Block heaters

[Duke]

My DT has now started in single digit temps, with no starting aid at all. She was a little smokey & rompy but started like a champ.

With that in mind, would I do myself any better by having a block heater? Would my DT be less tempermental when she does turn over after being plugged in? My 7.3's seem to be happier when plugged in before a cold start.

I have one a Zerostart heater on my bench, and have contemplated pulling the anti-freeze and a freeze plug and throwing it in, but it almost seems unecessary.

Maybe I shoul do the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing?

 

[Truckie]

How new is the DT? I think I may just say the hell with it if it has been starting, just make sure you use a good anti jell to treat the fuel. Once started just let it warm up before you start gauging on it. I got a 2000 Mack with E7 460 with a block heater that don't work, and it is a cold blooded bit@h to start when the temps are in the single digits. It got 363,780 miles on it and 11,700 hours. On Monday I had one hell of a time getting it started, once it did fire it fired on 2 cylinders for about 40 seconds than finally smoothed out. I got to get the block heater replaced.
If you don't do the heater in stall and cant get it to start and you don't want to use starting fluid on it you can use a Benz o matic torch to heat the air going in to the intake while you are cranking on it to get it to start, Iv done this before and it worked well. Just remember to remove the air filter first, or it could get a little messy.


Mike

 

[Duke]

The DT is a mechanical '92 DT466 with 73,000 on it. Can't believe it starts this well with no starting aid.

That's all I've been doing....treating the fuel with Power Service winter treatment

 

[dondiesel444]

dt466's are awsome cold starting engines. my Int'l 4900 was a 1991 mechanical with 230,000 miles on it. when in the single digits, it would start un-assisted, it didn't even have a block heater. I just held it to the floor and cranked, it would fire right up, then just keep the RPM's up until it ran on it's own and warmed up a bit. only few times when it was below zero did I have to give it a shot of ether. the dt466 started better than the Powerstroke in my F-250

now the Mack is more cold blooded. it takes a lot longer for it to run on all 6 cylinders, and it smokes a lot until it warms up. but the Mack has 350,000 miles (10,000 hours) so I wouldn't expect it start right up in the single digits.

 

[Duke]

I'm gonna try theis "Howe's Lubricant" stuff. IH dealer highly recommends it.

 

[dondiesel444]

hmm, I've never heard of it, is it an oil additive? or fuel additive?

 

[Duke]

It's a Fuel additive. One gallon treats like 750 gallons of fuel.

 

[PackRat]

Howes is good stuff. We use it in all our rigs, that don't have tank heaters. No jell ups so far this winter, and we had guys running up into MN, and PA, when the big storm was on.

The boss swears by it.

I just got 6 more cases in stock, the first of the week.


On the thread, though. One of our owner operators has a Cat 3406B, and it starts like crap, even as high as 50. Starts every time, but rattles, smokes, misses, and shakes, until it gets some heat built. All the while blowing white smoke, like a steam engine.

 

[dondiesel444]

my Dad has two 3406b's, they both start like that. the one he had in-framed less than 30,000 miles ago and it carries on when started cold and blows lotsa white smoke. the engine is real tight, so it's just the way those engines are I guess. the other one blows some black smoke b/c it's turned up that truck has some power, I wonder what hp it's really pushing, I'd say close to 500, it's in a Volvo daycab tractor!!