Surprised how much block heater helps starting diesel

[RaydaKub]

The thermal shock (rush of ice cold coolant) explanation could makes the most sense, but if it destroys the block heater, then how long after unplugging it should you wait for heater and surrounding coolant to cool? 2 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 min.?

Same thought I had. I unplug my tractor, jump in and start it. Of course, a 250W heater on my little BX and the hood is warm to the touch after an hour in my unheated, but well insulated garage. Guess I won't worry about it. :laughing:

 

[RaydaKub]

I am so behind the times. I did not know there were wifi able timers. Now if I could just get a signal out to the shed.....

Problem solved? How far is your shed? This is spec'ed to 500 meters.
UniFi Building-to-Building Bridge
– Ubiquiti Inc.

 

[RaydaKub]

Not if they don't list an amperage or wattage rating. I wouldn't buy one to turn a lamp on without knowing what it is rated for.

Most of the wifi switches on Amazon are rated for 10 amps. I bought some rated for 16 amps, which is fine since my garage is on a 15 amp breaker.

 

[Tony H]

At some point at around 32f I generally use my block heater for 3 hours prior to starting. On my previous L3410 3 hours was the sweet spot where the block didn't get any warmer. With the block heater plugged into a WiFi plug I can either manually turn it on from my phone, or let my pre determined schedule take over (on at 0100h, off at 0400h) so I can head out on my plow run at 4am.

Like others have said, I don't NEED to pre heat in order to start, but the machine sounds happier and I get cab heat much sooner.

Glad you mention the length of time. Some guys here are saying 15 minutes.. I need minimum of 2 hours to get coolant to get warm enough to warm the cylinder walls for a happy start. My neighbor has used a hair dryer down the air intake on his Dozed. Of course the whole engine rattles because it's cold but for a ' I need to get it started now' scenario, it starts.

 

[RjCorazza]

Glad you mention the length of time. Some guys here are saying 15 minutes.. I need minimum of 2 hours to get coolant to get warm enough to warm the cylinder walls for a happy start. My neighbor has used a hair dryer down the air intake on his Dozed. Of course the whole engine rattles because it's cold but for a ' I need to get it started now' scenario, it starts.

I forget my actual temperature readings, but I believe 3 hours would raise my block by 40 deg f over ambient in 3 hours. Any longer didn't increase the block temp further.
Re: your hair dryer comment, I have a pull start walk behind mower that is hard starting at 50 degrees or so. I put a small electric heater in front of the intake and it fires right up! I believe my current L4060 has an air intake heater that is computer controlled.

 

[MHarryE]

Having a tough February after much warmer than normal winter. We haven’t seen zero since last Thursday, lows have been less than -30°, and the wind has been gale force. My nephew has a Kubota M110GX and has never had a starting problem until now. Impossible to get running so he has had to drag bales out to his beef cows chained to his pickup. He asked if I had any suggestions (yeah, drive it over to my place and store it in my heated shop every night) but that wasn’t practical. So I suggested putting magnetic mount engine oil heaters on the pan (we already have block heaters on everything). My sister said she got a text receipt from the local auto parts store for a magnetic engine oil pan heater this morning and tractor was running this afternoon. I also suggested heating the air inlet with a hair dryer because I read that worked for someone. I thought I told him to make sure he used 5W-40, or 0W-40 if he could find it but I’m not sure if he did. But I can say for sure when a block heater is not enough, add a magnetic oil pan heater. Outfit logging next to me left their skidders, feller-bunchers, and limber-stackers running all weekend so they could be sure to work today.

 

[goeduck]

This week we are to see our lowest temperatures of the winter to this point. It is supposed to get down to 24 degrees at night. You guys dont know what it is like, freaking COLD. :cold: :snowman: :frosty: :cold:

:rotfl:

 

[Erik M]

I have an inline coolant heater that I run for 20 minutes before start and the vehicle pops right off and is ready to work much sooner than a cold start.

The engine only has a 100 hrs on it since overhaul and will start cold but a little heat much reduces the engine wear on start so I routinely use the heater. I have it plugged into a Bluetooth enabled switch so I can activate the heater with the phone.

 

[Egon]

Having a tough February after much warmer than normal winter. We haven’t seen zero since last Thursday, lows have been less than -30°, and the wind has been gale force. My nephew has a Kubota M110GX and has never had a starting problem until now. Impossible to get running so he has had to drag bales out to his beef cows chained to his pickup. He asked if I had any suggestions (yeah, drive it over to my place and store it in my heated shop every night) but that wasn’t practical. So I suggested putting magnetic mount engine oil heaters on the pan (we already have block heaters on everything). My sister said she got a text receipt from the local auto parts store for a magnetic engine oil pan heater this morning and tractor was running this afternoon. I also suggested heating the air inlet with a hair dryer because I read that worked for someone. I thought I told him to make sure he used 5W-40, or 0W-40 if he could find it but I’m not sure if he did. But I can say for sure when a block heater is not enough, add a magnetic oil pan heater. Outfit logging next to me left their skidders, feller-bunchers, and limber-stackers running all weekend so they could be sure to work today.

If the block heater does not work I’d suggest checking to see if it is working or replace with a proper sized one.

 

[Egon]

Had a Montana 5740C that I put two new frost plug heaters in an for some reason neither one worked, showed continuity but never heated the block. Installed a battery warming blanket and glue-on oil pan heater pad and wired them together on one plug. Between the 5W40 full syn being warm and battery being warm it started like a dream even at -20F

Were the block heaters installed upside down?

 

[Egon]

Somewhere in the Katz engine heater literature I read that the block heater element is somewhat fragile when hot,and the vibrations from a running engine could damage the element.
I've often wondered how long to wait to start the engine after unpluging the heater.
Normally I fire it right up-no damage so far.

Most vehicles in Canada come with block heaters installed. Very few failures.

 

[Egon]

water flowing creates lower pressure in certain spots that with the increase heat from the element can creat steam bubbles and when they collapse it takes little bits of metal away. Probably not a huge problem but with the pain they are to change I wouldn稚 run it.

Block heaters don?t make steam.

 

[East30]

This week we are to see our lowest temperatures of the winter to this point. It is supposed to get down to 24 degrees at night. You guys dont know what it is like, freaking COLD. :cold: :snowman: :frosty: :cold:

:rotfl:

HAHAHA, says a guy from Minnesota.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Preachin' to the choir Pal!

 

[LouNY]

You'all just keep that danged sub zero (F) stuff to yourself,
we don't need any sharing.
We have only had a few sub zero nights this year and that is plenty.

 

[metalbender]

Block heater and battery blanket plugged in round the clock and my massey 1742 was not happy starting. Has been -30 to -38 for a week and a half. Those temps in celsius are the same in fahreheit.

 

[fried1765]

Block heater and battery blanket plugged in round the clock and my massey 1742 was not happy starting. Has been -30 to -38 for a week and a half. Those temps in celsius are the same in fahreheit.

Yup......-40C and -40F are equal.

 

[LouNY]

And they are both too danged cold for working in as well as being hard on equipment.
-20F (-28.9C) are hard on equipment without a lot of preparation.

 

[RjCorazza]

I have no experience with those temps, but I have read some discussions about the newer computer controlled machines possibly being adversely affected by block heaters.
The discussions centered around the warmed blocks causing the glow plugs to either not come on, or come on for too short a time. There also may have been something about air intake heaters that were also strictly controlled by the computer.

I have no control over the glow plugs on my L4060.

 

[goeduck]

HAHAHA, says a guy from Minnesota.

Next you guys are going to claim you have some of that white stuff. We have it out here up in the mountains where it belongs.