getting cold.... Brrrr

[jimraelee]

your truck should start with out to much of a issue at 20* if not theres something wrong.

Well it was 30 this morning even after the rain to help warm things up... no issues...

I on the other hand dont use the block heater, cause I dont want to run the risk of cracking my block.

Why would the factory installed/designed unit crack your block???

 

[fordf550e]

7 degrees this morning popped off no problem w/o the block heater

T

 

[82F100SWB]

-9 this morning when I went to start the old girl... Forgot to plug it in last night, still have 15W40 in there... If the starter had of been able to spin it just a hair fater, it would have went... 0W40 goes in tonite...

 

[Agnem]

Well it was 30 this morning even after the rain to help warm things up... no issues...
Why would the factory installed/designed unit crack your block???

Some early 6.9's were known to have a thin casting in the area of the block heater, and for some reason some of them would crack. There was never any real ryme or reason to it. My model A was one of the early ones and I used the block heater for years before I learned of this issue, and it never cracked. Some folks swear by some serial number range, but I figure if it's a 6.9, I'll just err on the side of caution and heat it up some other way.

 

[jimraelee]

so 7.3 in the 91 year should be ok???

 

[82fordtruck]

I never had trouble starting mine - I rarely plugged it in either after I did glow plugs. The lowest I ever had was -26F and it cranked a few seconds before firing. That was without timing advance or high idle, before I fixed that.

 

[Diesel JD]

I've started mine without the block heater even down to the low 20s, and that was with timing waay too far advanced and some other nagging issues. I've used the block heater in my 86...no problems so far. If it was an A model I don't think I would do it.