Starting Your Kubota in Cold Weather

[bdhsfz6]

This recent cold spell here in the northeast has convinced me to add block heaters on both my tractors. The question now becomes what type to use? The OEM and many aftermarket block heaters require the removal of an expansion or freeze out plug in the block. From what I can see on my tractors, these plugged block openings are not threaded, yet the heaters are built into a 3/4" NPT or 1" NPT threaded plug?? The instructions say to just screw them in??

There are a number of disaster stories around about the installation of this type of heater. Would an inline radiator hose model be a better choice? I have a magnetic block heater but the only place to install it is on the side or bottom of the oil pan. I don't get very good contact and a lot of heat is wasted. This also requires removing and re installing it before and after using the tractor. This is a headache for me due to the limited space in my barn.

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experience!

 

[RoyJackson]

This recent cold spell here in the northeast has convinced me to add block heaters on both my tractors. The question now becomes what type to use? The OEM and many aftermarket block heaters require the removal of an expansion or freeze out plug in the block. From what I can see on my tractors, these plugged block openings are not threaded, yet the heaters are built into a 3/4" NPT or 1" NPT threaded plug?? The instructions say to just screw them in??

There are a number of disaster stories around about the installation of this type of heater. Would an inline radiator hose model be a better choice? I have a magnetic block heater but the only place to install it is on the side or bottom of the oil pan. I don't get very good contact and a lot of heat is wasted. This also requires removing and re installing it before and after using the tractor. This is a headache for me due to the limited space in my barn.

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experience!

It may cost a bit more, but I recommend you pick up the factory block heater which should come with instructions for your model Kubota. You may have to drain some coolant to install the heater...your dealer will be your best guide.

Even when I lived in south central PA (York area), it got cold enough where the block heater was an advantage. Although others disagree with me, in Vermont, it's a necessity (IMHO) for the longevity of my tractor

 

[diesel85]

My BX2200 always starts first time when following the recommended glow plug timing. I've started it in -30F before, no block heaters in an unheated barn, and fires right up. Having a good battery is a must to get the plugs glowing hot, and to still have enough CCA to crank a cold engine. Glow plugs drain a significant amount of energy from a cold battery, and then you still need to crank it. So it puts a lot of stress on a battery that is connected to a diesel.

If you don't have access to electricity out in the field, I highly recommend getting a solar panel and hook it to the battery to help keep the battery charged. They make specialty solar panel kits for this application. A good one has a charge controller that continuously analyses the battery state of charge and will also assist in desulfating the battery with a ripple current. This is basically a solar battery tender.

On all my vehicles and tractors I've got battery tenders built in (https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200438116_200438116) and they have helped keep batteries going 10+ years. Plus it's nice if the battery does go south, all I need is a 120v AC, and I can plug it in and wait a few or use if there is no AC, I use my jump pack. I like it in my truck, because I got an inverter and my HAM radios and if I use them a lot, I can just bring the truck back to the garage and charge the battery back up, knowing it will be fully charged when I need it again. For the most part, I just keep them all plugged in all year around and forget about it. I figured the cost in based on my electric bill, and it's only costing me around $10 to have them all going per year. So cost is trivial.

 

[joesco]

My BX2230 is in my unheated shop. I just installed a block heater with the help of members on this forum. My dealer said my engine model required a hose coolant heater, hogwash! Bought it from Messicks. The block heater took 15 minutes to install. I also have my battery connected to a Noco Battery Tender.

In NH, I've always used block Heaters in my diesels. With the BX2230, I plug it in for 2 hours and it starts without any glow plug intervention.

Extends the life of any diesel 5 fold in my opinion in the Northern climates!

 

[joesco]

Do forget to treat your fuel. I use PRI-D.

 

[RoyJackson]

Do forget to treat your fuel. I use PRI-D.

I use Power Service white bottle...drops the gell point to about minus 20.
To each their own, of course...but IMHO, anything that makes it easier to start an engine is worthwhile.

 

[RjCorazza]

...The OEM and many aftermarket block heaters require the removal of an expansion or freeze out plug in the block. From what I can see on my tractors, these plugged block openings are not threaded, yet the heaters are built into a 3/4" NPT or 1" NPT threaded plug?? The instructions say to just screw them in??
<snip>

The Kubota block heater for my L4060 has a threaded element that goes into a bushing that is pounded into the block opening. I’ve done several freeze plug heater installs, and they were all a breeze until the L4060. Got it done, but the freeze plug was very tight. I had punched 3-4 holes around the edge before I was able to pry it out, but when it did come out it practically fell out while prying.

 

[Grouse09]

On my 2016 B2650 HSDC, if the block heater is plugged in for more than 2.5 hours (ambient temp in the teens in my shop), when I turn the key on click to the right, the dashboard will read “1”. This tells me the engine is warm. It takes 2.5 hours on the block heater to get this reading. So, that is what I plan on before blowing snow.

 

[crazyal]

I rarely use my block heater. The tractor sits in the unheated garage and often I come home from work late and just want to remove the snow. If I do plug it in after about a half hour it's warm enough so the glow plugs come for a few seconds. It helps using the heater but I have plenty of equipment that don't have heaters (one uses a factory installed either injector) and they do just fine. I do use synthetic oil in the engine, it's only a few bucks more so why not.

 

[check]

Re: Too cold to start
The block heater is part of the problem unless you have the latest model tractor.

The glow plug timer looks at the coolant temp and determines if the GP's are needed. Block warm, little to no GP time.

When the engine starts inhaling -20 to -40 cold air it wont fire.

There is a trick to bypass the GP timer. On my M7040, it is to put the shuttle lever in forward and turn the key to start. Count to about 10. Shuttle back to neutral and start the engine. The glow plugs have been on while the shuttle is in forward and the key in start.

Engine fires immediately.

The latest engines with all the emission stuff, have a programming change when the dealer installs a block heater. The computer is told to look at another sensor not influenced by block temp to determine how long to turn on the GP's.

Owner's who install a block heater on their own don't know of the programming change and continue to have starting problems.

All models have their GP manual operation tricks. When you drive by a dealer's lot on a very cold snowy day they get all there tractors stsrted. The bypass trick is how they do it.


Dave M7040

Is this true on my 2009 BX25? I can hold the key in the GP position for a while before starting, but is the timer bypassing me? Seems strange. It is -30 Celsius out there right now.