Warm Weather compared to Cold Weather

[Tony T.]

As I have read here on different threads about cold weather start up with allowing the oil pressure to come up an then ease the truck on it's way slowly, keeping RPM below 2K to allow or give time for the water temp to rise before you put some serious throttle to it. I usually in cold & warm weather do this, but watch my volt meter to kick over to the 14. 2 mark to finish cycling the grid heaters (1 1/2 minutes to cycle) in cold weather before leaving the driveway an proceed about 1 1/2 mile before I have to get on the highway. Water temps don't really start climbing until I'm two or three miles down the road in winter. Ok this is what I'm wondering about, I have a hill to pull after the 1 1/2 mile slow drive, an have to give it some throttle to pull the hill right, an of course the speed limit changes from about 40 to 60 at the start of the hill an traffic is right on your a$$. If I remain OD off pulling the hill well the RPM's are well over 2K an with OD on I still have to give it some juice to pull the hill, but with the OD on it will shift about half way up the hill an drop to about 1300 RPM giving me the feeling I'm really lugging the engine. I have almost the same scenario when leaving the work place, having to pull a hill, traffic on your a$$. Now I'm not talking anything like the Rockie Mountians, but still a hill. I have the same concern in the summer months, do you need the water temp to come up before you give it some throttle, not WOT, but some to pull the hills even though the RPM is say around 2200 RPM. I've almost confused myself on this one trying to explain, LOL. It would seem, or be nice if it would hold third gear a little longer at times. Normally when I'm driving in town I keep the OD off, and only try to use it when on the highway. These all unloaded times since here lately have not been able to tow. Either way I get the feeling I'm not doing the engine any good OD off or OD on. Sometimes I hit it lucky, but have to speed over the 40 mph limit to shift into OD to make the hill an keep RPM's below 2K , but theres usually always some cop lurking an waiting for you to exceed that limit. Moving from present location is not a option LOL. What do you think

 

[ndurbin]

My water temp wont move in the winter. I usually give in a pretty decent warm up time (5 min or so) then a 30 min drive (to school last year) and then idling for about another 10 min. it would just start to move before shutdown. I added a make shift radiator cover (a peice of cardboard) about mid-way through the winter and that helped alot on getting the water temp to rise.



Now in the summer it hangs between 160-190 almost from the instant I start the truck.



I wouldn't worry to much in the summers months pulling the hill but in the winter I'd pull it with the OD off.



Just my . 02

Nathan

 

[Tony T.]

Nathan, have you checked to see if maybe your thermostat might be stuck open. I know it does'nt get as cold here as up north, but with the temps even in the 20's here, in about three miles down the road I'm getting heat. The needle on temp gauge will be sitting just a hair past the 2 mark (estimating maybe 160*F to 170*F) on the 200 center mark of the gauge with my 10 mile trip when I arrive at the parking lot an plenty heated up in the cab by then. I use no winter front.





Tony

 

[ezcurra]

If your thermostat is working properly, you don't need to cover your radiator.

 

[rbattelle]

It's funny this should come up now. Just yesterday I was driving past the local fire department when they got an alarm and went screaming out of the fire house and up the street. This was just the ambulance and the rescue truck, both Ford 7. 3's. These guys just fired them up and hit the gas. No waiting, no warmup time, nothing. I don't think fire departments have particularly increased engine failure rates from this abuse.



I'm not saying you shouldn't drive careful until the engine temp comes up, but at the same time don't worry too much. Any chance altering your ride to work? I drive about 10 miles out of my way to work every morning just to give the engine lots of warmup time before I get on the highway.

 

[JJW_ND]

Big difference between 12V and 24V+ Temp

When temps don't get above -10 F and I don't leave the city (cruise at 70 mph+ for more then a few miles), my temp gauge just gets above 140. The engine oil temp stays below 175. This is with a very good working T-Stat, radiator 85% blocked and the engine fan completely removed. I still get heat from the HVAC system and I don't blow white smoke but the engine will not make alot of cooant heat on the gauge cruising around town at those temps.



Even hitting the Interstate takes 20+ miles of 70 mph to get engine oil temps over 175 and coolant the stablize at around 170 (guessing on temp... hard to guess on number).



In fact, I have not put my engine fan on yet this summer.



IMHO, once you have stable oil preasure, and a little heat from the vents, I would not worry about using the motor. Keeping RPMS low keeps boost low even if you put your foot into it. Stock engines run pretty conservative.



jjw

ND

 

[Tony T.]

I guess the 2K RPM limit from reading past post has always stuck in my mind to try not to exceed it until water temp needle moves. Point taken well Ryan on the EMS running WOT an there again thinking about it no telling how long there sitting there idling at a emergency call. 9 times out of 10 my temps are up to normal operating temps by the time I pull into work place parking lot if the outside temps are'nt real cold, but on the really cold morning's to us that is 20's I will detour a ways through town running OD off to help get those temps up to normal operating before total shutdown.



JJW: thanks for your reply on the IMHO.



Tony

 

[WDaniels]

With your tempatures in Texas I wouldn't worry about hurting your engine. If the engine doesn't miss at about 1500 to 1700 rpm when cold, it's fine. Just give your turbo a couple to get heat soaked before you WOT. If you were getting down to -10 or -20 ambiant temps, then worry about it. Seriously doubt that it gets that cold in Texas.

WD