Winter Diesel

[grsthegreat]

I checked with my supplier, and yes the offroad diesel he sells is the ultra low sulfur blend, and the stuff is also a winter blend.

not sure what other dealers sell.

I have three (3) wolverine heaters on my rig.

1. a 125 watt heater glued to the bottom of the oil pan
2. a 250 watt heater glued to the side of the transmission
3. a 250 watt heater glued to the side of my 3 point hitch hydraulic tank.

all 3 are plugged into a timer that runs 2 hours before i use the tractor (runs from 1:00 - 3:00 AM) and 1 hour in the evenings (4 pm) . Ill plug the tractor when i know temps will get in the 20's or below at night.


Im plowing 2.5 miles of association roads so i have to get an early start.


running all 3 heaters 3 hours a day will amount to $3.90 per month in electricity costs for me ($0.065/kwh here) so for me its a no brainer.

 

[moojamboo]

hi Don87,

If by chance it actually is already treated, would the power service do any damage?

sorry to hear about your pain the butt experience. Trying to learn from my elders,

thanks,

 

[moojamboo]

wow grsthegreat, that is some serious heating! My plug...to be honest...could be plugged into nothing, never used it. If I tried it out, would I be able to touch part of the engine to see if it felt...warmer?

Is a good rule of thumb for a noob like me that if the air goes under 20 degrees I plug her in for a couple hours before use?

thank you,

 

[Don87]

hi Don87,

If by chance it actually is already treated, would the power service do any damage?

sorry to hear about your pain the butt experience. Trying to learn from my elders,

thanks,

No it wouldn't.

 

[grsthegreat]

wow grsthegreat, that is some serious heating! My plug...to be honest...could be plugged into nothing, never used it. If I tried it out, would I be able to touch part of the engine to see if it felt...warmer?

Is a good rule of thumb for a noob like me that if the air goes under 20 degrees I plug her in for a couple hours before use?

thank you,

Again everybody on this site has different opinions about that. I personally have owned diesel rigs most of my adult life, and ive always plugged them in, on timers, when the temp got too low.

I hear the difference in starting a cold, non heated diesel in 20F weather as opposed to the sound of starting that same engine after 2 hours of preheat.....major difference. the heated engine doesn't sound like a dinosaur just waking up after a long sleep.


It HAS to be beneficial for the engine.

 

[Don87]

wow grsthegreat, that is some serious heating! My plug...to be honest...could be plugged into nothing, never used it. If I tried it out, would I be able to touch part of the engine to see if it felt...warmer?

Is a good rule of thumb for a noob like me that if the air goes under 20 degrees I plug her in for a couple hours before use?

thank you,

grsthegreat didn't answer this question, so I will. Yes, when it's cold outside, and you plug your block heater in, you should feel the heat on your engine after an hour or two.

 

[grsthegreat]

grsthegreat didn't answer this question, so I will. Yes, when it's cold outside, and you plug your block heater in, you should feel the heat on your engine after an hour or two.

oops, didnt see that part....sorry.

On my new glue on heaters i can feel the heat in 3 seconds.

 

[Don87]

oops, didnt see that part....sorry.

On my new glue on heaters i can feel the heat in 3 seconds.

No problem.......got ya covered:thumbsup:


I guess I should have mentioned..........with some block heaters, after just a couple seconds..........you can hear like a 'sizzling' sound. That means it's working.

Unless of course you see smoke............that could indicate a problem:laughing:

 

[moojamboo]

thank you for all your help, learned a bunch tonight, I appreciate it.

Time for more firewood in the stove, take care, remember to set the clocks back!

 

[Don87]

thank you for all your help, learned a bunch tonight, I appreciate it.

Time for more firewood in the stove, take care, remember to set the clocks back!

Your welcome, and I edited my previous post. Be sure to read it.