This may sound like an odd question to ask, but what is a quick way to heat up an engine so the ECM goes into closed loop mode sooner?

Because it takes so long to get to operating temperature, my car doesn't always get out of open loop mode when driving around town thereby making it more expensive to run. This doesn't seem to be a problem on modern cars as they tend to heat up fairly quickly.

Is there a way to do this?

 

Three wire heated O2 sensor, and cardboard over the radiator (a part of the radiator)

 

Make sure your using a stock t'stat. Also, itll take some time for the motor to heat up as its made of cast iron and it can take some time for all that mass to come up to temp. There may even be a limit in the ecm as to how fast it can enter closed loop. I know on mine its something like 6 minutes before it can enter closed loop after a cold start.

 

After installing a heated O2 sensor, you can adjust it by tuning the PROM. Just change the closed loop enable timers (as mentioned) to lower values.

 

Would the ECM in my '82 be very programmable though? Does it have a ROM or a PROM? Is it as flexible as later model ECMs?

 

Believe it or not, the factory oil cooler.

The oil heats up before the coolant. With some of that heat being transferred to the coolant, the coolant warms up quicker. This will bring the CTS up to 110 degrees quicker. The O2 sensor will get up to temp before the coolant (but, of course, a heated unit will be even quicker).