Engine Heaters to assist cold weather starting. Which type?
- Thread starter Gus1957
- Start date
B17's had oil dilution from the gas lines. I think you had to do it before shutdown to distribute it, then run the engines long enough after start-up to vaporize it out. No multi-grade oil then.
Silicone pad heaters are pretty standard in this part of the world. They work on oil pans, transmissions, hydraulic reservoirs, etc. Relatively cheap and easy to install as long as you have a flat surface to attach them to.
Ah. "Coupled with block heaters." That's not exactly a rebuttal to my statement that an oil pan heater does a lousy job of heating the block.
Well, it's been proven in lab tests often enough.
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
I have not read every post, but my factory one seems to work pretty good.
I plug it in for about an hour’ish, then run my glow plugs for a "8-10 Mississippi" count, and she fires right up.
EDIT: That is in “Northen Lower Michigan” with temps in the single digits.
I plug it in for about an hour’ish, then run my glow plugs for a "8-10 Mississippi" count, and she fires right up.
EDIT: That is in “Northen Lower Michigan” with temps in the single digits.
Do you have a link to any of those lab tests? I’d love to see the conditions under which those results were found.
Would go good with the morning coffee.
yes, I'd like to see how 'they cooked the results ! probably as skewed as the 60 Minutes Jeep J-turn episode !
A little perspective here. The API High Temperature High Shear (HTHS) test for engine oil is conducted at 150°C (305°F) which is representative of operating conditions inside journal bearings. Things get even hotter inside a turbo. Every second an ICE is running it is "cooking" that oil far more effectively than any magnetic oil pan heater ever could.
Dan
My LX2620 lives in an unheated shed on the side of a mountain in WV. I was just there for a week and temps were down to -8. Ordered a block heater from Coleman...
Andreas
Andreas
Don’t forget the oil that cools the pistons. Piston skirt temps can get really high on a loaded engine.
You mean a loaded up turbo diesel engine might see higher internal temps than a 150-300W electric heater can generate?
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell ya.
Had 2 dealer installed block heaters crap out on me in 12 years…tried pulling the last one out of the block with no success. Installed a battery heater and slapped a magnetic heater on the oil pan. So far this has enabled me to deal with the frigid temps this (and last year.)
I usually keep the BX25D out behind the garage with a tarp over it (full sun against the garage rear wall helps) but when a storm is predicted, I move my truck out of the garage and plug my BX in and wait for the storm to end.
I usually keep the BX25D out behind the garage with a tarp over it (full sun against the garage rear wall helps) but when a storm is predicted, I move my truck out of the garage and plug my BX in and wait for the storm to end.
Tarp and a space heater. Not the best option, but an option.
When it warms up I'd suggest installing a block heater, and next winter plug it in for 1 hour before starting the tractor (limited use helps the block heater last longer).
Keep in mind the hydraulic fluid out back needs to warm up before being put under pressure, not just the engine.
Blue2Orange
Active member
Equipment
BX2380 with LA344S & QH05. SB1051. SG0554. BB1248. RB0560, Vassar dirt bucket
Block heater! Many early mornings or late nights that were too cold for me of snow blowing. No choice back then. Original block heater was still working after +2 decades. Retired now. Don't bother clearing the driveway until temps are above 10F unless absolutely necessary. Once the air temps drop into the 30sF the block heater on the Kubota gets plugged in for at least an hour or two before starting. Battery on a maintainer. Combo seems to work fine for cool weather starting. Doesn't seem to take a long time to warm up for temp gauge to reach working temperature.
I read them years ago. Sorry, I'm not going to scour the Internet looking for them. It really wasn't difficult to test. Put the heater on the pan and observe the results. The problem is that the oil is not flowing. It's parked there. It's NOT just about the numbers on the thermometer.
I assure you the numbers on the thermometer are pretty important. Thermodynamics are inflexible.
If the heat source cannot generate more heat than is capable of damaging the oil, then the oil cannot be damaged. How hot do you think piston skirts and main bearings get?
You left out my turbos
On a hot summer day the oil cooler outlet temp on my BMW can and does hit 280°F.Dan
Last edited:
I also left out the residual oil that gets left inside a hot turbo after shutdown. Lots of hot surfaces in an engine, it turns out.Me thy hin
View attachment 169295
You left out my turbos
Dan
Trying to keep the focus on the point. An appropriately sized magnetic heater is going to do absolutely nothing to harm the oil in the pan.
Actually the oil is 'moving' (thermosiphoning) though not 'flowing' as in circulating around the engine. The oil next to the bottom of the pan gets warm and slowly rises to the top of the oil pan, until it gets cooled then goes back to the bottom of the pan. The oil can't burn due to several factors. 1st there's a gallon or so of oil in the pan. A large volume that has to be heated. 2nd 300 watt heater is maybe 1000 BTU, not very much . 3rd ambient temperature.it's FREEZING 4th windchill. ANY wind will remove the heat from the oil 5th the block. that's a HUGE 'heatsink' so even if no wind, it's gets rid of the heat as 'heat' rises. 5th time The mathmen can figure this out given ALL the parameters as to how long it'd take to heat oil to the burning point( say 150*C),volume of oil, ambient temperature, etc.
As far as I know oil is a poor conductor of heat. So temperatures may get high near a heat source.
Apart from that, what is the point heating the oil when it is basically back to ice cold block temperatures a few seconds after starting the engine?
Oil heater plus block heater is fine. Just heating the oil does very little.
Apart from that, what is the point heating the oil when it is basically back to ice cold block temperatures a few seconds after starting the engine?
Oil heater plus block heater is fine. Just heating the oil does very little.