Diesel: cold weather starting

[jymbee]

I'd appreciate some advise from those with experience as to best methods for starting diesel engines in COLD weather.

For example, I've gotten different advice as to how to use the block heater recently installed in my tractor (Massey 1652). One person said to pretty much leave it plugged in during the cold winter months, another said just plug in a couple hours before starting and yet another said plug in at least overnight. Given I'll probably use the tractor 3 or 4 times a week leaving it plugged in all the time seems like overkill?

We also have a diesel truck (GMC pickup) and small diesel John Deere tractor (748). The built-in glow plug system seems to work pretty well for these unless it's extremely cold (near or below zero e.g.) Are there any after-market systems that I could use for these machines to pre-heat the engine to make starting easier? Not fun going out to plow with the JD in bitter cold only to find out it won't start.

Finally, are the anti gel additives effective and if so, any one brand more effective than the other?

questions, questions...

 

[Raspy]

Plugging it in for a couple of hours seems right to me. That's what I do with my Skytrak. Any more is just a waste.

For gelling you could add some kerosene or even a small amount of gasoline.

Some small things can help too, like parking inside and putting an incandescent bulb in a drop light next to
the pan and a blanket over the hood.

 

[vtsnowedin]

It all depends on what you consider cold. If it's -40 I'd leave it plugged in all night but never around the clock. I'd be careful with the droplight and blanket approach. Been there and done that. :shocked: Add a little oil or fuel on the outside of the block and when it gets warm it can drip into a carelessly placed droplight and smolder or ignite.
On the other hand my father used to take a ashpan full of hot coals and slide it under the oil pan of his 68 Ford and wait for the oil to start boiling before he would pull the pan and start the car. Always being careful to not pump the gas trying it before applying the coals.
Today with multi viscosity oils and glow plug systems we have things a whole lot better and a block heater in the worst of the winter (zero and below F) should be all any of us need.

 

[3930dave]

I'll second what's been said on timing for in-block heaters. Coupla hours shoud do it.

I use Stanadyne to treat fuel. Winter problems are the most obvious, but it use it year round, as I hang onto equipment a long time, and there are other issues with today's fuel other than gelling. Try to stay away from products containing alchohol in the diesel treatment - aside from Stanadyne, Howes and Optilube seem to be well respected. Others too are popular, I just don't know what else is alcohol free off the top of my head.

Rgds, D.

 

[dodge man]

I like Howes stuff to prevent fuel gelling. I also don't plug stuff in all the time, depending on the temp, 2 to 4 hours seems good to me.

 

[dmccarty]

For my trucks, I would use a block heater set on a timer. The timer would start warming the truck 3-4 hours before I would need to start the truck. The tractor I do not worry with because if it was really cold I was not working outside the vast majority of time. Having said that, starting the tractor with its heating circuit has worked just fine.

This is with 15Wx40 oil. Now I use a 0Wx40 oil and I do not use the block heater on the truck. A 0Wx40 or 5Wx40 oil does not need a block heater in my area.

For the tractor I use a fuel additive to prevent jelling and stabilize the fuel. In the truck, I am burning up the fuel pretty fast so I don't worry about it MOST of the time. If we are going to have a big drop in temperatures I will throw some additive in the truck to make sure the fuel does not jell.

Later,
Dan

 

[RalphVa]

We used to have a house on a lake in Vermont where we went to ski in winter. Running the block heater for an hour or 2 before you need to start up is enough. I started our old 220D one morning at -22 F.

On the older diesels (probably prior to about 2005), you needed to give them about 1/2 throttle for them to start and to keep running.

For anti-gel, best thing is to put 1/3 to 1/2 kero into the diesel. Check with your supplier. They likely are putting some in already.

The 220D started up fine that morning, but about a mile down the road it died. (Fuel gelling on the fuel filter) I let it sit for about minute, restarted and drove about another mile before it died again. I waited another minute, started and drove off. Never died after that. Mercedes put their fuel filter next to the engine block (so does VW in our present TDI). The warm block (warmed by the preheated cooling system heater before startup) melted enough wax gel to allow it to flow again after sitting only about a minute. So, if you get gelling and fuel filter isn't close to the block, heat up the fuel filter with a hair dryer or whatever (not a torch) to melt the wax gel.

Ralph

 

[oosik]

I used the wife's hair dryer & my generator (tractor died half way down mile long driveway) once. Took about 15 minuets for things to get warm and flowing again. If its really that cold outside - -10 deg F or colder - I just sit in the house, drink coffee and watch it all thru the living room window. I'm retired.

 

[Stimw]

Having started and getting started semi and other large trucks a bunch of times one thing that gets overlooked is to push the clutch in when cranking!
With the clutch out you are turning the large gears coated in very thick oil. The cluster gear takes a few Hp with that oil.
When I lived up north (YUCK) I had the lower water hose heater on a Chevy Van. It didn't draw that much current (500W IIRC) and I left it plugged in all night. What I really liked is that when I cranked it up I had defrosters right away.

 

[firemanmike69]

Ralph

It's funny you say not a torch because I have many a time used a butane or propane torch to GENTLY warm a gelled fuel filter, you have to pay attention, the goal is warm,not hot and it works like a charm

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

In NH we get some cool nights from time to time but I've also spent some winters above the 50th where it really gets cold at night, Here's what I do for winter.

1) Anti gel every tank starting in Sept until a month after last frost date. Below -20f, double dose. Bottle of anti-jell in each cab for fuel stops.
2) Spare fuel filters and Diesel 911 in every cab in case #1 fails.
3) All equipment is plugged in on a timer at night starting at zero degrees, timers are set for 3 hours before startup
4) All equipment that can start at idle is started at idle, the exception I have is an old Cummins that starts at part throttle as it has no cold start fuel circuit.
5) If anything clouds or jells the fuel, it's shut down brought inside and left overnight to warm, filters replaced if clouded and the fuel is retreated.

Your real issue at low temps is not "jelling" it's "clouding". Jelling is the fuel thickening and flowing through the system slow, so slow and thick the lift pump can't supply the secondary pump and it starves it's supply of fuel, causing the engine to shut off. Simply removing to a warm location or heating the lines with a hair dryer will solve this.
Clouding on the other hand is a more costly issue. While jelled fuel stops moving in the lines, clouded fuel flows however it is cloudy because the paraffin in solution has solidified and is able to be captured by the filters. When this reaches the filters, it gets stopped and embeds itself in the filter fibers. No amount of warming the filters will "melt" the paraffin to allow the fuel to flow, the filters have to be replaced or soaked in Diesel 911 for several hours if no replacements are available.

My 2 cents,
Tom

PS: One poster suggested cutting the Diesel with K1, this is not recommended for modern (post 1980) engines, especially any of the 1991 and later LSD/ULSD engines, This was an old trucker trick used before the availability of anti-jell additives and when on-road Diesel had more than 500PPM of sulfur.

 

[mbohuntr]

I use a Katz inline heater hose unit and a timer that I set for 1-2 hrs earlier if I have to clear snow. Some diesel 911 in every tankfull and I've never had gelling problems. Also recommend keeping the tank FULL at all times to prevent condensation and a spare fuel filter or two on the shelf just in case...

 

[compact]

1/2c power service per 20 gal, synthetic oil, interstate mega-tron battery, good connection, and a block heater, 2 hr plug in and you got about all there is to get, would get a '67 2020 going at -15f. ether can work if all else fails and you really need the machine.

 

[WilliamBos]

2 to 4 hours before, 6 on the coldest nights. the oem battery is fine. A good fuel conditioner, like howes or stanadyne and then just hut the glows before. Add a good synthetic oil, like a 5W40 and you will be fine. We have never needed more than 4.

DO NOT use ether under any circumstances!!

 

[buickanddeere]

Something way overlooked here on the 24/7 block heater vs. 2hrs on a timer.
Is it a 1500W or 300W block heater?
Large or small engine?
A battery warmer makes a huge difference.
Machine parked inside or outside in blizzard winds?
Is the machine used at a regular time or at random short notice?
Glad somebody asked how cold is cold?
Then there are those who will only use a block heater if the engine won't otherwise start. Even if the machine would start without pre-heating. Reduction of electrical system wear. Reduced cold start wear. Lower fuel comsumption from shorter warmup time and improved engine efficiency when warm.

 

[WilliamBos]

Something way overlooked here on the 24/7 block heater vs. 2hrs on a timer. Is it a 1500W or 300W block heater? Large or small engine? A battery warmer makes a huge difference. Machine parked inside or outside in blizzard winds? Is the machine used at a regular time or at random short notice? Glad somebody asked how cold is cold? Then there are those who will only use a block heater if the engine won't otherwise start. Even if the machine would start without pre-heating. Reduction of electrical system wear. Reduced cold start wear. Lower fuel comsumption from shorter warmup time and improved engine efficiency when warm.

Cold is determined by location, which I cant see from mobil. My definition of cold is -40 or colder.

These new block heaters draw quite a bit, warm them up fairly quick.

Diesels don't warm up without being under load, after a certain amount of warm up time, as per manufacturers recommendations, put it to work. They will warm up rapidly.

 

[Pete Judd]

I lived in Fairbanks AK a lot of years ago, and had a diesel rabit, but when it got cold, the gas station had #1 diesel not #2. A 600 watt block heater worked well, as I would get up in the morning , flip the breaker then make coffee and breakfast, and by the the time I had to go to work it would be good to go up to -45. Lower the Ice fog made it better to take the bus. I recall that the buses let the engines run 24 hrs a day when it got real cold but some times in to the -high 50s.

 

[WilliamBos]

I lived in Fairbanks AK a lot of years ago, and had a diesel rabit, but when it got cold, the gas station had #1 diesel not #2. A 600 watt block heater worked well, as I would get up in the morning , flip the breaker then make coffee and breakfast, and by the the time I had to go to work it would be good to go up to -45. Lower the Ice fog made it better to take the bus. I recall that the buses let the engines run 24 hrs a day when it got real cold but some times in to the -high 50s.

Remember the sticker on the dash, cutting the diesel with gas in the winter? A genious idea.

 

[RalphVa]

NEVER put gasoline into diesel. It'll create a possible explosive atmosphere above the fuel in the tank.

Ralph

 

[WilliamBos]

NEVER put gasoline into diesel. It'll create a possible explosive atmosphere above the fuel in the tank. Ralph

VW called for that in the older vw diesel, 20-30% during the winter months.