336939[/snapback]</div>

Well Horatio, I still don't have the block heater installed, but I'm much closer than I'd ever gotten before. Your photos were very helpful. I'll add some comments for anyone else attempting this before I finally succeed.
The hood is not really necessary to be removed, it will require a lot of fine adjustments later.

Horacio

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 23 2006, 02:26 PM) [snapback]337021[/snapback]</div>

Then I'm glad I didn't take off the hood. I was afraid it would be a real problem getting it aligned properly.

Thanks for the feedback again.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 23 2006, 01:25 PM) [snapback]336967[/snapback]</div>

Well Evan, I don't know what happened to the post I thought I'd made in reply to your post yesterday. I must have not clicked on Add Reply.

In one sense going from the top was easier. At least I could get my hand to the location where I could find the hole. However, I wasn't able to get the BH even partially into the hole. It may have been because of the combination of tight fit and the fact that I already had grease all over the BH and my fingers. If I'd gotten it started, I could probably have forced it into the hole.

From below, I couldn't get my elbow past the opening I shown (below the "right drive shaft") in my shakey photo in Post #317 of this thread. My photo is from a slightly different angle than yours, but is far enough away to see the shaft that was blocking my elbow. Is that the entry location you used, or was there a better location to try using? It seemed the largest opening I could find, and I could get my hand through, but not my elbow. I don't think my arm is especially bulky (at least the muscles aren't), but when I bend it the humerus protrudes enough to make a very tight (and I thought at the time impossible) fit. It may(?) be a matter of orientation of my body when I try.

Now, I might have forced my elbow through, if I'd worn a short sleeved shirt and greased my arm. I didn't want to force it though. If I knew there was a better entry point or that I could force my elbow through, I'd try it from below again. Barring that, I'll have to try from above again when I have more time.

Thanks for the replies.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 24 2006, 08:35 AM) [snapback]337252[/snapback]</div>

You sould try to contact the people from WA local club like hdrygas, Starbug, DaveinOlyWA, inTheWASide, etc., I know that more than one have their EBH installed and probably willing to lend a hand.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 24 2006, 05:35 AM) [snapback]337252[/snapback]</div>

It wasn't that I couldn't get it to slide in. It was that I couldn't hold onto it well enough to aim it straight into the hole.

If I try from below again, I'll just have to try aiming my body in different directions to see if there's a better entry angle. I assume you were using your right hand.

Dave M.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 24 2006, 06:43 AM) [snapback]337275[/snapback]</div>

I may end up doing that. My mother lives in Olympia and I get over there once every two or three months. I'll be heading over at Christmas in any case.

What I need is to find someone who's done the installation recently enough to recall the details, and perhaps tell them to me over the phone.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Oct 24 2006, 05:43 AM) [snapback]337275[/snapback]</div>

Well Horatio, I finally got the heater in and the power cord attached. I just couldn't hold onto either the tube of grease or the heater. I ended up tying a string on them to hold them at the right elevation so I could guide them in with my fingers. It still took be about 5 minutes just on the heater even at that. A lot longer getting the grease in, since I couldn't squeeze the entire tube into the hole. That is, I couldn't get my fingers around the tube to squeeze, so just pressed the side of the tube as I withdrew it with the string. So, I used a second tube to be certain there was enough grease in the hole.

I haven't put the car back together yet, as I have one last question. Of course I ended up doing it from above.

When I push the heater in it tended to spring back out. At first it would come out at least an inch (I'm assuming air trapped inside the hole). I worked it in and out a number of times until I finally got it to bottom out (I think). However, it springs out about 3/8 to 1/2 inch from its innermost position, and then seems to stop. It's possible for me to see the orange connector of the power cord, and a little of the end of the heater as well. I'll go and make another check now that it's been sitting awhile. However, when the clip locks into place, should the heater still be that far out of the hole? It seems like I can't pull it out now, but do you remember whether or not you could see the the power connector and part of the heater from above when correctly installed.

Thanks for all the help.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 10 2006, 07:31 PM) [snapback]347232[/snapback]</div>

Like Evan said, when the clip is in place you can't pull it out so easy; now about the plug, it fits in only one position, being that it is triangular shape, the vertice with the wire faces toward the fire wall, to install it is another job but much easy if your hands are thermo grease free, once connected in place it can be seeing from above with proper illumination. Don't forget to tie wrap the harness securely to avoid rattles inside the motor compartment.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Nov 10 2006, 08:25 PM) [snapback]347322[/snapback]</div>

I got the plug in okay (although it took me awhile to get the orientation exactly right), but I still haven't gotten the heater in quite far enough. I think I have about another mm to go, but I'll try that in the morning. I may end up wedging a block of wood in position and then using a screw driver to force it in the last little bit. I've been turning on the heater and watching it slide out a little, but after doing this repeatedly, it doesn't come out when turned on anymore. As I said, I'll finsih the job in the morning.

Thanks again.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrbigh @ Nov 10 2006, 08:25 PM) [snapback]347322[/snapback]</div>

Finally, the "really" last question. I'm satisfied that the heater is close enough to in position that I put it all back together. If I push the heater out from its deepest position just a mm or two it does spring back again. However, if I push harder I can get it to go out further. This is pushing on the shoulder of the cylinder, not pulling to the right but pushing from the left. Anyway,I'll take off the wiper system again in a month to see if it has remained in place. It shouldn't be able to fall out anyway, with the plug attached.

Now the question for anyone who have done the installation from either above or below. Is there a preferred location for the plug that will go into the extension cord. Out the front grill? Somewhere else?

Dave M.