2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 40 Below Zero!

[DWeiler]

Thanks for the info,down to -22 for tonight(-30 with the wind,but the truck is inside for now),Banff hit -30 last night,i have most of what you suggested---no high idle,the brake puts a good load on the engine---400+pre at idle.

 

[Woodenhead]

The high idle setup is easy to install and only cost me about 30 bucks. Even easier yet is the bar Genos Garage sells that goes against your steering wheel and adjusts to push on the skinny pedal. The high idle helps a lot for heat but also to keep up the oil pressure during extended idle periods. I was up near Lodge Pole through Sept, Oct and Nov one year, what a blast .



Mike

 

[T Smith]

Thanks for all the help...



He has his gas rigs set up like Steve Whalen's, but is new to diesel pickups and was wondering if there was anything different. I'll have to see if he has an exhaust brake, that would be helpful. Also, I know he uses the manual high idle option (custom cut piece of wood) for the gas rigs, so that won't be anything new there!



If a guy was interested in the Espar unit, which one is suggested? D4 or D5? Where's the best place to purchase?



Thanks again for the help.



T Smith

 

[swhalen]

Hi TSmith:

you have alot of good advice here. i have a couple of additional comments to expand upon my original response: JR2 recommends a heater pad on the transmission. i had one on a couple of my my rigs, but did not use it. 5 potential connections for my 4 recepticle junction box... . two battery blankets, block heater, heater pad for transmission and oil pan. i found that i opted to pass on plugging in the transmission pad. i have owned 22 vehicles and only one auto transmission (ford pinto nonetheless... took three weeks to come to grips with my foolishness and unloaded it). i felt that my manual trannys could get by w/out the heat. on the other hand, if i owned an auto, i would probably use the transmission pad and skip one battery blanket. it is no coincidence that auto trannys lose reverse in fbks... . first gear folks use after a cold start! ToolManTimTaylor recommends no idle. i fully concur. my strategy with gassers was to stumble outside, start it up, go back inside and have a cup of coffee. by then, everything inside the rig was toasty and some of the engine heat had conducted to the transmission. not so with a diesel. i would bundle up, coffee in hand, head outside, fire up my diesels, wait 30 seconds for the oil to flow and drive away. that's the best thing you can do. it is quite popular in fbks to idle away in the parking lot while shopping. no problem for a gasser, deadly for your diesel. the mass of your block is sufficient to retain plenty of heat to facilitate the next start at the shopping center. enough of my rambling. guess i just miss life on the "last frontier"! best, steve whalen

 

[KennethS]

Back In the old days this Is what we use to do

We use to drain the oil out of the airplanes and keep It warm Inside and when we were ready to fly we would poor the warm oil back In the airplane and start. Back then had no choice because the oil would get to thick. What others ways were there to get started. Building a fire under was to risky. I was In second grade In a one room school and the teacher had no heater In his 41 Willys. He would take a number 10 can and put some ashes In the bottom,then put hot coals In on top of the ashes and have a student take that out and set the can on the floor board of his car to warm It up. Guess what, your right burnet that Willys up, when the student slam the door the force upset the can over and spilled the hot coals on the floor. The teacher had to walk to school with the students the reest of the year. They did not make much money back then. The year was 1946 0hr 47 not sure. Back then we did not have much as we do today. Was luck to have a truck and If It had a heater WOW that was great.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Got to love them mules.



I used to have a picture of a team pulling out a stuck tractor up at Schaffer Meadows in MT's Great Bear Wilderness (before the Great Bear).

 

[Dl5treez]

Try to send a PM to member WDaniels... .





Warren has more heated blankets/insulating diapers on his truck than a 92 year old eskimo stuck out on the ice with a bladder control problem. I think he parks in an igloo overnight--that might help the situation.



But seriously, I know he's posted some stuff before about what he's done to help cold weather starting & driveability.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Yes VERY important! Do NOT Idle the truck to warm it up , or at the store etc ... The cylinder temps drop off to about 160 if left idle for say 5 minutes or so. This can lead to (Altho not proven ... yet) Cylinder washdown but more importantly WILL cause varnish deposits to build up on exhaust valves which if left to accumulate too long can cause valves to hang causing a power loss and rough run condition.



The reason is that the injection pump at idle is set to inject enough fuel to maintain a 800rpm idle. With a diesel there is not any restriction like throttle plates to make the engine work against itself to generate heat. For a direct injection diesel engine you must put a load against the engine to create heat. I. E Exhaust brake or PTO driven accessory or just plain drive it.



With my Exhaust brake on at idle I can maintain 450-600 all day long (Depending on outside temps. ) And do not run the truck with the heater plugged in as the imersion heater can break from being hot and vibrating in the current flow of the coolant.

My EGT are about 280-ish after warmed up, motor's automatic highidle at 1000rpm, heat at the middle temp with the fan on slow and circulation on re-cycle. This will stay true down to 10degrees. This is with straight piped exhaust. EDIT -- Water temps stay at 180-190. And I'm not SURE about less then 10degrees, I did nto have an EGT last winter. but when she did idle in 0degrees out like this STOCK, water temps sayed up.



This isn't that close to 160, but sure the heck isn't 400.



I have left my foot on things at ~1300rpm for a while and EGT get up to 320. I have no winter fronts yet, not Exhaust break. I will get a winter front ASAP, kinda tired of the 20 minute sub 55mph time it takes to get up to full temp.



My main question here is, for us cheappies that don't have $1300 for an exhaust break, is there something one could install down the line of the exhaust, say, near the tail pipe, in the bend over the axel. Have an electronic switch, or just lever that will acutate a butterfly valve to put a restriction on the exhaust to keep these temps up?