Suggestions to warm the block during winter?

[Hryser]

Hello forum members

As I am new on this forum, I wanted to find out if you could tell me what block heater (or other warming method) would work for my machine: I have a Toro Groundsmaster 7200 equipment which employs a Kubota D1105, three cylinder diesel engine.
I appreciate your valued input.

Best regards and Happy New Year to all of you,
Hansueli

 

[Diydave]

Hello forum members

As I am new on this forum, I wanted to find out if you could tell me what block heater (or other warming method) would work for my machine: I have a Toro Groundsmaster 7200 equipment which employs a Kubota D1105, three cylinder diesel engine.
I appreciate your valued input.

Best regards and Happy New Year to all of you,
Hansueli

Welcome to the forum, just google Kubota D 1105 block heater, or google Kat block heaters. I use a coleman Radiant heater, or camp stove, just slide under oil pan, as long as the engine is clean and not leaky...

 

[lugbolt]

I don't miss the cold one bit! Used to live in the cold midwest USA, at the time was driving a toyota pickup diesel engine, and when the air temps got down below about 25 degrees, it didn't start. I had two choices. Get up in the middle of the night, twice usually, and go start the truck up, just to keep some heat in it, or put some charcoal in a pan, light it, then put it under the truck's engine while the coffee was being brewed in the house. By time I was done with breakfast, the truck was ready to drive to work.

Kubota offers a block heater, check with the dealer for block heater to fit RTV1100.

 

[gssixgun]

This a system I have worked out over that last few years hope it gives you some ideas


http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22866

 

[Wbk]

Hello forum members

As I am new on this forum, I wanted to find out if you could tell me what block heater (or other warming method) would work for my machine: I have a Toro Groundsmaster 7200 equipment which employs a Kubota D1105, three cylinder diesel engine.
I appreciate your valued input.

Best regards and Happy New Year to all of you,
Hansueli

Hi Hansueli I'm not sure what a Groundsmaster is but on our bx's we use a block heater on the 2660 and on the 2230"s we have recirculating heaters both work well, for me it would depend on how much room you have to install it. In a pinch I've used a trouble light as long as it's sheltered, there's also oil pan heaters that some people used I never have.
Good luck in your choice Barry

 

[Dave_eng]

Block heater and a timer. Two hours of warming and you will be good to go.
Leaving the block heater on longer is just a big expense and accomplishes nothing as the engine reaches a point where it is loosing heat as fast as you are putting it in.
Dave M7040

 

[hodge]

Lots of hugs- we all love our Kubota's!

 

[Hryser]

Guys, many thanks for your thoughts and advices.

"Dave" and "lugbolt": I sure love your suggestions. It sure reminded me of the good old time back in Switzerland (my native country) where we did something very similar, like having a small fire going underneith the tractor's engine. However, at this point, I will first try a flameless method (i.e. block heater) to see if I can get "the cow of the roof". Sorry, this is an old Swiss saying for resolving a problem .

"Diydave", "gssixgun" and "Dave_eng": I would like to try this route first, like:
- find a fitting block heater (still don't know)
- Using a remote control

"Barry": Can you elaborate what you mean by "recirculating heater"? Is this a coolant-fluid heater?

Again, thank you all for your king replies and have a great start into this new year.
Hansueli

 

[billrigsby]

On my Willys that I plow with I have two magnetic block heaters on the oil pan,
plugged into a "remote" outlet. An outlet with a receiver in it, plugged into a standard outlet. Just hit the remote button from the house, have coffee or whatever, the go to it. Leaving any heater just plugged in is a waste, unless you are on solar or "own a power plant".

My tractor is still a project at this point but it will be the same when done.

 

[Diydave]

Hello forum members

As I am new on this forum, I wanted to find out if you could tell me what block heater (or other warming method) would work for my machine: I have a Toro Groundsmaster 7200 equipment which employs a Kubota D1105, three cylinder diesel engine.
I appreciate your valued input.

Best regards and Happy New Year to all of you,
Hansueli

You are going to have to do some research, maybe NIW knows the answer, I don't, didn't have much time, this morning. Measure the diameter of your lower radiator hose, and the diameter of the freeze plugs, and look on the block to see if there is a threaded port for a heater. Here is the generic page from Amazon, on Kat block heaters:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...=kat+block+heater&rh=i:aps,k:kat+block+heater

 

[Tooljunkie]

There are glue on oil pan heaters, or stick on so to speak. They are low wattage and flexible.many import cars dont have a place for an engine heater and use these to warm the oil.
My opinion, and -30 weather i have started vehicles with nothing more than a small propane torch.

 

[Diydave]

Easiest way to start wif a propane torch, is to take out the air cleaner elements, and open the valve on the torch, insert propane torch, tank and all into the filter housing, and hit the key and decomp, with the throttle just cracked open, a little. They generally fire right up, that way...

 

[sheepfarmer]

Easiest way to start wif a propane torch, is to take out the air cleaner elements, and open the valve on the torch, insert propane torch, tank and all into the filter housing, and hit the key and decomp, with the throttle just cracked open, a little. They generally fire right up, that way...

My idea of putting an electric blanket on mine is sounding saner by the moment!*

 

[Grouse Feathers]

My idea of putting an electric blanket on mine is sounding saner by the moment!*

Saner has nothing to do with it, go buy some more tools. When you have a critical mass of tools you need to find something to do with your tools. It doesn't take any tools to put an electric blanket on your tractor. You will need to be pulling freeze plugs and driving in heater bushings or cutting radiator hoses and hose clamping a heater in. Then you can wire up your new tractor barn so you can plug in your heater. Just one job and you get to be a tractor mecahnic and an electrician

 

[sheepfarmer]

Saner has nothing to do with it, go buy some more tools. When you have a critical mass of tools you need to find something to do with your tools. It doesn't take any tools to put an electric blanket on your tractor. You will need to be pulling freeze plugs and driving in heater bushings or cutting radiator hoses and hose clamping a heater in. Then you can wire up your new tractor barn so you can plug in your heater. Just one job and you get to be a tractor mecahnic and an electrician

My point exactly!

 

[ShaunBlake]

Hmm... now I'm thinking Hodge's "lots of hugs" technique is the sanest idea. Just sayin...

 

[Grouse Feathers]

My point exactly!

There are owners who love their tractors, there are owners who love what they can do with their tractors, there are owners who love to work on their tractors, and there may be others… Do the ends justify the means or do the means justify the ends? Some love the work and some love the results. When I worked for a living I was results oriented. Now that I am retired and can choose my work, I love the work and hope to have a different occupation every day.

 

[Wbk]

Guys, many thanks for your thoughts and advices.

"Dave" and "lugbolt": I sure love your suggestions. It sure reminded me of the good old time back in Switzerland (my native country) where we did something very similar, like having a small fire going underneith the tractor's engine. However, at this point, I will first try a flameless method (i.e. block heater) to see if I can get "the cow of the roof". Sorry, this is an old Swiss saying for resolving a problem .

"Diydave", "gssixgun" and "Dave_eng": I would like to try this route first, like:
- find a fitting block heater (still don't know)
- Using a remote control

"Barry": Can you elaborate what you mean by "recirculating heater"? Is this a coolant-fluid heater?

Again, thank you all for your king replies and have a great start into this new year.
Hansueli

Hi Hansuel sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, to install the recirculating heater drain the system, cut the lower rad hose and slide it in re-clamp the hose to the heater and your done it's easy to install if you can get to the lower hose. It heats the engine fairly fast, takes about an hour depending on how cold it is (and it gets damn cold here) I'm not sure what size we have in ours but your dealer should be able to help you or someone else on this site. Hope this helps you Barry

 

[Corney]

Hi Hansuel sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, to install the recirculating heater drain the system, cut the lower rad hose and slide it in re-clamp the hose to the heater and your done it's easy to install if you can get to the lower hose. It heats the engine fairly fast, takes about an hour depending on how cold it is (and it gets damn cold here) I'm not sure what size we have in ours but your dealer should be able to help you or someone else on this site. Hope this helps you Barry

This is the system we have and it works great.

 

[Dave_eng]

The lower rad hose heaters are fine as are the ones you install in a heater hose and pump the hot coolant around the engine by getting the fluid very hot.
From what I see with a Google search, your engine may accept a screw in style block heater which will be the most reliable and most efficient over the long term as the heat is put exactly where you want it. With the lower rad hose ones some heat escapes into the rad, not likely much but there is some waste.
Remote controls. I got several you can have. I learned the hard way that in moderately cold weather they stop working. If you look carefully on the packaging they will have an operating temperature range.
Someone recently on a forum had found a very high quality one that worked at lower temps but it likely was very expensive. I think they said it was made by Thomas and Betts which is a North American company I think. Range is also an issue with the remotes. The cold temperature isssue is because they use electronic components to switch the power on and off and they apparently do not like very cold temps.
In my case my tractor is in a shed which has power but is 75 meters from my home. When the remote controls would not work on cold days I installed a relay and low voltage transformer in the tractor shed and then ran cheap low voltage wire to handle a 24 volt ac signal to a switch in my home. The wire is running on the top of the ground in an area I dont go to with my lawn mower or snow blower. I have one receptacle in the shed which the relay controls the power to. I plug the tractor and a small light into this receptacle and when I flip the switch in my home I see the light come on so I know the tractor is heating and go back to bed for a couple of hours.
For years I had a Volvo military truck like a C303 and it came with a place in the truck cooling system where you had quick couplings. Then you had an external metal box with coiled tubing in it with coolant in the tubing. You connected the coiled tubing into the truck cooling with the quick couplings. Next you put a big blow torch into the external box blowing its flame onto the coiled tubing. After a while the truck engine warmed up and started. Companies at one time made systems where you could connect the cooling system on say a pickup truck into a piece of construction equipment and circulate the running trucks coolant through the cold bulldozer which would warm up and start.
Keep asking questions to get the end result you need. In my case I am an old engineer and have tried many ways to get what I want but often my solutions did not work so maybe i can save you some grief.
Dave M7040