300td Block heater ... 1yr old & no worky
 

My good friend has a California spec 123 series 85 300td diesel and had a oem type block heater installed last november. The heater ran well last year and now this year it does not work. After checking with a couple indys they said it is uncommon for a block heater to fail. We are getting power through the plug/cord screw on brass connector but the element does not heat.
With the plug tightly attached ( screwed on ) we checked ohms through the cord and nothing. Putting the ohm meter on my 240d working block heater cord showed the ohms read 32.xx .

So the question is... do you think the element would burn out this fast and is there a better test for the block heater. Isnt a block heater just one big short anyway? There is very little room to access the
block heater on a cal spec car as the turbo is down lower in the way IIRC.
May have to drop the starter.
opinions appreciated ... the indy guys say-- check it again.. what is a preferred method?

thanks

If your getting power the heater and its not working then it stands to reason that the block heater is bad.

The biggest problem with the Cali engine, is the Trap oxidizer being in the way. Unless it has been removed.
Also the turbo sits higher up than the Fed eng. because of the trap.

First picture shows the plug where the heater screws into.

Second picture shows the reason it is difficult to access the area. the silver can is the trap.

Should be easier to replace it now that it was installed last year, compared to a 20 + yr old engine.

Charlie

Can the trap oxidizer be removed?..

if so how?

we have no diesel emission inspection here in Utah anymore:)

It can be removed, but you will have to replace it with a "test pipe". a piece of pipe to replace it, will have to be fabricated. there is a forum member that makes one Monsterguy I think his name is?

Or you can replace the intake/exhaust manifolds to Fed manifolds.
the down pipe, as the cali one is longer.
Turbo oil supply line, fed has different bends to it.

pick up the turbo oil drain pipe for the fed eng. it is shorter.

Either adapt the cali air cleaner housing to connect to the turbo, or pick up a Fed air cleaner and the mounting bracket. and U tube.

May be able to clock the turbo housing around some to line up.

will need the gaskets for intake manifolds turbo supply line and turbo drain.

If you can find the manifolds from a 78 or 79 300SD there is no EGR to block off.

first 2 pic are of a 78 300TD at PNP with out the EGR. I pulled these.

third pic is of a cali 85 eng I was installing them on.

Last Pic is my 85 cali eng. I have the non EGR exhaust, but have an intake showing the block off plate for the EGR.

Charlie

Can you check the resistance at the heater? Maybe the cord is bad.