BX1500 Angry When Started in Cold Weather

[BXAK]

I have owned a BX1500 for a few years here in Alaska. During the winter I warm the engine with a torpedo heater for about 30 minutes before start and this usually results in the engine starting like it would on a summer day.

This year however it is colder than usual, already well below zero Fahrenheit in mid November. I'm noticing that while the tractor starts easily it is extremely loud and blows black smoke for the first 30 seconds and then runs fine. Even if I have the throttle set to minimum, it seems to start at full throttle in this scenario.

I'm running 15w40 Rotella T4.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Smokeydog]

You would be a good candidate for Rotella T6 5W-40 full synthetic. Sudt2 in hydraulic/transmission?

 

[mikester]

Rad hose heater would be my first choice, frost plug block heater my second. Grill bra for sure.

Full throttle at startup doesn't sound right. Do you leave the tractor stored outside in the elements?

 

[Roadworthy]

In addition to the above, check your air cleaner if you haven't cleaned or changed it since last summer. It sounds pretty basic until you experience problems as I did. Then you become a believer in checking air filters even if you think they're clean.

 

[5030]

They all start at wide open fuel rack no matter where the throttle is set, how they all work, Mine bang and clang a bit and smoke too and they are 100% cold started. Nothing to be concerned about. What you hear is combustion noise.

 

[BXAK]

You would be a good candidate for Rotella T6 5W-40 full synthetic. Sudt2 in hydraulic/transmission?

I couldn't find any Rotella T6 in town but I got some Mobil 1 5W-40 Heavy Duty Diesel oil. Going to try that. Running SUDT2 in the HST.

 

[BXAK]

Rad hose heater would be my first choice, frost plug block heater my second. Grill bra for sure.

Full throttle at startup doesn't sound right. Do you leave the tractor stored outside in the elements?

Tractor lives in a garage. I've tried to install both the heaters you recommend but they were pretty much impossible to get on the BX1500. Really wish I could though.

 

[5030]

Get yourself one of those 'Kats' magnetic oil pan heaters and use that. They work quite well actually.

 

[5030]

I couldn't find any Rotella T6 in town but I got some Mobil 1 5W-40 Heavy Duty Diesel oil. Going to try that. Running SUDT2 in the HST.

Just as good. I don't use SUDT myself. I use Chevron All Weather THC synthetic. For me, when it's really cold, it seems to flow a bit better plus it's dyed orange so you can see it easily. Probably use 4 times as much as you do. Normal fill on my transmissions (I have 2 identical tractors) is just under 14 gallons a fill, including new filters which I always change when changing gearbox oil.

I change mine yearly but I farm with mine so they get used pretty hard and unlike motor oil, gearbox oil don't 'color' up so if it's good or it's shot, you have no way of knowing other than doing an oil analysis on it.

 

[5030]

My buddy has a fleet of 56 trucks and he uses Mobil in all of them.