Starting your Diesel on a cold day tip

[Paddy]

It may come as a shocker, but mechanics use much higher temps when removing stuck bolts. I could not have restored my old Harry Ferguson if it wasn't for my trusty propane torch. Just last week I had a broken stud in a casting and the easyout wasn't moving it. A bit of heat and out she came.

dipstick heaters have burned more cars than most folks know. I recall, illegal in Canada

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had a Yanmar that didn't have glow plugs. I could start it easily with a hair dryer blowing directly into the air cleaner housing. You don't need to heat the manifold if the air entering the manifold via air cleaner is 150F (just guessing on the hair dryer temp but it is hot enough to burn your hand if it is close).
This doesn't help your cold oil and radiator any but it will start your engine. I never had an issue with it starting this way but again, I am in the south where a super cold day is 15F.

When I lived in northern Alberta Canada, my cars all had block heaters and the new one also had a battery heater. A heated battery increases the output amperage a lot in super cold temps. I kept them plugged in all the time. It was much cheaper to use the block/battery heater than run the garage heater.
It was nice to have a warm heater as soon as the engine fires up.

 

[JBourquin]

I remember hearing an old trick years ago for a car that's hard starting/slow cranking. Some people would turn the headlights on for a minute or so to warm up the battery. Not sure how well that worked as I've never tried it but reading about the guys heating up their batteries made me think of it.

 

[buickanddeere]

The head lights on to boost the battery is an old wives tale.
Having the headlights on while cranking will assist in indicating where a no start problem could lurk.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

When battery power is marginal, I've always shut off everything electrical I could to reduce the draw on the battery... lights, radio, heater....

 

[Egon]

The headlights on might refer to a boosting vehicle to prevent a power surge.

 

[JDgreen227]

I store my tractor in a 116 year old wooden barn that dry as tinder....most of the beams are hewn oak and the pine floor is polished with oil...no way I would EVER use an open flame in there....when I use a bench grinder or chop saw, they are ALWAYS used outside. The idea of using a propane torch on ANY kind of motorized vehicle scares me. Break down and buy a block heater !!!

 

[MossRoad]

We'd like to see that barn. Sounds cool! :thumbsup: Not too many left around here.

 

[JDgreen227]

We'd like to see that barn. Sounds cool! :thumbsup: Not too many left around here.

It needs a LOT of work...a 2 story about 26'X36'....it's where the farm kept the horses and feed back in the early 1900's thru about 1935 until they began using a tractor. Used to have sliding doors on both ends but I changed them to overhead type.

 

[Rara Avis]

Starting a COLD diesel tractor even with a block heater...one may need to cut the diesel with kerosene to lower the cloud temp and the addition of 911 to deal with possible gelling if the temperature is COLD enough...