Cold Weather Starting

[BobRip]

I really think the root cause of the difficult Robin engine cold starting is the rotational loads from the hydraulic pumps. Some high end OPE manufacturers have a release on the hydro pumps when starting in cold weather.

Is there a way to add this release to the PT? I agree with your assertion. I run Mobil 1 15W40 in the hydraulic system. I am sure this does not help starting. It does help wheel motor torque and this is more important for me, since I have a heated (never below 50) garage.

 

[duane]

Is there a way to add this release to the PT? I agree with your assertion. I run Mobil 1 15W40 in the hydraulic system. I am sure this does not help starting. It does help wheel motor torque and this is more important for me, since I have a heated (never below 50) garage.

Bob, I wish there was. An electric clutch would work on the newer models that that have all the hydraulic pumps on one end.

You have the best solution, heated garage.

 

[SnowRidge]

I think it is interesting that the Robin V-twins do not have compression releases. I ran across a Robin Subaru press release from 1998 (I think) touting changes to the EH series, including compression releases. It went on to discuss how they made it easy it to start the "recoil start" engines. I wonder why they left it off of the electric start models, especially considering their main competition had it?

 

[BobRip]

Bob, I wish there was. An electric clutch would work on the newer models that that have all the hydraulic pumps on one end.

You have the best solution, heated garage.

I wonder if we could do a manual release that would only be disconnected/connected with the engine off. You could disconnect it, start and run the engine for a few minutes. Stop the engine, reconnect, and then restart should be pretty easy. You might not have to disconnect all of the pumps. Even disconnecting the front (tram pump) might be enough. Just thinking out loud here and trying to keep it simple. I don't know how to do this. Others might.

 

[MossRoad]

The mighty Kohler failed to start this morning at -19F even with a 2 second blast of starting fluid. I tried it twice, cranking for no more than 8-10 seconds. No POP. It cranked REAL slow. So, I will put a 50A battery booster on it when I get home. If that doesn't get it, I will pre-heat. I didn't need it, but wanted to see if it would start. Had I needed it, I would have gotten out of be earlier.

This is the coldest it has been since I bought it in 2001. I actually got too warm brushing off the car this morning, as I overdressed.

 

[woodlandfarms]

It is going to be 82 today. And sunny...

I was raised in Wyoming / Montana.. Coldest I ever remember was in college in Bozeman, -35 then a lot of windchill on top of it. Crazy what sort of damage happened to peoples cars, tractors, homes. In my head I never think of cold as being destructive. Also amazed me the amount of physical damage you could do to yourself in that cold.

You guys be careful in the East and Midwest.

 

[Spiffy]

The problems you green guys are having almost sound good compared to the diesel! Supposedly EPA regulations changed diesel again, but whatever the case I've had even #1/#2 blends gelling up in above 0 weather; haven't dared try sub 0. And certainly not the -35 the other night.

If the fuel isn't gelling up, the Duetz manifold heater is enough in the teens, but as it draws down the battery it's a balancing act. Topping it off with the charger, 30 seconds on the heater, then charger back on at boost setting does pretty well down to 0 degrees F.

Of course, decompression wouldn't be a good thing on a Diesel, but even on the gas I'd think the pump decoupler would go a lot further. It'd be kind of ugly fitting it in the red one I have, but if someone has achieved it on either it'd be great to hear how it works.

 

[MossRoad]

It is going to be 82 today. And sunny...

I was raised in Wyoming / Montana.. Coldest I ever remember was in college in Bozeman, -35 then a lot of windchill on top of it. Crazy what sort of damage happened to peoples cars, tractors, homes. In my head I never think of cold as being destructive. Also amazed me the amount of physical damage you could do to yourself in that cold.

You guys be careful in the East and Midwest.

Yeah. The roof started booming last night. It scared the kids. I hadn't heard that for 20 years. Took me a while to remember what it was. You ever been out on a lake and had the ice boom on you? Pretty weird stuff. But it used to be like that all the time in the winter when I was younger. I kind of miss it. The colder the better, in my book.

 

[SnowRidge]

Roof booming? Are you sure a bunch or rockers aren't practicing in your attic?

 

[ponytug]

Yeah, nothing quite like being out on a large lake late at night when the thick winter ice booms. It happened to me once on a year when the ice had frozen as black ice, leaving the illusion that you were suspended on the lake.

75 and sunny, when it should be raining. Sigh. Unlike most Californians, I actively appreciate water falling from the sky- it's drinking water.

All the best,

Peter

Yeah. The roof started booming last night. It scared the kids. I hadn't heard that for 20 years. Took me a while to remember what it was. You ever been out on a lake and had the ice boom on you? Pretty weird stuff. But it used to be like that all the time in the winter when I was younger. I kind of miss it. The colder the better, in my book.