Block heaters ...

Boondox · Jan 6, 2004

I have a Vermometer...sort of a local gag dial thermometer with cute little blurbs at certain points along the dial. Like at 30 degrees French cars won't start. At 20 degrees Italian cars won't start. At minus 20 stay in bed.

Now I'm wondering if there's any truth in those witticisms..?

Pete

PineRidge · Jan 6, 2004

Thermostarter fuel burner in intake manifold for easy cold starting.

This is what I found on the internet about thermostarters. Once I found this I do remember hearing about them. If I remember right there was a fuel used to heat the intake manifold but not sure.


Well Murph today you taught an old dog (me) a new trick. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

thcri · Jan 6, 2004

We had an old John Deere 4020 that had an aftermarket kit put on it. Don't know who made it anymore, I can only visualise it. It was almost like an ether assist. It actually used ether cans for fuel. It would spray ether in the manifold and then a heater would ignite it. You would then try and start the tractor. It didn't help this tractor at all so I never thought much of it. But that 4020 had a mind of its own and if you let it set in any temperature under 50 it would not start. You had to keep her in a heated shed or park it for the winter. She sure ran good though once started.

murph

cowboydoc · Jan 6, 2004

Most of the older tractors are bears, even with glow plugs, to start when it gets cold out. You have to have a block heater to even think about starting them. Many many of the older tractors don't have glow plugs. Even alot of the new ones don't have glow plugs.

PineRidge · Jan 6, 2004

Most of the older tractors are bears, even with glow plugs, to start when it gets cold out. You have to have a block heater to even think about starting them. Many many of the older tractors don't have glow plugs. Even alot of the new ones don't have glow plugs.


OK we have established that most any tractor is a bear to start in the winter without the use of glow plugs. Then why would any manufacturer make a brand new tractor without them? It would seem to me that as simple as a glow plug is that it would be cheaper to use than a warm air intake or some other means of start assist? Am I wrong here?

thcri · Jan 6, 2004

PIneridge, I would have to agree with you. Buying a new tractor that would not be figured to run in cold weather. I really don't think they would sell to many of them. I was on the understanding that all diesels did have some device for starting in cold weather. Now I could be wrong but glow plugs is one way, but isn't there a different style injector or pump for the ones tha don't have glow plugs that either increase the presssure in the cyclinder or increases heat by the pressure?? I am not sure but I guess I wouldn't buy a tractor if I knew it wasn't going to start in colder weather.

just me thinking here that is all and hopefully someone can shed some light on my thinking.

murph

kevinj · Jan 6, 2004

The Cowboy has it right...............diesel engines and cold do not go together. Back in the 70's we had a fleet of Cummins diesels and if they were not plugged in you were in trouble. Only the modern homeowner diesel tractors and pickups are set up for easy glow plug starting. Most of the big diesels do not have glow plugs, many have on board fuel fired water heaters to warm them up. Yet some of the old Murphy diesels will start up down to zero without ether or heaters. Turbo diesels start harder than naturally aspirated due to the lower compression ratios.

cowboydoc · Jan 6, 2004

I typed wrong what I meant. EVEN with glow plugs the older tractors are hard to start. Most of the time they need plugged in and the glow plugs to start. The old diesel pickups were the same way. The preheater system is definitely superior over the glow plug system without a doubt. You can almost always get those to start. it's the glow plug systems that are tough starting. And then alot of tractors have neither. What they have is ether that is shot directly into the manifold to ignite and start. Those tractors forget about starting without being plugged in.

The guys here that have been around and had diesels their whole life know exactly what I'm saying. You guys that have the new diesels don't know how good you have it with regards to diesels and starting. On the new stuff you just go out and fire them up even down to subzero conditions. That just didn't happen much 15 and 20 years ago.

snowbound · Jan 6, 2004

( You guys that have the new diesels don't know how good you have it with regards to diesels and starting.)

Oh yes we do! Severe winter weather alert here right now...