The number one cause of engine wear is poor lubrication. Oil needs to be at a certain temperature before it will do it's job properly. This is why the majority of engine wear occurs at startup, the oil is too thick to properly lubricate. When the temp gets down below 30 degrees, our 15 weight oil really starts to get thick, therefore taking longer to properly lubricate once the engine is started. At even colder temps the oil is so thick that, on startup, it actually resists the movement of the engine's parts. The starter must work that much harder just to turn the engine over. Not only does this put incredible strain on the starter but, once started, the engine is basically running without lubrication for several minutes. This is why you have a block heater. It keeps the engine block and therefore the oil at a warmer temp, cutting down on the strain and the amount of time it takes the oil to reach ideal flow temp. There are a couple of pieces on oil and lubrication posted in the OOIDA maintenance forum that are fairly enlightening. They're specific to cars but the principles are the same.

 

Don't forget to make sure your spark plugs are clean and well gapped during cold weather! :P :P :P :P

 

Yep, it is about time to change the plugs in my truck. :wink:

 

Ok, I just got back from my truck and it's in a million pieces and I still can't find the plugs. I found these big round things with circles around them and whacked them with a hammer but no spark. Now my truck won't start. I have a feeling those spark plugs should have been changed some time ago as the seem to have worn down to nothing. Oh man, I am so screwed.

 

Hey Steve The thing that you are calling a block heater, does it say Espar or Webasto on it? You might do some research on it and find out that it is a coolant heater that can be set to come on with a timer and runs off diesel taken from your tanks.

If it is and it sound like you don't like to idle unless it is real cold you could set that to come on a few hrs before you wake up and have a warm motor to start.

Plugging your truck in in the cold I think is allot easier on the motor. I have my truck in a heated building and I plug it in with a timer. Some might think it is a waste but it sure is nice to hit the starter button and have the truck start and idle just like it got done running 500 miles.

Mike

 

No, it's not a Espar or Webasto, it's a real engine block heater hooked up to the side of the block. It would be nice to have a description of how to operate it and more details. I have all the manuals but they don't mention squat about it.

The manuals for Detroit Diesel are real lacking in information. I have all these gages but they don't say what the norm should be or a description. The show a picture and label it. "Turbo Temp" BFD.....no red zone no nothing about what the F it means.

 

nothing involved in Operating it-Just plug it in-your electrical line from the block heater USUALLY comes out to the front bumper on drivers side.
If you had a radiator heater you wouldn't be able to see the heater-It's inside your radiator hose.

 

optima batteries are a waste of $$$$
its all hype a new set of Interstates will do you just as well
I,ve been starting successfully for years without them.
If you park near your house just start it every day and warm
it up
I live a mile away from mine so mine start it a few times a day if its below zero
If you can plug it in its the way to go
You dont want the truck to "freeze through" thats why I warm it up in sub zero

 

I think rev.vassago runs those optima batteries also :?:


Consumers Union seems to agree with you, Sonny.
I just looked on www.consumerreprts.org and for group 34/78 the top rated consumer reports best buy battery is Ever Start MAXX 1N $60 each, which is available at Wal-Mart.

 

Just my 0.05 on Optima batteries... and a caveat that I'm just a "wannabe" waiting to go to school in the Spring...

My baby diesel (VW Jetta 2001 TDI, only ~ 140,000 miles)) has a bunch of electronic gear in it, which I regularly forget to turn off. I can tell you that there is absolutely no comparison between the regular batteries and the optima yellow top for my application.

Especially when it's 0 degrees and it seems like forever before the glow plug light goes off, the Optima has never failed to start the diesel. I can't say the same with regular batteries. The biggest difference I can see is that the Optima is a lot more forgiving or being run down and still recovering. Just a few times taking a regular battery too far down and it's toast. Not so with the Optima yellow top. That's a scenario that's a lot like a big truck would do --- a steady load when parked - that might run down the battery lower than it should go. In those circumstances, the Optima will not become trashed as regular batteries will

---Steve