Cold Starting

[Levi75]

Hello to you all,
Had a few questions about starting a Duece when it’s very cold.
Does ether harm the engine?
Does anyone know the process to install the engine block heater as far as a part number and what freeze plug?
Also anyone know about oil heaters?
Thank you,
Levi

 

[Mullaney]

Hello to you all,
Had a few questions about starting a Duece when it’s very cold.
Does ether harm the engine?
Does anyone know the process to install the engine block heater as far as a part number and what freeze plug?
Also anyone know about oil heaters?
Thank you,
Levi

.
Ether is a bad thing on most diesels - in particularly with glow plugs.
YES a engine block heater is a BIG DEAL and a good thing in cold weather.
Installation is relatively easy to handle. Pop out the freeze plug near the center of the motor, replace it with the heater. There are magnetic heaters that attach to the oil pan. That helps is really cold weather - but you won't be heating the area of the motor that will help crank the motor...

 

[Levi75]

Thank you for your reply! Do you have a part number for the engine block heater as there are so many different sizes!
Thank you!
Do you know anything about the drain plug oil heaters?
thank you again, Levi

 

[Mullaney]

Thank you for your reply! Do you have a part number for the engine block heater as there are so many different sizes!
Thank you!
Do you know anything about the drain plug oil heaters?
thank you again, Levi

.
I would search easternsurplus.net using "block heater" as your search term.
I found several.

You need to heat the water around the cylinders to help make it start.

 

[Levi75]

Thank you so very much! I found one on eBay for $59.99 if anyone needs one. I’ll try to send the link if it works.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Up in the frozen North we find oil pan heaters, block heaters, electric battery blankets/ boxes and in-line circulating heaters on lots of the old gear. In-line diesel fuel heaters are also out there for extreme conditions. https://phillipsandtemro.com/solutions/fuel-fluid-heating/in-line-fuel-heaters/

In the frozen engine excavating world, ether would never be used on engines with glow-plugs. If the glow plugs are glowin' the engine should be goin'.

When ether was used it was 'only when the engine was turning over'. The hard lessons were learned when a fella would spray a bunch of ether in the intake then jump in the cab to hit the starter. Instead of a small amount of ether being pulled into all or several cylinders, most would be pulled into one cylinder and that's when the uncontained booms would occur.

The early deuces even had alcohol injection for the compressors / air systems and often the differential oils would be thinned with kerosene to keep gears moving.

It certainly wouldn't hurt to heat engine oil and coolant. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...luminum-circulating-tank-heater-0303294p.html

 

[Levi75]

Hello there and thank you so very much for your reply and all of your information, links and photos! You are most helpful and appreciate you all that have written back.
As far as oil pan heaters do you know of any that fit into the plug where you drain the oil?
And the antifreeze heater that goes inline that you kindly sent the link to, does it thermocycle?
Is it more efficient than this one for $59.99 in the link that goes into the 2” freeze plug that another member kindly told us about?

Pardon Our Interruption...

thank you for your info on the ether as well!
what are the pictures of you sent?
thank you!
Levi

 

[Levi75]

Pardon Our Interruption...

Here’s the link again it didn’t come up in my post

 

[m1010plowboy]

Hello there and thank you so very much for your reply and all of your information, links and photos! You are most helpful and appreciate you all that have written back.
As far as oil pan heaters do you know of any that fit into the plug where you drain the oil?
And the antifreeze heater that goes inline that you kindly sent the link to, does it thermocycle?
Is it more efficient than this one for $59.99 in the link that goes into the 2” freeze plug that another member kindly told us about?

Pardon Our Interruption...

thank you for your info on the ether as well!
what are the pictures of you sent?
thank you!
Levi

Those photos were just bonus cold weather efforts with the alcohol injection bottle and an insulated box for the old deuce batteries.

There are oil drain-plug heaters but the units used on the old deuces were either magnet style or stick on. Easy, non-invasive solutions are always good. https://www.amazon.ca/Oil-Pan-Heater/s?k=Oil+Pan+Heater

The circulating water heaters are also a bonus because they warm up the entire block 'better' than than a frost plug heat coil. https://phillipsandtemro.com/solutions/engine-heating-solutions/circulation-heaters/

There's always a good, better and best scenario for preventing engine wear/ damage in cold starts. For us frozen, poor farmers, It's not just 'will it start',.... it's will oil get to the valves and through the galleries.....for decades..... before we break something and need to replace an engine.

 

[Levi75]

Thank you so very much really appreciate all your help!

 

[Levi75]

Of the two links that you sent me with the coolant heaters ,witch one are you using?

 

[m1010plowboy]

Currently not running any green gear outside or doing cold starts. The block heater on the Chev doesn't even fire up until it's -18c but I do run synthetic oils. For the longest time I was fortunate enough to have the 'best' part of good, better or best. Everything was kept in a warm shop. I did nighttime snow removal for 42 years in some of the worst conditions up to -40F/C. A warm shop is the best way to ensure things start every time with the least amount of frozen oil damage. For outdoors, Block heater.....good.......Thermo anti-freeze circulating, oil pan heater, battery blankets, synthetic oil(s).....better.....Warm shop.....best.

 

[87cr250r]

Generally, ether is an accepted practice for cold starting direct injection diesel engines. It should not be used for indirect injection diesel engines. Because I have a lot of Detroit Diesel information, I can tell you that their 71 series engines which are direct injected are rated to start without aids to 40°F. Anything below that a starting aid such as ether is recommended. Some of them had a blow torch in the airbox.

The glow plug debate is where it gets fuzzy. If you've got glow plugs that's your starting aid. If it doesn't start fix them. Glow plugs are a more recent addition to direct injection engines, their primary purpose in that application is to reduce smoke on startup. IDI engines will struggle to start at any temperature under 80°F without functioning glowplugs.