7.3 IDI intake heater...this weekends project

[FarmerFrank]

I might try to put it right in the intake since I'm rebuilding one right now. Maybe between the turbo and intake

 

[FarmerFrank]

I got a blown up 354 Perkins with that heater, could probably tie it into my fuel filter head for a supply. The wheels are turning now!

 

[86SCLB]

Your in PA i didnt know it got that cold there haha

 

[FarmerFrank]

Well there ain't no temperature right now. And I just like the idea of it

 

[Michael Fowler]

Perkins uses an intake heater that blows a small flame to warm up the intake. I thought about one of these until I seen how much oil and crap is inside my intake... Probably wouldn't be the best idea.

My grandfather was an equipment operator in the strip mines most of his life and I remember him telling me in the winter they would let corn cobs soak in diesel all night. Come morning he would shove one in the intake and light it on fire. About the time you got the pony motor running the cob would almost be out so you started to turn over the big engine and it would suck in the smoke. Then the beast would come alive.

The cob would get that big intake warm enough to start those old brutes. Always found that neat

That brings back a memory!
About 40 years ago I was running a soil drilling operation. We shared a storage yard with a Excavation contracting company. They had some old Cat 621 pans with pony motors. One really cold morning, I was working on my rig, and watched the mechanics go to one cantankerous old 621, fill a drain pan with diesel, light it on fire and shove it under the oil pan of the cat. Then they went and drank coffee. They repeated this, and then fired up the pony, and had it running real good. But when they engaged it to crank over the Cat engine, it immediately died. They repeated the entire sequence all morning. It finally caught and ran about noon. They let it run another 3 hours before driving it into the (heated) shop to sit overnight so they could work on it the next day. I can still hear the pony motor running wide open, and quickly stalling as it tried to crank over that Cat with all that old, thick, COLD oil.

 

[chris142]

That brings back a memory!
About 40 years ago I was running a soil drilling operation. We shared a storage yard with a Excavation contracting company. They had some old Cat 621 pans with pony motors. One really cold morning, I was working on my rig, and watched the mechanics go to one cantankerous old 621, fill a drain pan with diesel, light it on fire and shove it under the oil pan of the cat. Then they went and drank coffee. They repeated this, and then fired up the pony, and had it running real good. But when they engaged it to crank over the Cat engine, it immediately died. They repeated the entire sequence all morning. It finally caught and ran about noon. They let it run another 3 hours before driving it into the (heated) shop to sit overnight so they could work on it the next day. I can still hear the pony motor running wide open, and quickly stalling as it tried to crank over that Cat with all that old, thick, COLD oil.

prolly had sae40 in it!

 

[War Wagon]

Very cool. I was really interested in how it would actually perform. That's good to hear that it works well.

 

[Black dawg]

Have you got to try this out much more?
My trucks wont start in temps warmer than that, with a glow plug for each cylinder AND and intake heater.

 

[FarmerFrank]

Have you got to try this out much more?
My trucks wont start in temps warmer than that, with a glow plug for each cylinder AND and intake heater.

Sounds like a worn out IP....

 

[Black dawg]

Sounds like a worn out IP....

so you are telling me that these trucks are supposed to start good in sub zero F degree temps?

 

[6.9poweredscout]

My 7.3 fires up not plugged in when it sits for days in -4 F weather.... might spin twice before it catches.

 

[jhenegh]

Put it all together this morning, -36c with no wind and the truck hadn't been plugged all night. I cycled the intake heater for 15 seconds and turned the key and pressed the starter button right away so the glows didn't have time to cycle and the truck fired up in 3 cranks....id say that is a huge success!!

We need a control for this little experiment. Gotta be able to measure the improvement (at least prove it to those of us that don't drive this truck daily).

Does this truck normally start well with just the glow plugs?

Will it start without the glow plugs?

 

[FarmerFrank]

so you are telling me that these trucks are supposed to start good in sub zero F degree temps?

My bad, You said warmer than that and i was assuming that you meant it starts better in the cold than it does in the warm telling me the IP head would be worn out... But you know what they say when you assume.

 

[Black dawg]

My bad, You said warmer than that and i was assuming that you meant it starts better in the cold than it does in the warm telling me the IP head would be worn out... But you know what they say when you assume.

no worries, my wording wasnt very clear.

 

[TWeatherford]

I'd love to see a video of an IDI, or any diesel for that matter, fire up in a few revolutions at -36C (-32F), after sitting overnight with no block heater.