Ok I'm stumped on what this is?

[Labrauer]

I took my engine to a machine shop to have some work done to it about a month ago only to receive a phone call early this morning saying the shop is closing up at 5pm today for good. I had my 218 Flathead there and also my son's ford 302. I had to get them both picked up so I changed my plans and went to pick them up. The 302 was done and my Flathead wasn't. After I got them home I noticed that there was a extra bolt in the box with the pistons. Somehow it got broken off there at the shop anyhow looking at it the bolt has two wires coming out and inside the block is still part of it with what it looks like a porcelain in the middle of the bolt with two holes for the wires.

Now comes my question what does this bolt do and is it necessary to find one like it to put back in it's place. Does anyone know what it is for there is another one just like it just below sticking out about three inches above the block that my alternator bracket bolts to. Here are the pictures I took of the bolt and where it goes in the block.

Any answers greatly appreciated,

Larry

[greg g]

Some sort of plug in block heater. Lots of different types of those were sold in cold climates.

[Don Coatney]

I agree with Greg this is/was a block heater and not required in Texas. It is interesting that it appears your head was secured with studs not bolts.

[DJ194950]

Just be very-very happy you got a call and got your motors! 

 

Agree with others about a block heater.

 

DJ

[55 Fargo]

That is very interesting, don't think it would have had the wattage for what block heaters require for up here in the north require. infact I have never seen one like this before, any block heaters I have ever known are in the freeze plug hole, or in a heater hose line..

[whtbaron]

I was thinking the same thing... but since we're neighbors I guess we're seeing the same style of block heaters.

[Young Ed]

I've seen many of these around here in flatheads. The part you don't have anymore is a circle with the prongs for an extension cord. I believe I have an intact one on a spare flathead in the garage.

[whtbaron]

Ahhhh.... so it just looks like a male plugin on the top of the head? I have seen those before.

[1950 Special Deluxe]

Here is a picture of the one on mine.

I still have the cord somewhere.

No idea if it works.

I could test the resistance of it.

Edited November 2, 2014 by 1950 Special Deluxe

[RobertKB]

Block heater. It is used as and replaces a head bolt. Unlike Fred, I have seen them up here in Canada and have removed them from a couple of my own motors. I no longer need them as the cars are seldom driven in winter and are in a heated garage in case I ever do decide to take them for a spin. I agree most block heaters are installed in the freeze plug holes.

[Ulu]

I have a pretty nice old crusty one, that I believe is from Dad's '53 Pontiac.

 

 

 

The tip is brass & the shaft & head are chrome plated.

 

The sticker reads,

 

115 v  650 watt

Engine Heater

Phillips Mfg Co.

Minneapolis, Minn

 

There is a sleeve & coupling-nut adjuster with it, presumably because it's a "universal" length, with adapters included. This looks like it would fit in an OHV head too. It stuck up well above the flathead 6.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Ulu

[Young Ed]

I have a pretty nice old crusty one, that I believe is from Dad's '53 Pontiac.

 

phillips_heater.jpg

 

650watt heater.jpg

 

The tip is brass & the shaft & head are chrome plated.

 

The sticker reads,

 

115 v  650 watt

Engine Heater

Phillips Mfg Co.

Minneapolis, Minn

 

There is a sleeve & coupling-nut adjuster with it, presumably because it's a "universal" length, with adapters included. This looks like it would fit in an OHV head too. It stuck up well above the flathead 6.

 

Looks like they are still in business!

http://www.phillipsandtemro.com/about_us/index.asp

[DJ194950]

Looks like they are still in business!

http://www.phillipsandtemro.com/about_us/index.asp

And still making all kinds of heaters for autos,trucks, batteries and on and on!

 

DJ

[Ulu]

I well remember "plugging in the cars" at night when we lived on the bases of NORAD's Pinetree Line.  This line of radar sites ran along the US/Canadian border.

 

In the middle of the cold War, we were stationed at a cold radar base, 60 miles up the road past Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.

(I went to Lake of the Woods H.S.in Baudette & we were never required to attend school on days colder than 30 below zero.

The school couldn't get the buses going then & couldn't afford to run them all night either.)

 

Dad was on call at the radar base most nights. His car HAD to start even when it was -40 or worse. You never knew when the Russian missiles would show up on the radar, but unidentified stuff was always showing up. The place went on alert status frequently.

 

We had heater hose "tank" heaters on all the cars, plus electric heaters inside the car to pre-warm the interior: Especially important when you have a Scout with no insulation in the body at all.  Dad's Scout got parked outside 24/7/365, as did Mom's Mercury, because there was always a project car in the garage. That Scout also had an electric blanket around the battery and a heat lamp under the steering gear. Dad parked on top of the snowbank that was our front yard, and he kept the transfer case in neutral so he could get the trans oil moving & warmer, before trying to shift the gears.

 

This is the Arctic Jeep heater we were fitting when the USAF decided to send us somewhere warmer. I still have most of the kit. It runs on gasoline, has a sparkplug to light it off, and a blower motor for a 24 volt system. 

 

 

 

Not shown are the various hoses, duct & heat deflectors for the Jeep, which were pirated for other purposes over the years.

 

[greg g]

I recall seeing heaters that were mounted on a magnetic base. You slapped onto the side or bottom of the oil pan or the side of the block of a six cyl. When plugged in they keep the oil warm and ready to go,and or the coolant warm. A hundred watt bulb in a trouble light made the battery think it was a balmy sumer day.

[janan5243]

I lived in Michigan in the middle 70's, right on Lake St. Claire. 62 International P-U with 266 V-8. Used a dipstick heater. Worked great. Just getting the oil warm was a big help in starting. Still have it floating around in shop somewhere. I think I used it around 2000 in upstate NY. Had a really cold winter for here. Used to use 60 or 75 watt light bulbs in the bilge of my cabin cruisers for insurance. Still use bulbs in pump house for my mobile home park. Guess I'll have to move to small heaters when they outlaw the rest of the incandescent bulbs.

Edited November 3, 2014 by janan5243

[Don Coatney]

I recall my dad using a dipstick heater in his 52 Chevy. I recall the chunks of crusty burned oil on the heater and the smell of burned oil when he pulled it out. Might have helped frigid winter startups but the side effects were not good.

[Plymouthy Adams]

ah..therein lies the problem with heating elements that are not thermostatically controlled..

[Ulu]

WAY OT, but in case any of you guys are familiar or old enough to know, it wasn't called the Pinetree Line anymore when we were there. Radar was a couple generations along at that point and Baudette AFS was a "mobile" part of the SAGE air defense system. Their mission was directing interceptors to find unidentified targets.

 

They got a unit commendation for performance while my dad was there, and I have his commendation from Congress

...for superior computer programming. 

 

(No commendation for the 3 wars where he was getting shot at, mortared, or targeted by missiles.   )

 

In the old Pinetree days, Dad was on one of the off-shore radar platforms commonly called The Texas Towers. They were off the coast of New England, not Texas, but they looked like gulf coast oil-rig platforms. They were sitting ducks, and everyone hated serving on them.

[greg g]

There was a SAGE building at Hancock field..  Had a substantial residential plant around it, all except the large white windowless data and control building, recently torn down for a business/ manufacturing park.  The air field was an assembly point for bombers being ferried to Europe during WWII after the war the city took it over for the municipal airport.  The base was for ANG interceptors and the SAGE Building  ( part of an integrated strategic air defense system) area was tied into the DEW Line. As kids we used to drive our go carts on the taxi ways and parking pads abandoned after the war.  We were told during the Duck and Cover Drills that our area was a high priority target for Soviet Missles because of that building.  Bou we put a lot of trust in those wooden desks and chairs............

Edited November 3, 2014 by greg g

[Labrauer]

Thanks guys for all the information I just can't put in aspect of anything like that. The bolt sticking out of the block is about 3 inches long and has no top just a nut the held the head down to the block. I am just wondering if the other one that is the same length the same thing. I guess I will have to have it drilled out also and not replace it. The only thing is that when you look in the water jacket around the piston the end looks bigger than the diameter of the piece on the top. If that is the case how would you remove it?

[Ulu]

It should just unscrew. You are probably seeing a buildup of crud that's making the tip look too big.

 

these things are hollow, so you can probably just drive an eazy-out in the top & remove it, but it'll come much easier if you can scrape off that crud & oil it from the cruddy end.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Ulu

[thrashingcows]

That is a very interesting block heater...never seen one like that before that uses a head stud to warm things up.

 

Thanks for posting up your mystery, it turned into quite the learning session.

[Labrauer]

Thanks once again guys on the information of my mystery piece. I would have never guested that these old cars had a engine warmer on them. Now it will be another week before I can get started on the rebuild again as we are leaving tomorrow morning on a 7 day cruse. So next Monday I will start working on it again.

Thanks again and I will keep you informed on the progress.

Larry

Edited November 9, 2014 by Labrauer

[Young Ed]

LIttle late but I just ran across a picture of the ones I'm used to seeing.