Home Starting to use the truck more for winter work - hauling cord wood, pulling trees , gravel etc. Getting bit chilly up here in Maine so I have been thinking about installing block heaters or coolant circulation heaters.
Just started to mull this over, so I haven't even looked for freeze plugs or anything else. In fact I still need to rehook the cab heater back up. It seems that winter arrived earlier this year then most.
Curious if anyone has had any luck or thoughts in this matter.
Thanks
Jim Jefferson
1954 M37
www.knockabouttoys.com
Thoughts on Block Heater / Coolant Heater
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jjefferson
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Here are a few thoughts on the matter from my perspective, anyway:
(1) The biggest problems with cold weather starting difficulties are cold, stiff oil, cold batteries, and fuel being harder to atomize in cold air.
(1) Coolant heaters are great for faster warmups once the engine starts, but do little to help with the items mentioned above.
(2) Block heaters keep the whole engine, including the carb, a little warmer. This helps a lot, but they don't do much for the battery or the oil in the bottom of the pan at all.
(3) Electrically heated dipsticks are available (or used to be) and do a good job of keeping the oil warm overnight, but they don't help with batteries or fuel.
Back in my younger and poorer days, I didn't have a garage, so my cars had to sit outside in all kinds of weather. I used to use an electric dipstick in my old air-cooled Volkswagens with good results. On really cold nights, though, I'd supplement it with a heating pad (set on medium) around the battery and a trouble-light with a 100-watt bulb hanging over the carb. It would start easily, even at 25 below.
How about it, guys? Any more ideas?
(1) The biggest problems with cold weather starting difficulties are cold, stiff oil, cold batteries, and fuel being harder to atomize in cold air.
(1) Coolant heaters are great for faster warmups once the engine starts, but do little to help with the items mentioned above.
(2) Block heaters keep the whole engine, including the carb, a little warmer. This helps a lot, but they don't do much for the battery or the oil in the bottom of the pan at all.
(3) Electrically heated dipsticks are available (or used to be) and do a good job of keeping the oil warm overnight, but they don't help with batteries or fuel.
Back in my younger and poorer days, I didn't have a garage, so my cars had to sit outside in all kinds of weather. I used to use an electric dipstick in my old air-cooled Volkswagens with good results. On really cold nights, though, I'd supplement it with a heating pad (set on medium) around the battery and a trouble-light with a 100-watt bulb hanging over the carb. It would start easily, even at 25 below.
How about it, guys? Any more ideas?
"PER ARDUA AD ITER"
For the really cold days I've always liked the tank heaters,I'm not sure they make them anymore though. I've got a garage now to put them in so haven,t really kept up on them. A frost plug heater doesn,t circulate the water like a tank heater. Either one certainly helps. Also a fuel oil turbo or torpedo heater pointed under the truck for a short time really helps too. A pan of hot coals has also been used ,but that is a desperation measure and a bit dangerous,especially if there are any leakage of petroleum products.
DJ
DJ
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MSeriesRebuild
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I agree with the tank heater explanation also, they circulate the coolant & always did a better job for us. I have 6 tank heater kits new in the box available for $50 each plus shipping if you may be interested.
Charles Talbert
www.mseriesrebuild.com
www.mseriesrebuild.com
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Nickathome
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tank heater?
What is a tank heater? I've never heard of this before. Is this a device for extremely cold areas? If so that would explain why I have never neard of one because here in S.E Pa it never goes below 0 degrees in winter. Came close a few times ( I remember Mr. Therometer reading 2 above once or twice) ......
While I am a southern boy and am in GA where it is in the 50s at the moment, for the batteries (and perhaps ergonomics) maybe stick one of those little space heaters (electric ones, the little boxes) on low in the cab? It would help keep the batteries warm and the cab warm too.
'62 M37B1- It runs AND stops!
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Tom @ Snake River
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Ken, Ken, Ken, 50 degrees is a good day here in the summer. 
An average morning when we wake up here by Yellowstone Park is 10 degrees below zero. And usually hits 30 below sometime during the winter.
Working on getting a block heater and cab heater into out newly aquired M-819 wrecker.
I am going to put a Mutt heater in the cab, they put out a lot of heat, not worried about ducts.
Of course the discussion is gas, a block or tank heater along with warm batteries makes the differance. Tom
An average morning when we wake up here by Yellowstone Park is 10 degrees below zero. And usually hits 30 below sometime during the winter.Working on getting a block heater and cab heater into out newly aquired M-819 wrecker.
I am going to put a Mutt heater in the cab, they put out a lot of heat, not worried about ducts.
Of course the discussion is gas, a block or tank heater along with warm batteries makes the differance. Tom
www.snakeriver4x4.com
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I have used the magnet style oil pan heaters with good results. Here 0F is common in the winter. We get -30 at least a few times every winter.
The good thing about these heaters is they require no installation, they are stuck to the oil pan by a magnet.
Local auto parts sell them for around 20 bucks. Not as good as a tank heater but quick and cheap and simple to use and do work fairly well.
for what it's worth.
Joe
The good thing about these heaters is they require no installation, they are stuck to the oil pan by a magnet.
Local auto parts sell them for around 20 bucks. Not as good as a tank heater but quick and cheap and simple to use and do work fairly well.
for what it's worth.
Joe
Tank Heater?
Charles - do you have any tank heaters left? Also, wanted to see if you had an installation photo on your site anywhere? I am about to install one of MW's original heaters and wanted to allow for packaging a winter pre-heat of some type.
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MSeriesRebuild
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Yes I have 4 tank heater kits left I believe. They have instructions for installing included. They can be easily plumbed into the heater hose circuit or you can tee the block drain & draw from there. I personally like for it to draw from the block drain, this way the coolant is being pulled from the lowest point. It operates more efficient that way.
Charles Talbert
www.mseriesrebuild.com
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When I was in Fairbanks (-40 was rather common) and using my truck as a daily driver, I had a tank heater for the coolant (plumbed in to the block drain as mentioned previously), a 100w pad heater on the oil pan, and 75w pads on both the tranny and t-case. Even with this, arctic weight lube in everything, and letting the engine get to operating temp before leaving, I had to drive about a mile in 3rd before the lube warmed up enough to allow me to go to 4th gear.
That said, while in school and poor, I drove the truck for a winter without any heaters. At -30 or so, I had to bring the batteries inside to warm them up to start it, and at -45 the plugs iced up and had to be pulled as well. I had friends with newer vehicles that wouldn't start at -20 even plugged in, so these trucks kick over amazingly well - I'd guess a combination of low compression, the 24v system, and large battery cables.
Heaters under the batteries make a huge difference as well if using standard batteries, but I wouldn't reccomend them for Optima-type batteries; since the acid doesn't circulate to distribute the heat, you can end up melting a hole in the bottom of the battery (don't ask how I know). As I recall, there is a ridge inside the freeze plugs which doesn't always allow those types of heaters to seat properly. The magnet-type oil pan heaters work well, but bumpy roads tend to make them fall off and they're a pain to find in the snow.
As far as other ways to help start cold-soaked vehicles, I've used a coffee can of charcoal briquettes, and even ducting the exhaust from a running vehicle under the hood will help.
Peter Hewko
That said, while in school and poor, I drove the truck for a winter without any heaters. At -30 or so, I had to bring the batteries inside to warm them up to start it, and at -45 the plugs iced up and had to be pulled as well. I had friends with newer vehicles that wouldn't start at -20 even plugged in, so these trucks kick over amazingly well - I'd guess a combination of low compression, the 24v system, and large battery cables.
Heaters under the batteries make a huge difference as well if using standard batteries, but I wouldn't reccomend them for Optima-type batteries; since the acid doesn't circulate to distribute the heat, you can end up melting a hole in the bottom of the battery (don't ask how I know). As I recall, there is a ridge inside the freeze plugs which doesn't always allow those types of heaters to seat properly. The magnet-type oil pan heaters work well, but bumpy roads tend to make them fall off and they're a pain to find in the snow.
As far as other ways to help start cold-soaked vehicles, I've used a coffee can of charcoal briquettes, and even ducting the exhaust from a running vehicle under the hood will help.
Peter Hewko