Engine heaters...wondering..

MTboatguy

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Well, went out to start the plow truck this morning and found out the block heater is bad, no start! it was cold last night, below 0, so I am wondering, any of you guys ever used the water circulating heaters on your diesels? I am thinking about putting one of these in the system instead of trying to worm that old one out of the block, not something I want to be doing in the cold with snow on the ground? I think I am also going to add a couple of battery blankets as well.
 

Scott Danforth

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we used to install lots of block heaters on diesels when I worked at Cummins, as well as prior lives when I was designing equipment.

which brand are you looking at? we used to use the Zero Start heater for AC powered applications and Espar for the diesel fired heaters.
 

MTboatguy

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Scott, I am looking at the Zero Start inline system that goes in the heater hose and circulates the water. As to the battery blankets, those are very easy to find and they all do the same thing, so will pick a couple of them up off ebay.
 
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Scott Danforth

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I would also get a zero start oil pan heater. it is held to the oil pan with double sided tape.

until you get it installed, take a 60 watt incandescent trouble light and put it under your hood next to the block.
 

rbh

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MT, double check it is the block heater and not the cord thats gone bad, I have had more cords that have been pulled off the block heater or the connections or the wire itself thats gone bad/rotted.

My self if I was working back in the cold prairies during winter I would install block heaters on both sides of the motor, battery warmers are nice but its the strength of your batteries thats going to get you through a winter.

All glow plugs are good?

Under -20 Cover 1/2-1/3 of your rad with cardboard to make heat (slide it right in front)

And a 110vac cube heater in the cab to warm it up while the engine warm up is also good

Fill the fuel tank with winter fuel before it gets to cold so the fuel does'nt freeze, and a few shots of conditioner helps up the cetain level as well as lubes the injector pumps O-rings
 

MTboatguy

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rbh, the glow plugs were replaced this summer when I redid the fuel lines, I normally do the cardboard thing right at the end of summer. One thing I did forget to do is the cetane and the fuel that is in the rig, was put in a year ago in October, there is about a 1/2 tank of that left then I have 10 gallons that I just purchased last month, so it should be winter blend. There are a couple of farm stores around here that should start selling red diesel winter blend anytime, so that is what I will pick up when available as this truck is not driven on the county roads, I am not subject to the fuel taxes. Like I said, was wondering if anyone was using the water circulating heaters, seems that would be a good idea to keep the coolant warm and moving a bit when it gets like this.

One thing with this truck, it is difficult to know how much fuel is really in it, the gauge works, but it is a Centurion conversion and has the flatbed on it, so they put a 35 gallon cube tank on the underside of the drivers side and I just found out, that tank is plumbed into the factory front rail tank, so if that is the case, those two tanks could be up to almost 60 gallons of fuel, then you have the rear tank, which I never put fuel in and have blocked the line as it has a couple of pin holes in it, so don't use it.
 
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rbh

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As for the circulating heater, never used one on a diesel but had them on 351W and straight six 300s.
They are OK for heating at lower temps, but do not have enough heat to open the thermostat, the blocks coolant is warm+-but the coolant in the rad is cold so when you do start it up its great till the thermostat opens and then it cools the block down.
 

MTboatguy

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Well I just tried to start it again, double checked the batteries with the load tester and still won't turn over fast enough to get her running? Batt's test out good, they are only a year old!, Looks like I am going to have to crawl under it and figure out what is going on with the block heater, drat! Just too darn cold, should not be this cold this early in the season!
 
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Limited-Time

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Short term to get her to fire, you can point a torpedo heater at/under front of the truck. It will warm the engine enough to fire.
 

rbh

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The other trick (This one you really have to watch) 2 straight chunks of stove pipe with a 90 degree at the engine end, put a tiger torch into the straight pie and point the 90 degree at the oil pan.

It works fast so watch it does not ignite/melt anything, tiger torch no more than 50% or less!!!
 

MTboatguy

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The other trick (This one you really have to watch) 2 straight chunks of stove pipe with a 90 degree at the engine end, put a tiger torch into the straight pie and point the 90 degree at the oil pan.

It works fast so watch it does not ignite/melt anything, tiger torch no more than 50% or less!!!

Actually, I think a trip to the local membership warehouse is going to be in order, as I said, batteries showed as charge by the little green eyes in them, but today, I put the charger on the drivers side battery, which is the closet to the starter, left it there for an hour, jumped in, pushed the manual glow plug switch, two pumps on the fuel peddle, and whamo, fired right up! I did pick up a convection circulating heater, but after looking at this thing, it is going to be a real bear to install, especially while it is cold and the snow is on the ground! you have to put it at the lowest level possible and then splice into the heater hose. Their instructions say, pull the radiator drain plug, install the hose adapter, then run the hose from the top into the heat hose. I can't even get to the bottom of the radiator, due to the plow mounting system!
 

rbh

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^^^^
At least batteries are an easy fix, mind you expensive.
I wonder if the other batteries had froze up at all?, take them inside till they get to room temp and attempt a full charge. If these are an open cell?? type make sure the cells are topped with electralite/mineral free water.

Did you get a chance to test the block heater and the block heaters cord? or just to dang cold to be crawling under a truck right now.
 
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