Cold weather starting tips

[Johnp33]

I use to start trucks in Edmonton, about thirty of them some with air start, Those you have to plug in you only get one chance, or pull it into the shop. If the engine is electronic, you have to have, a certain cranking speed for it to try to start. First thing you want to do is have clean battery connections and grounds, good batteries. Most engines, you want to crank it for 15 seconds, no longer then wait for 1 minute, it is hard to wait, but important, then try again, no throttle, the injection pump puts the throttle at the right level to start to much throttle just adds so much fuel it cools the cylinder tempature, defeating the process.
If you need a starting aid I use a rag with a little gas on it over the air filter. I also will hook up the battery charger, not on boost just the charge rate. There is no additive that will help starting, if you have summer fuel in the winter it will be a lot harder to start. Synthetic oil is a good idea, I do that in my loader, a heater with a fan and a stove pipe with a 3ft section and an elbow, that works, if you do not have a block heater.
Either can and does destroy an engine, it will dry out the cylinder walls and damage them, also it will bend the rings. Rings are bent up so when it fires they bend flat sealing the cylinder.
The very best starting aid is the correct fuel for the season, and a block heater. The cylinder is in the block that is what you need to heat.
People have said that WD40 works, I never tried that. Hot water pored on the engine, that is a good thought, I never tried that either.

[Trials]

i have a magnetic heater on my oil pan and another on the steering column because it keeps freezing up.

... on a few desperate occasions; I've even resorted to building a small controlled wood fire under a frozen engine, that works too

[Egon]

In another time placing a pan of hot ashes under the oil pan was quite common in places with no electricity.

[Johndeere3720]

Last night I remembered to get a video of my 317 on cold start up. Have to admit it is embarrassing but hopefully when I get my new block heater in it will start a little better.
deere 317 skid steer cold start - YouTube

[john_bud]

28 above ain't cold. Try it at -35F no wind chill.

[tcreeley]

I've used a magnetic block heater on my old 48 Farmall Cub- it worked. It like sun the best and 30 degrees. But with the bolck heater I could start it at 5 degrees- always plugged in.
I have a weak battery in my TC 30 but it is plugged in and starts like a charm at 10-15. I haven't tried it this year below that. Did all the time last year, 10-5 below as well.
Plug ins provide more heat than magnetic block heaters.

[hydro2]

My John deere 240 started exactly the same way in the cold.

[bironacad]

In another time placing a pan of hot ashes under the oil pan was quite common in places with no electricity.

Egon you earlier said a hair dryer or hot air gun. When trading in my McCormick Farmall C (see avatar) I was told if it was running I would get $500, it was February and cold and I used a paint stripper air gun on the carb and air filter, lol, it started.

[Jay4200]

I just got my glow plugs working this winter season with a manual override. My L4200 would start in the cold (15-20F) after cranking for 10 seconds or so. Now, my procedure is simple - I turn the ignition over for a second or two (don't need to touch the 'throttle' - it's already wide open at the engine), then engage the glow plugs for 3-4 seconds. Turn the key and my L4200 starts instantly, like it's 80 degrees out.

JayC

[woodlandfarms]

I am working on a show that we feature mega luxury yachts. 200 footers and above. Talking with the engineers who manage twin turbo, twin supercharged 16 cyl engines ( I am saying this not for the wow, it is wow, but for the final note I am trying to make). They tell me that a cold start procedure takes 2 hours ususally to get 2 engines up and running properly. If they have to do an emergency start, straight crankover, they are required to write an 8 hour use hit in the log (meaning the clock looses 8 hours for every cold start).