Diesel: cold weather starting

[buickanddeere]

something i have yet to see mentioned is a heated dipstick. we use it in the backhoe pull out the dipstick, put in the heated one, plug into electricity, done. used this on our backhoe that doesn't have GPs or a blockheater.

always used the white power service in the winter

There is only one place to stick those useless dipstick heaters

 

[vtsnowedin]

something i have yet to see mentioned is a heated dipstick. we use it in the backhoe pull out the dipstick, put in the heated one, plug into electricity, done. used this on our backhoe that doesn't have GPs or a blockheater.

always used the white power service in the winter

I tried one of those on car engines back in the seventies. They are better then nothing but mine only heated the oil in the bottom of the sump that the dipstick could touch and got too hot above the oil full line and created a charred section on the stick of over cooked oil. With a modern temperature control all of that might be overcome but block heaters that heat all the coolant in the water jacket have a clear advantage.

 

[buickanddeere]

b&d: ASTM avg. flash point temp of gasoline is -40 F/C, for No. 2 diesel it is +125 deg F. huge difference. gasoline is a solvent has zero lubricity (neither does kerosene/No.1 diesel for that matter). I rely on winter blended fuel by local refiners tailored to avg. temp conditions. They generally get down to 50/50 No.2/No.1 diesel blend during coldest part of winter. Always boost lubricity then with supplemental fuel additive then. I have seen blends down to 30/70 No.2/No.1 !


I use Optilube XPD fuel additive (also has cetane enhancer). Since No. 1 also has less energy than No. 2 and is more expensive, the refiners change back to 100% No. 2 as soon as avg. temps let them. I use Mobil 1 TurboDiesel Truck 5W-40 synthetic engine oil year round, and double cycle the cylinder glow plugs.

Pure sillyness. There is lube added to winter diesel, kerosene and gasoline. There are some people however that just can't leave well enough alone. And resort to witchcraft, soccery, potions and superstion.

 

[vtsnowedin]

It is interesting watching the argument between those that will try anything that might work with those that must adhere to the manual exactly. I expect that those that will try anything will eventually break down their machine but they will be a lot further from the trail head then those that play just by the rules. Consider if you were in minus fifty and gelled up and there was five gallons of gas sitting there to add to your fifty gallons of gelled sludge and it was ten miles back to the heated dorm (or igloo) and the local guy said that would work, would you add the gas? A ten mile walk at -50 and you would probably be dead. What are you going to do?

 

[terryknight]

I tried one of those on car engines back in the seventies. They are better then nothing but mine only heated the oil in the bottom of the sump that the dipstick could touch and got too hot above the oil full line and created a charred section on the stick of over cooked oil. With a modern temperature control all of that might be overcome but block heaters that heat all the coolant in the water jacket have a clear advantage.

i don't disagree. but when you have no block heater and no GPs or intake heater and only need it every once in a while i think they are great.

 

[Egon]

If you got electricity a tarp and small fan heater will work just as well as the block heater, maybe even better as it may get some hydraulics and transmission too.

 

[3930dave]

If you got electricity a tarp and small fan heater will work just as well as the block heater, maybe even better as it may get some hydraulics and transmission too.

Real cold + middle of nowhere = run a generator for this need, block heater, etc.

That's what (the smart) heavy equipment guys do around here when it's Brass Monkey time.

Rgds, D.

 

[buickanddeere]

If you got electricity a tarp and small fan heater will work just as well as the block heater, maybe even better as it may get some hydraulics and transmission too.

Too many machines and buildings burned with a jackleg heating system. Too much heat wasted too. Use a proper block heater and battery blanket instead to having to rig some contraption.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

IMO the single best thing you can do is run full synthetic diesel 5 w40 oil, regular 15 w 40 is molasses in the sub zero temperatures,it really adds tremendous drag to spinning the cold engine. I have started my dodge cummins and duramax here in upstate nys down to -12 without any issues .i run it in my ford 1910 tractor and it's never plugged in and it starts all winter easily I use it for loading my salt spreaders,and my caterpillar 246 which doesn't have a block heater,it starts every time without assistance of jumpers,heaters, or ether,just cycle the glow plugs 2x and fire it up. I run a winter fuel additive religiously and always check your WIF drains more often even if you have a WIF sensor,don't trust it .

There ya go. Not only does synthetic make starting easier, it really reduces engine wear. Most engine wear happens in the first starting revolutions. Synthetic pumps faster and gets lube to the bearings before they get ground into filings.

Other than that, block heaters are available for all modern diesels. We have come a long way since pony engines and building a fire under the engine to warm it up.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Pure sillyness. There is lube added to winter diesel, kerosene and gasoline. There are some people however that just can't leave well enough alone. And resort to witchcraft, soccery, potions and superstion.

Guilty. Since they took all the sulfur out of off road diesel, I run a 100:1 mix of 2-cycle oil in my tractor fuel. The engine seems to run fine with it, but for that matter it runs fine on #2 heating oil. I don't live in a cold weather area any more, but even 30 years ago commercial anti-gel additives worked fine with #2.