any caterpillar techs on here?

[ippielb]

Any cat techs on here? I'm installing a diesel coolant heater on a 3306 and am wondering where the best place is to get the coolant from and where to return it back to the engine would be. I was hoping to return the coolant to the aftercooler so it would both heat the air in the intake and then transfer back down into the block as well but i wasn't able to see any plugs/drains on the aftercooler big enough that would be suitable. Or if those plugs were even a coolant plug. I was also going to install the fuel line into the return. since my return comes off the back of the injection pump and already has a hose with a worm gear hose clamp on it that i could easily T into.

I called finning in regina and they're no help unless you're paying them. "We can send a tech out to install it for you". Well that't not really what i want since the thing is already installed and ready to go i just need to know what ports to tap into so i can get the right fittings.

It's going on a CAT 973C

 

[TROLLCAT]

just pull coolant from as low as you can from engine block like cylinder #6 and return in head as close as you can get to cylinder #1

this will all you will need to doo

 

[TROLLCAT]

and I don't think the fuel return line is a viable option for a fuel supply

 

[ippielb]

just pull coolant from as low as you can from engine block like cylinder #6 and return in head as close as you can get to cylinder #1

this will all you will need to doo

Access is an issue, hard to even get in there to see what plugs are around, if i had an idea what i was going for it would make my life easier. Trying to do this outside in the rain and snow sucks wearing winter gear cant slip my head into the panels very far. I see a bunch of 1/4" plugs, But nothing substantial enough to flow any kind of coolant that would keep the block warm. There is a couple bigger plugs on the water pump accessories. But that's right beside the thermostat housing. I dont want the heater to open the thermostat. I've been looking at the parts diagram and there is one 1/2" plug on the back of the block, where the transmission on a truck would be. But i have zero access to get to it without pulling the cab.

and I don't think the fuel return line is a viable option for a fuel supply

Why wouldn't you think that the return line would be a good option? Doesn't the fuel return go into the tank directly back down to the pickup? I've never seen the pickup in my tank. But most diesels i have seen all have the return going back directly beside the filter sock/pickup tube.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Im not 100% sure on a diesel, but on a Natural gas 3306, they have a separate circuit after cooler (SCAC), meaning two different cooling circuits. Probably not the case but something to be aware of. There should be several ports that are 1/2” NPT in and around the water pump. T-stat, oil cooler piping to tie into coolant. On the left side of the block theres usually a block drain thats a straight thread plug with sealing washer, and maybe one on the bottom of the elbow where coolant piping comes from oil cooler to the block. Some times I even seen threaded ports on the lower rad piping connections, but there is a hundred different ways it could be configured. If it works off convection it needs to draw from as low as possible and return high, like the head. Not the upper rad hose as thats on wrong side of the T-stat. I think there might even be a triangle shaped cover on the block on the left side you could drill and tap if you so desired.
Pictures would be helpful for any specific questions wondering whats what.

 

[cdnredneck_t3]

We have a 3306 genset I'll have a look at tomorrow and post up some pictures of where to tie in.

 

[ippielb]

Im not 100% sure on a diesel, but on a Natural gas 3306, they have a separate circuit after cooler (SCAC), meaning two different cooling circuits. Probably not the case but something to be aware of. There should be several ports that are 1/2” NPT in and around the water pump. T-stat, oil cooler piping to tie into coolant. On the left side of the block theres usually a block drain thats a straight thread plug with sealing washer, and maybe one on the bottom of the elbow where coolant piping comes from oil cooler to the block. Some times I even seen threaded ports on the lower rad piping connections, but there is a hundred different ways it could be configured. If it works off convection it needs to draw from as low as possible and return high, like the head. Not the upper rad hose as thats on wrong side of the T-stat. I think there might even be a triangle shaped cover on the block on the left side you could drill and tap if you so desired.
Pictures would be helpful for any specific questions wondering whats what.

I didn't know that the aftercooler could have its own circuit. That definitely wouldn't help the block then if all i heated was the cooler circuit. I did see two 1/2" plugs but they were my hands length away from the thermostat, i'd hate to have the coolant come back and just be warming the rad up. Tomorrow i'll try and take a closer look for that block drain. I'm not wanting to take my belly pans off again, it got well above zero for a few days and thawed the ground completely and then rained 1/2" and now it's snowed 6" on top of that so it's soup everywhere.

I'll take a few pictures tomorrow on what i'm working with. Access is brutal. The cooler does work on convection as well because it's actually one of those cheap china diesel air heaters but i've taken my EGR cooler off my duramax and put it inline directly after the exhaust to try and scavenge the wasted heat from the exhaust. It's hotter then the air that comes out. It's the 8kw model with the 4 smaller outputs. I'm going to be routing one hose at each hydrostatic pump, and then one at the side of the engine block. And try wiggle the last one up to the cab since there is a hole in the panel directly below the seat.

 

[ippielb]

We have a 3306 genset I'll have a look at tomorrow and post up some pictures of where to tie in.

That would be awesome thanks. I'll get a few pictures of my limited access tomorrow. The engines half under the cab, and behind side panels. The engine doors open up but only to the first two cylinders, and you're working over the batteries. at the head level. Pictures someone taking a 3306 and stuffing it into a 3/4 ton truck. That's my access lol.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Heres a decent pic of a heater install. Most should have these same ports. Probably 1/2” NPT. So in these pics I assume they put a 1/2 to 1” swedge to use larger hose.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

FYI those 1/2” plugs you see on the Aftercooler are Not coolant. You will have big problems if you tie coolant into them.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Neither of these is coolant.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Right where this valve is tied in there should also be another 1/2” plug 90 degrees to it in the top surface of the head. There both the same galley. If you take them both out you would see thru both to the other.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

Heres another shot. Showing the triangle shaped cover I was talking about.

 

[Rn4]

is this an electric or diesel fired circulating heater like a Webasto your installing?

The screw in style block heater goes into the oil cooler.

If I get to the farm tomorrow I’ll look at our Steiger and see if I can find some coolant plugs you could plumb into

 

[Rn4]

Blue circle is where a traditional style block heater goes. You could pull coolant or return coolant here if it’s a circulating style you want to use

 

[ippielb]

Can see the top plug in the head in the second picture. Not much access to get to that one even. Then the lower further back plug that the suction line would be. I have zero access to, the ROPS is in the way and then the hydrostatic tank as well. The other side compartments are frozen shut so can’t open them till this afternoon when the sun hits it.

I will say, this iPhone 14 has a brutal camera. Never focuses on anything I want even when I click on it. And the lighting is always brutal.

 

[sirkdev]

dang.. that looks like a summer job

 

[ippielb]

dang.. that looks like a summer job

You’re right it does look like a summer job, but I have a bunch of land clearing to do until mid December probably and the machine sits in the bush for weeks at a time. Miles away from power for the oil pan heater. In the mean time I may be able to get away with just using the air part of the diesel heater to try and aid in cold starting. I just put new batteries and a new ether bottle on it. But I just hate using ether, I’d rather not.

 

[TylerG]

What's your prefix on that unit?

3RZ
BCP
LDX

I'll see what I can find in SIS to support your install.

 

[ippielb]

What's your prefix on that unit?

3RZ
BCP
LDX

I'll see what I can find in SIS to support your install.

3RZ00297

I was able to SEE the second lower plug from between the ROPS support and the hydrostatic tank, but there’s no way I can get anything in there to remove the plug let alone install a fitting with a hose/clamp.