GC cold weather start ??

[SteveM70]

How do some people come up with the idea that a block heater is a conspiracy against them by the manufacture or dealer ? Engine wear is the highest when cylinder walls are cold with coolant temps below 180F. The same person that is all worried about engine wear and changes the oil and filter at reduced hours. Is all too often the same person who doesn't use a block heater but hammers an engine to life in the winter with ether , jumper cables or long duration use of glowplugs/intake grid heaters.
Your ears will tell you that a stone cold diesel rattling and hammering is less desirable than a preheated diesel that starts on the first turn and operates smooth.
Less wear on the starter, battery and alternator.
Windshield defroster operates sooner without wasting fuel and causing increased engine while idling waiting for cab heat.
We plug the gas vehicles in, even though they start without preheating just to have near instant heat from the windshield defroster.

You must remember though that everyone doesn't live on Lake Huron or even experience winters close to what your typical winter would be. I use my tractor very little through the winter months and too be totally honest, It's not often that it's below 20*F around here so when it is there's not much that can't wait for better weather. So, if mine starts the few times I need it in cold weather without a block heater then I'm happy without one.

 

[ray66v]

How do some people come up with the idea that a block heater is a conspiracy against them by the manufacture or dealer ? Engine wear is the highest when cylinder walls are cold with coolant temps below 180F. The same person that is all worried about engine wear and changes the oil and filter at reduced hours. Is all too often the same person who doesn't use a block heater but hammers an engine to life in the winter with ether , jumper cables or long duration use of glowplugs/intake grid heaters.
Your ears will tell you that a stone cold diesel rattling and hammering is less desirable than a preheated diesel that starts on the first turn and operates smooth.

What's bewildering to me is, the same people who are so concerned about start up wear, almost never use a pre-oiler, which could not reduce only cold start up wear, more than a block heater, it could also reduce that start up wear, year round?

 

[atsah]

A block heater and 5-40 synthetic oil does wonders for a tractor, a truck or any diesel motor in a cold climate, common sense is all it is, it's not rocket science..

 

[ray66v]

A block heater and 5-40 synthetic oil does wonders for a tractor, a truck or any diesel motor in a cold climate, common sense is all it is, it's not rocket science..

Having a heater on the hydraulic oil, instead of running cold oil through the pump, and waiting the 30-45 minutes the manual calls for, while the hydraulic fluid warms up, is common sense too.

Yet, almost no one does it.

 

[atsah]

Having a heater on the hydraulic oil, instead of running cold oil through the pump, and waiting the 30-45 minutes the manual calls for, while the hydraulic fluid warms up, is common sense too.

Yet, almost no one does it.

Agreed.

 

[AxleHub]

Having a heater on the hydraulic oil, instead of running cold oil through the pump, and waiting the 30-45 minutes the manual calls for, while the hydraulic fluid warms up, is common sense too.

Yet, almost no one does it.

1. But the engine block heater is the one and only accessory mentioned in the manual for cold weather start options.

2. The engine block heater comes in direct contact with the engine oil. Methods of heating the hydraulic fluid are by exterior indirect contact heater accessories not mentioned in the manual. or are handled in the manual by engine warm up heating process.

3. The front axle which has more delicate component gears in it doesn't even have any access to warmed hydro or engine fluids.

In Western WI we certainly experience a fair share of sub zero F. opportunities . . . imagine what operating a tractor in Canada must be like.

 

[Agvg]

If one are worryd about cold axel you can do as the Russians I Siberia, light a fire under the differentialhousing

 

[Agvg]

To be serious I don't think cold start on hydraulic and transmissions are a big deal, a lot of equipment runs 10 - 15000 hours whitout any problem and are coldstarted every day in artic conditions.
On engines the are often fuel driven automatic engine heaters.

 

[SteveM70]

1. But the engine block heater is the one and only accessory mentioned in the manual for cold weather start options..

True, but the block heater is mentioned as a suggestion while a proper warm up period for the engine and hydraulic system is mandatory according to the manual.

 

[buickanddeere]

Use synthetic winter oil in the bydraulic systm then.