FR11 Block Heater

[FR11]

Hi All,

New member. I just bought my first piece of heavy equipment for use around the farm. 1991 Fiat-Allis FR11 wheel loader. As it gets quite cold in Iowa, I want to add a block heater. I have seen some for sale, but can anyone tell me where it gets installed?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Coaldust]

FR11,

welcome to the HEF. Immersion heaters install in a soft plug hole, tank heaters install in-line with a heater hose or similar. Your choice. Sometimes engine manufactures provide provisions for an immersion heater. I have no idea what engine that machine has.

Nonetheless, keep your toes warm down there on the farm. What do you grow on the farm?

 

[Delmer]

http://www.showmetheparts.com/phillipstemroapplications/

here's the lookup I use. You'll need to know what engine model, Fat Allice FR11 doesn't come up. an 8065 comes up as a "42mm threaded opening at the right rear of the engine" 8600333 1,000W, so that should warm up quickly.

 

[Coaldust]

That’s cool. Well, I mean hot.
Kim Hotstart has a decent selection, too.
I’ll mention, inventory sucks. IDK, supply chain issues or what. A lot of part numbers are out of stock.

Delmer, tell me more about Fat Alice. Does She have a sister?

 

[Shimmy1]

Hi All,

New member. I just bought my first piece of heavy equipment for use around the farm. 1991 Fiat-Allis FR11 wheel loader. As it gets quite cold in Iowa, I want to add a block heater. I have seen some for sale, but can anyone tell me where it gets installed?

Thanks in advance for any help!

These older engines are pretty cold-blooded. I'd just put a inline heater like this one on it.

https://www.amazon.com/HOTSTART-ENG...s=inline+coolant+heater&qid=1671058856&sr=8-5

 

[FR11]

That’s cool. Well, I mean hot.
Kim Hotstart has a decent selection, too.
I’ll mention, inventory sucks. IDK, supply chain issues or what. A lot of part numbers are out of stock.

Delmer, tell me more about Fat Alice. Does She have a sister?

BAHAHAHAHA. Good one.

Thank you all for the replies. It's late, but I will respond more tomorrow.

 

[FR11]

Hi all. Thanks again for the info.

Delmer - that website really helped. I found the 42mm plug.
Shimmy1 - also thanks. That's one hell of an inline heater!

Not sure which one I'll go with yet. I was going to post a picture of the block but I am parked on even ground and I can't get the side cover past the tire. Anyway, while looking around on the machine, I found a second identification tag and it is stamped FR12B. Which is odd, as the other tag is marked 11B (not FR11B). Bill of sale says FR11B. So who knows! I guess I can post pictures tomorrow after I get back out there.

Coaldust - I guess you could call it an acreage. We don't grow much. The neighbor cuts and bales the field for his cattle. We had chickens for a while, but took a break for a few years. Next year the wife wants chickens, a few highland cattle and a pig! LOL We'll see how that goes!

I really bought the loader because it was in great shape, city owned and low hours. Less than half the cost of a low hour skid steer. I'm using it to dig out my silted in pond and push snow in the winter. I'm really using it for just about anything. I'm pretending it's an oversized skid steer.

 

[FR11]

It looks like something may have already been there. I found two ports with quarter turn valves. I circled a third plug, too. The tall yellow cylinder is the trans oil/coolant exchange and down and to the right, on the block, is the engine oil/coolant exchange (close up in second picture).

I'd like to tap in to those coolant lines going to the engine oil exchange but they are hard lines. Any input as to how well this will actually heat the block if I use those existing taps, where the barb fittings are? Or maybe use the bottom existing barb and take out that plug and add a valve/barb?

I started a new thread to help identify what the heck this machine actually is.

 

[Delmer]

I wonder if someone set up the valves for heating the engine by hooking up heater hoses from a warmed up pickup?
Using any of those connections could work, just not ideal. Don't use the front top air bleed, it will airlock and not circulate.
Can you find the threaded plug? that would be my first choice, especially since it's already 1,000W.

 

[Coaldust]

I think it may have had a coolant filter installed at one time. What size of fittings are those connections? 1/2” A circulating tank heater may work. Try it. If you are not happy, go to plan B.

 

[Delmer]

That makes more sense. If you use a circulating tank heater, you want the heater mounted low in height relative to the block, the top of the heater going directly and sloping up to the engine block. The cold supply to the heater can drop down to the ground run in a spiral and back up to the heater, it will still work fine as long as the hose doesn't have a high spot that can trap air.

 

[FR11]

I wonder if someone set up the valves for heating the engine by hooking up heater hoses from a warmed up pickup?
Using any of those connections could work, just not ideal. Don't use the front top air bleed, it will airlock and not circulate.
Can you find the threaded plug? that would be my first choice, especially since it's already 1,000W.

I found the threaded plug, and I really want to go that route for efficiency, but the idea of having isolating shutoff valves for maintenance and not losing/draining a bunch of coolant sounds quite appealing. Maybe I can take out the plug and put in an adapter plug that I could attach a shut off...

I think it may have had a coolant filter installed at one time. What size of fittings are those connections? 1/2” A circulating tank heater may work. Try it. If you are not happy, go to plan B.

It currently has a coolant filter. It's on the other side. It does have some other crazy housing hooked up to the air system. Looks like a filter but the markings make me think otherwise.

 

[Coaldust]

That’s not crazy, it’s an alcohol injector for your air system. It must have a meth addiction.

 

[Coaldust]

I can hook you up with some good meth. 99.99% pure. We call it “neat” in the biz. Knowwhatimsayin? I’m your huckleberry.

 

[FR11]

That’s not crazy, it’s an alcohol injector for your air system. It must have a meth addiction.

I have not heard of such a thing. Where would it be injected? That top port/plug?

 

[FR11]

I have not heard of such a thing. Where would it be injected? That top port/plug?

Oh wait! Is the bottom of that housing the reservoir?

 

[Coaldust]

Yup. Fill it at the top by removing the plug, after you release the air pressure or the plug will launch into your forehead.

 

[FR11]

Yup. Fill it at the top by removing the plug, after you release the air pressure or the plug will launch into your forehead.

Haha. This forum is great. I love learning new things. What's the purpose? Keep moisture out of the system? Is it the same stuff used for meth-injection on motors for more power?

 

[Coaldust]

Yeah, meth will give Fat Alice super powers.

 

[Coaldust]

It can help prevent air system from freezing up. The alcohol can also make the elastomers in the system age faster.