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Engine block cooking?

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Old 04-24-2008, 06:20 AM
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tc
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Engine block cooking?

Anyone ever mapped their engine to see what temperatures are where for cooking on the trail (literally)?

I used to wheel with a guy in OH that had done it on his Jeep. Was kinda funny getting on the CB and asking if anyone was ready for lunch and he came back with "no, I got another hour on my HotPocket"
Old 04-24-2008, 07:51 AM
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Ha Ha, that's hilarious. I am wondering if you can use the residual heat from the engine block to either warm up food or actually cook with it. It would be pretty cool if you could.
Old 04-24-2008, 08:30 AM
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Funny this started because some guy i know just told me the other day that some Mexicans that he worked with would make burritos and wrap them up and set them on the block, i bet it was more toward heating it up.
Old 04-24-2008, 08:41 AM
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If you can put the food close to the exhaust manifolds it will cook, anywhere else really just warms it up.
Old 04-24-2008, 09:19 AM
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Someone even wrote a recipe book for manifold cooking

http://www.wisebread.com/cooking-gre...the-heat-is-on
Old 04-24-2008, 11:08 AM
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WOW!!! Great find, so it can be done. Now let's see if there's space in my 3rd gen for a roast.
Old 04-24-2008, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by 2000t4rAKS
WOW!!! Great find, so it can be done. Now let's see if there's space in my 3rd gen for a roast.
Good luck, there's barely enough room around the engine of my 01 for a couple of hotdogs.
Old 04-24-2008, 02:57 PM
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Shaddup - unless you have a 3.0, you don't know what a "tight" engine bay IS!
Old 04-24-2008, 02:58 PM
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^^ Completely agree
Old 04-24-2008, 08:15 PM
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I have cooked LOBSTER on the manifold of my PETERBUILT before but it does take few hours/hunder miles just wrap it up in foil real good
Old 04-24-2008, 11:16 PM
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......"If you've ever cooked food on an engine block, you might be a redneck"....


I bet if you bounced revlimiter for a few seconds, you could roast marshmallows.
Old 04-24-2008, 11:21 PM
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Originally Posted by eric-the-red
Someone even wrote a recipe book for manifold cooking

http://www.wisebread.com/cooking-gre...the-heat-is-on
I prefer the Infrared thermometer teqhnique to mapping out the cooking temperatures of my engine...

From the website: "Get your car up to operating speed, or better yet take it for a drive around the block for five minutes, and then bring it back to the garage and lift the hood. Now, finger at the ready, you start quickly touching various parts of the engine (nothing plastic...that will never get hot enough to cook anything). And by quickly touching, it's the kind of swift stab that means your finger feels the heat but you don't give yourself a third degree burn. (If you're feeling really wussy, try an infrared thermometer). Usually, the hottest part of the engine will be the exhaust manifold. On older cars, the top of the engine block will be a good, sizzling place.

You're not just looking for the hottest parts of the engine. Like any kind of cooking, different foods require different temperatures. A very hot part of the engine will be great for thick meat, a cooler part good for veggies or fish. Or, if you're traveling many hundreds of miles, you may want to use the cooler part to slow-cook your meat. Mmmm. As always, this is trial and error. "
Old 04-24-2008, 11:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Lysmachia
I prefer the Infrared thermometer teqhnique to mapping out the cooking temperatures of my engine...

From the website: "Get your car up to operating speed, or better yet take it for a drive around the block for five minutes, and then bring it back to the garage and lift the hood. Now, finger at the ready, you start quickly touching various parts of the engine (nothing plastic...that will never get hot enough to cook anything). And by quickly touching, it's the kind of swift stab that means your finger feels the heat but you don't give yourself a third degree burn. (If you're feeling really wussy, try an infrared thermometer). Usually, the hottest part of the engine will be the exhaust manifold. On older cars, the top of the engine block will be a good, sizzling place.

You're not just looking for the hottest parts of the engine. Like any kind of cooking, different foods require different temperatures. A very hot part of the engine will be great for thick meat, a cooler part good for veggies or fish. Or, if you're traveling many hundreds of miles, you may want to use the cooler part to slow-cook your meat. Mmmm. As always, this is trial and error. "
: is this for real??? Can you imagine that..... driving for an hour or two, and you smell something burning, you get out, pop the hood, and say "Crap, my steak is burnt"
Old 04-25-2008, 06:27 AM
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[QUOTE=stormin94;50814453]......"If you've ever cooked food on an engine block, you might be a redneck"....QUOTE]


Ha Ha Ha
Old 04-25-2008, 07:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Lysmachia
I prefer the Infrared thermometer teqhnique to mapping out the cooking temperatures of my engine...

From the website: "Get your car up to operating speed, or better yet take it for a drive around the block for five minutes, and then bring it back to the garage and lift the hood. Now, finger at the ready, you start quickly touching various parts of the engine (nothing plastic...that will never get hot enough to cook anything). And by quickly touching, it's the kind of swift stab that means your finger feels the heat but you don't give yourself a third degree burn. (If you're feeling really wussy, try an infrared thermometer). Usually, the hottest part of the engine will be the exhaust manifold. On older cars, the top of the engine block will be a good, sizzling place.

You're not just looking for the hottest parts of the engine. Like any kind of cooking, different foods require different temperatures. A very hot part of the engine will be great for thick meat, a cooler part good for veggies or fish. Or, if you're traveling many hundreds of miles, you may want to use the cooler part to slow-cook your meat. Mmmm. As always, this is trial and error. "
Even a quick poke at a bare exhaust manifold is probably gonna burn bad enough to ruin your day.
Old 04-25-2008, 07:59 AM
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That tuna can breakfast recipe sounds delecious... Think I'll try it next week...

Real rednecks cook over tarpot burners...
I was on a job once and the roofers had their tarpot trailer going and at lunch they got out a package of weinies and started cooking them and toasting buns over the burner exhaust... now that's real redneck cooking...
Old 06-10-2009, 11:30 AM
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maybe someone should make a combination exhaust header/griddle?
Old 09-08-2009, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by aviator
That tuna can breakfast recipe sounds delecious... Think I'll try it next week...

Real rednecks cook over tarpot burners...
I was on a job once and the roofers had their tarpot trailer going and at lunch they got out a package of weinies and started cooking them and toasting buns over the burner exhaust... now that's real redneck cooking...

Or you use space heaters to roast dogs on a Job site or in a cold Shop, did it when I worked at a shop in GA since we had to keep the bays open to bring customer's cars in and out of the shop, so gas space heater worked like a charm
Old 05-25-2010, 11:17 AM
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Lobster? you hanging out on the docks?

I get my leftovers,when I go out on the road,and get subs and put them on my Cat 3406 engine.Set it close to the turbo and let it cook.Double it in aluminum,No mayo in the sandwhich.

Last edited by iselloil; 05-25-2010 at 11:18 AM.
Old 06-27-2010, 08:55 PM
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Originally Posted by olharleyman
I have cooked LOBSTER on the manifold of my PETERBUILT before but it does take few hours/hunder miles just wrap it up in foil real good
Originally Posted by iselloil
Lobster? you hanging out on the docks?

I get my leftovers,when I go out on the road,and get subs and put them on my Cat 3406 engine.Set it close to the turbo and let it cook.Double it in aluminum,No mayo in the sandwhich.
Looks like we got a couple of truckers here...
As for cooking, my dad just sets it inside the kenworth hood to warm up...


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