Generator standby heater

[Roy Suomi]

How about this heater, on 3/4" thick, self regulating.
Flat Heater

Or what about using good old fashioned heat tape for pipes? Wrap it around the oil pan as many times as you can without overlapping.
Run the extra under the pan in a coil or back and forth wired down to a hunk of hardware cloth.

Like these: 6ft = $22
Pipe Tape

I like the thought of heat tape. never thought of it. I was so fixed on silicone pads, that heat tape didn't even come to mind. Thanks

 

[olddavid]

How about this heat lamp 2 pack available on Amazon. Advertised as having a life of up to 5000 hrs. Thermostatically controlled it might get you through a season. Higher wattages available. I have some and they seem to work well.

 

[Eman85]

The silicon pads work fine but you have to be sure they are stuck and no parts lift off of the pan. I stuck mine on and then sealed the edges with high temp silicon. If the pad isn't in full contact it will burn up. They also make magnetic heaters that you can stick on the oil pan.
If you go the heat tape route use self regulating stainless sheathed. It can be crossed over itself where the plastic style will burn itself up if you cross it on itself, don't ask how I know. The self regulating doesn't require a thermostat and can be bought by the foot at many electrical supplies, you just put the ends on yourself.

 

[buickanddeere]

An oil heater can be used to warm coolant . However a coolant heater can not be used to warm oil . https://user-xdbqqk.cld.bz/2024-PTI-Product-Catalog/2/#zoom=true

 

[buickanddeere]

Battery heaters etc

 

[Nordic]

I don't know how much oil is in the pan you're looking to warm up? I have two 200 Watt magnetic heaters that I consider useless for use on oil pans.. They seem to get very hot but not the oil. When I had an inline 671 Detroit diesel I had a 300 Watt heater, brazed in on the side of the pan, that would heat the whole engine. In moderately cold winter weather I didn't even need to use the block heater for good cold start up, the oil would be very warm.

 

[wore out]

I don't know how much oil is in the pan you're looking to warm up? I have two 200 Watt magnetic heaters that I consider useless for use on oil pans.. They seem to get very hot but not the oil. When I had an inline 671 Detroit diesel I had a 300 Watt heater, brazed in on the side of the pan, that would heat the whole engine. In moderately cold winter weather I didn't even need to use the block heater for good cold start up, the oil would be very warm.

I'm GUESSING his little aluminum v-twin doesn't have an actual (steel) oilpan beneath it's aluminum block, rendering a magnetic device useless.

 

[Roy Suomi]

I'm GUESSING his little aluminum v-twin doesn't have an actual (steel) oilpan beneath it's aluminum block, rendering a magnetic device useless.

You got it. But under the aluminum bottom, there is a steel motor mount that covers the entire bottom of the engine. I found last year that the heat would go through the steel plate to the engine bottom. This was how I heated the engine oil. It worked flawlessly. I'm going to clean off the bottom plate and stick the silicone pad directly to the plate and try to seal the edges with high temp silicone as previously mentioned. I also shoved glass wool insulation to block off any heat loss and provide support to the stuck on pad. Hopefully it will last another year. Thanks

 

[cwtech]

Roy, we used similar silicone heaters in our carwash coinboxes for many years.
....Some were 24v and some were 110v.
.....We never had any that lasted past one year.

 

[Roy Suomi]

Roy, we used similar silicone heaters in our carwash coinboxes for many years.
....Some were 24v and some were 110v.
.....We never had any that lasted past one year.

OK. Looks like I should stock a couple for the future. Thanks