Engine Block Heater vs Oil Pan Heater. Everything you NEED to know about Cold Weather Diesel Engines

[@randykiddy855]

While working in Alaska my diesel truck had a battery trickle charger, block heater, oil pan and transmission heating pad. I would plug it in at night to a timer that would come on 4 hours before I left for work. Never had any problems and put over a 100,000 miles on that truck. Thanks for keeping us informed.

[@chrisbelcher5320]

This is one of the best maintenance items, I’ve heard. Well done taking care of all fluids. I’m sure you have seen, many truck drivers , have no idea what’s going on under the hood.!

[@jeffearnest3269]

Did you have the 8v71 Detroit engine?

[@hillppari]

blow torch to the oil pan or small campfire

[@chrisbarker3954]

Never heard of a transmission heating pad. Is it the same as an oil pan pad?

[@randykiddy855]

Transmission heating pad is the same as an oil pan heating pad.

[@Owl-ge9jl]

This guy is probably the single best diesel mechanic on KZbin I've ever come across. Always has information that is easy to understand in a format that presents it in a way that is explained using facts and his own personal experience as a tech. I really appreciate what you do and keep at it.

[@AdeptApe]

Thank you very much for the very kind comment.

[@dks13827]

Yes and he speaks very well.

[@NothernXCanadian]

Dam right.

[@Smiling_mike]

👍👍👍

[@brandonrasmussen6692]

I live in Alaska you don't want to insulate your oil pan cause in the summer time it will over heat the engine ,water heater, battery heater and fuel heater you need those three....I run a blanket oil pan heater with the other three heaters but it not as necessary as the later

[@cactuscanuck6802]

My last driving job was hauling bulk livestock feed around my home province. When they told me to spec out a new truck, I got a block heater, oil pan heater and battery blankets. The engine came with an intake heater as well. I got it started one morning in -48°C. Engine was unhappy as hell but it went... and then I didn't shut it off for the rest of the week until that cold snap ended!

[@speed150mph]

Every true Canadian truck driver knows all about these things. "Which of these do you want?" "...... yes...."

[@danw6014]

I remember as a kid in the 70s, the best diesel tractor we had in really cold weather was our John Deere 70 Diesel. It used a gasoline pony engine to start the diesel. Once the pony was started, the exhaust was run though the intake manifold of the diesel and the pony shared the cooling system of the diesel. Also your cranking ability was now limited to the fuel capacity of the pony engine. As you start cranking the diesel, it was decompressed for much easier cranking.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

I have a 1955 John Deere model 70 gas tractor, a great tractor, but I've always wanted the matching diesel model. Maybe one day.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

The 2 we had was a 720 & a 830 the 720 had the pony motor but the 830 was an electric they both had decompression so we got everything turning over & up to rpm then you could start & go about your business.

[@Lauterbach24]

​@dirtfarmer7472 we have a 59 730 diesel but with an electric start. They sure are nice tractors with a lot of grunt.

[@ChevyConQueso]

Lots of old bulldozers and equipment were that way too, with the pony exhaust in the intake manifold.The decompressed state on them allows the rings to move easier, heat up more, and put a little more heat into the cylinders for when you disengage the release. The old 2 cylinder Deeres make me laugh with the V4 pony engine having twice the cylinders of the main engine. 😊

[@Beersandbrakeclean]

4:05 “coolant and oil aren’t in direct contact with each other” 6.0 powerstroke: “am I a joke to you?”

[@jordanrelkey]

The Six Leaker Had-A-Stroke

[@bullithedjames937]

Lmmfao

[@krazykyfan]

My brother called me a few years back and told me he bought an '05 Ford F350 dually. I asked him what motor was in it and when he started to say the words "six litre" I started laughing.

[@jordanrelkey]

@@krazykyfan To be fair, if it already had an EGR delete and a stud kit installed he might have got a good deal.

[@fastinradfordable]

Reykor Jande No. Hpop is a ticking time Bomb Attached to A bag of grenades

[@mrfingers4737]

-30 celcius on the side of a mountain with a heli portable drill if it doesn't start on the first crank you're screwed Put a sardine can of diesel under the oil pan and let it burn for 15 minutes, wrap some diesel soaked cloth on stick light it and wave it in front of the intake when you're ready to crank it. Never lost a hole to the cold.

[@OttoMatieque]

how do you get the diesel lit? using only matches I can get diesel lit at 85F ambient temperature

[@mrfingers4737]

@@OttoMatieque I carried a zippo in the bush.

[@OttoMatieque]

@@mrfingers4737 okay - why does a zippo work when matches don't?

[@deezelfairy]

@@OttoMatieque A zippo can sustain a flame a bit longer than a match 😂 The diesel needs a fair bit of heating before it ignites. Remember liquids don't burn, it's the vapor coming off the liquid that actually burns. Diesel has to be heated for a while before it starts to vapourise.

[@ralfie8801]

Put a piece of a paper towel in the container of diesel, it will wick the diesel just like a candle wick, light the other end while it’s still dry, that will get the diesel heated enough to stay lit on its own.

[@cullenmiller8170]

Nice video. As a guy that has trucked to Alaska for years. I had a block heater, oil pan heater inside the oil pan and a carrier APU that was also hooked into the truck‘s cooling system. I would shut my DD16 down at -25 at night. The APU powered the oil pan and block heater, charged the batteries, circulated the coolant through the engine and also ran the heater inside the bunk under the bed. The truck would start like it was a warm summer day and the coolant gauge usually settled in at 110-115 degrees. I could never understand why to idle a 16 liter engine to keep the cab warm.

[@AdeptApe]

Interesting comment, thank you.

[@cwj9202]

Even into the 70's, those excellent systems were not available OEM, so it was common in the northern latitudes to keep the engine running when the truck left the yard until it returned to the yard say a week later.

[@jaydunbar7538]

Apu or not you won't catch me shutting the engine off at that temp, the fuel burnt is inconsequential if im inside the truck.

[@cullenmiller8170]

There are a lot of guys out there that share your opinion. I was more concerned of wear and tear on the engine and the emission system. I have seen plenty of guys that idle their truck even in nice weather that have put many turbos on the ISX and are plagued by emission system break downs and had to rebuild the engine with less than 400,000 miles. My last truck I sold had an average speed of 50.4mph when compared to engine hours. I easily put 1000 to 1500 hours on the APU in an average year.

[@jaredmayer3960]

@@cullenmiller8170 emissions systems wrecked engines. Even needing a turbo replaced before 600,000 miles is pretty bad.

[@bmws1487]

As a guy thats trying to learn a couple of things here and there about Diesels you sir make it easy to pick up all this information. Thank you!

[@jakebrake2068]

Up in Canada here we frequently get -30 to -40 overnight temps. We actually have both an oil pan heater as well as water jacket heater plugged in throughout the night. We also have Eberspacher water heaters on a timer that come on 2 hours before the engine is to be started. This usually gives us a coolant temp of 100-130 when starting the engine. It also guarantees startup should one of the heaters fail for some reason.

[@kyles234]

If installed correctly an Espar will heat to 160F. I installed mine in the engine bay of my Dodge Cummins.

[@TRPGpilot]

@@kyles234 Metric . . .

[@kyles234]

@@TRPGpilot 71C

[@aidanmclauchlin7832]

We have them in all of our dozers and excavators too, can’t live without them

[@smileyguyz]

@@TRPGpilot Google . . .

[@348loadedlever3]

I have found a heated garage is the best option

[@timesthree5757]

I dont own one can I have your.

[@SpencerHHO]

I find living in Australia helps a lot too lol.

[@Connor4x4]

I'm from Alberta, Canada and when it gets too cold we just don't turn them off until it gets warm again. -45 degrees celcius is horrible

[@rhunter3406]

Im a fellow OILBURTAN, A fleet winterization program really helps. I have a shit tons of Cummins ISLs, Volvo D12/13/MP8s, and detroit dd16s. We always ohm out the block heater plugs before a cold snap. Battery cutoffs shut off every night helps a lot too.

[@Connor4x4]

@@rhunter3406 Solid plan. Nice to see a fellow OILBERTAN

[@fredg8199]

I live in Alberta Canada and that's terrible practice. Oil breaks downs needlessly, cylinder washing, unneeded engine hours, etc. And I love how you give the impression that Alberta is at -45 for any length of time...Maybe in High level or Fort Chip, but not for weeks on end. Best solution is a Webasto or Epsar install. Was cost prohibitive twenty years ago, but once diesel passed the 60 cent a liter mark, the investment paid for itself fast.

[@fredg8199]

@@rhunter3406 "Blue Waffle cone?" LMFAO!

[@lungelinecowboy]

@@fredg8199 I use to feel same way as you. However had to many instances of frozen air valves, etc from the air not flowing in those temps. Have had more luck keeping it running in those extreme temps. I bump the rpm up to 1200 though.

[@379insk]

Up here in Saskatchewan I use a block heater ,oil pan heater, 5/40 full synthetic oil and run winter diesel. Never a problem starting unless cords get accidently unplugged.

[@sebialex2228]

Which oil heater is better, the oil pan heater that is out side or the one that is inside the oil pan?

[@romanshevy257]

Sebi Alex the one inside cooked my c13’s oil. Good thing I had warranty.

[@kylefitzpatrick2915]

appreciate the content, as a new diesel tech student this really helps a lot

[@AdeptApe]

Thank you.

Yeah try attempting a proper profession like coding or software design, that's what I do and I'm 19 years old and make in 2 days what you make in a month peasant 😝

[@user-uo1rn2nb8f]

@ who gives a shit what you make? Dont put down other people and their occupations

[@fastinradfordable]

Dylan Martin They can pay u as much as they want doesn’t make you a man. And at 19 you are a child. Period

[@ellerybice3787]

Not!

[@Coyner4321]

I have a Pete with a C-12, and I have switched my oil over to Chevron Delo 5W-40. I run it year round and I absolutely love it. Oil consumption is now drastically reduced, and it starts like a dream and builds very nice quick oil pressure in the cold (And I always run my block heater below 35°-40°). I've had this oil in the 100+ degrees climbing the mountains in California, and I've had it in northern Michigan where I live, below zero temps and it performs amazingly overall. That's my $0.02, for what it's worth!

[@aslkdfjhg]

Don't know why I'm watching this in Australia but love the insight!

[@daviddroescher]

Winter is coming. in the voice of John Snow.

[@TheOminousVoidWispers]

Climate change be wild. Be prepared not caught off guard.

[@tking7513]

Good for all engines in nearly all climates.

[@jamest828]

I personally would take an oil pan heater over a coolant heater, i have taken apart too many isx’s with spun cam bearings due to poor Lubrication from cold starts

[@jonasstahl9826]

I prefer the coolant heater it is easier to start with a warm block, also when the coolant is warm it heat the oil while passing trough the oilcooler, as soon the engine run.

[@sebialex2228]

What about both! How hard is to glue an oil pan heater on the oil pan?

[@darrenrich3492]

If it’s that cold- use both

[@francismay821]

@@darrenrich3492 Indeed. Plus ample diesel conditioner well before it gets cold and all winter long, use fresh high quality synthetic oil with a very low pour point and a smart maintenance charger (holds at 13.6v) left overnight on batteries also checked and serviced regularly. If the oil is rated for extreme cold that should be enough for a PROPERLY SERVICED diesel vehicle for the odd very cold start, but where and whenever possible when one expects steady temps below -15C, heat both the oil and the coolant. That also has the added benefit of raising ambient battery temps enough to make a big difference sometimes. It is often below -40C in these parts in winter and my 7.3idi hates cold, but the truck is packing a 10kw welder/generator. If needs be, 2 hours for the block and pan heaters is just enough at -45C to spin it up with some effort. Lets face it few stock vehicles can handle extreme cold without some damage, so throw the kitchen sink at it.

[@mxr248]

Oil pan heater is better idea. Without oil moving to critical parts engine life goes down drastically! We’ve had below temperatures and oil pours out like molasses and barley moves so valve train would be rattling..

[@johnwesner3935]

Great presentation! You covered all the bases. My experience with ether was when my two brother-in-law in- laws used massive amounts of ether to try to cold start their car. When they couldn't get it to turn over anymore they pushed it to the side and left it. In an attempt to figure what they screwed up I tried the damper bolt and then the flywheel through the starter hole and could not get it to budge. I pulled the pan looking for carnage but everything was clean. I pulled a rod cap and was able to slide the piston up the bore but the pin was seized and I could not force the rod to move. I put the pan back on!😢 After some interrogation they showed me the multiple empty cans. I'd never seen anything like it. Thanks for all the very thorough videos!

[@brucesteger2699]

Very informative but I am going to mention what worked for us in Northern Wisconsin. Both our diesel trucks and the diesel tractor loaders used to clear snow from our docks we did the following. Once it gets to October, oil is replaced with 3 W 30 synthetic oil, we put Number One fuel in everything and all have intake manifold heaters in them. We always put larger capacity batteries in everything but all have a trickle charger installed to plug in when it gets towards 10 below. Even with -50 F they started up. With the trucks warmed up running at the docks, the drivers are told to put a quart of ATF in the fuel tanks as it will have low fuel on their return. We felt this will help lubricate the injectors and it adds some detergent. On the trucks return they are fueled up with number one fuel and parked. We had very little injector failures and the engines lasted MANY hundreds of thousand miles. I retired in 2005 but these procedures are still being done.

[@jaredmayer3960]

I had a webasto on my 3/4 ton. Totally awesome. If you’re in the real cold a block heater is amateur compared to a true diesel fired coolant heater.

[@davidscott5903]

Yes, but $1500 will pay for about 4 lifetime supplies of starting fluid.

[@centheiatrust9153]

HI. Are you familiar with a Webasto coolant heater? It runs on 12 or 24 volts and diesel. Yup, it burns diesel for heat. It also has a circulation pump so that all of the coolant gets heated, not just what is close to the block heater. Different sizes are available depending of how big your engine is. Pretty popular in Canada on farm tractors that need to be used in temperatures well below freezing. A similar system is used on most diesel locomotives now days. Of course these are much, much larger. It allows the rail companies to shut locomotives down for hours at a time and be able to restart them, whereas only a few years ago, they would simply leave them idling, AND wasting lots of fuel.

[@hartsfire5706]

hear in the north east of the USA you cant really drag around cords most places. i have the Webasto Thermo Pro 50 Coolant Heater on my personal pickup and have had it on there for the last 15 years set the timer or hit the remote and in 20 minuets the hole engine is 140f not only does it start like summer but there is no time sitting for the oil to get warmed up a bit (on start it takes secant seconds to get the cold out of the oil) let alone the instant heat to clear windows. go team Wabasto. hear in the north east we have coolant running threw the fuel tanks in the winter to heat the tanks even treated fuel gels with wind chill you know say driving down the road at 65 mph.

[@davidscott5903]

The only problem is that they are so expensive!

[@ShainAndrews]

Look at that. Josh called out cloud point, instead of the internet referenced and fuel additive marketing wank that is gel point. Had that conversation with far to many people. "Well I was treated down to -20. I opened the drain and fuel ran out so it is not a fuel gelling issue." You are correct sir... your fuel is not gelled. Apply some heat to your filters and call me back if it won't stay running. Calls back, "engine dies when I remove the heat, fuel pump must be weak." No sir your fuel heater is inop. "Oh I disconnected it years ago, I never operate anywhere close to -20." I recommend getting it hooked back up because your filter has a wax log jam. "I just doubled my additive dosing, how long does it take to work?" Looking at the weather forecast looks like mid next week. "What if I drain the filters and fill them with the additive?"... it goes on and on and on.

[@jaydunbar7538]

If treated properly -20 is no issue with Howes, any lower you better be throwing in some #1 if you dont want a long hard fight in the cold. I found if I turn off my electric lift pump till the engine gets some heat in it then it helps, the electic pump moves so much fuel it will clog up that water filter instantly. I do have a electric fuel heater and coolant ran through the FASS so even if it is a bit cloudy to start with it won't give me trouble as long as I unplug the system for the warmup.

[@ridgerunner106]

I had an old tractor. Bought two freeze plug heaters. Plug those in, throw a blanket over the hood, it was hot in an hour. Then, I found another that went in the lower radiator hose. Old diesel from the 70's would crank right up. I also had a magnet oil pan heater but never really used it.

[@privateparty4900]

I've got a Perkins that came with ether injection 35 years ago; still going strong. No drama.

[@4wheelinak135]

I live in interior Alaska and it is very common practice to install a block heater, oil pan heater, battery blankets and tenders, and sometimes even transmission pan heaters when "winterizing" our vehicles up here. They will start at -50f if plugged in for long enough, sometimes 4-6 hours.

[@jeanettewest]

Yup, Southwest Alaska here.

[@Mattie_Ice]

I would like to live there. But a heated garage sounds like the best choice If I have the option.

[@deant876]

Well said. I tell my guys to run a diesel fuel anti gell with every fill up. We are a local trucking company (Detroit area). I tell them it is cheaper and easier to just add the stuff than it is for me to get them started if it gelled up overnight

[@mandavaler]

Have them keep a bottle of diesel 911 in their trucks to in case of gel ups it degels the instant it touches diesel and makes it so flammable you can light it with a lighter like gasoline. Its emergency use only but adding half the recommended amount helps with diesel startups in cold weather as well

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Don't you guys have arctic diesel in the winter months? Up here in Canada we have summer diesel, winter diesel and arctic diesel. Arctic diesel never, ever gels. We don't use anti-gel additives unless we are planning to start a piece of equipment that was parked with summer diesel in the tank.

[@deant876]

Our fuel company delivers winter diesel. I will gel up around 10° F. My company pays for the anti-gel, so why not add it. As far as the 911 (red bottle) my guys are not that bright and will use it for everyday anti-gel, I know I've seen them do it. So now I keep the 911 inside my shop and they can't get to it.

[@markm0000]

Do not use 911 as antigel, it will screw up your fuel system. It’s only for emergencies. Use any normal antigel product to prevent gelling.

[@ericlance3357]

Super job. Don't think I could ever retain so much knowledge and be so fluent all at the same time. You are well schooled sir. Great job.

[@challenger3603]

As a farmer I fitted my 01 7.3 with most of the suggested ideas minus the lighter oil. I added a pony motor with a home made heating apparatus to preheat the coolant when things got below -30 F by circulating coolant through the pony motor exhaust. ( I have yet to find an old Briggs and Stratton than does not cold start well.) Two extra batteries under the rear seat for assistance or trickle charging overnight, fuel preheating and to pre-warm the heat tape wrapped B&S motor tucked into the tool box. I never ever let ether near my trucks intake. Like you said a bad idea. Might have been over kill for New England but I might add, I never ever had any difficulty starting my truck no matter the temperature.

[@wmden1]

Interesting. Did you have a heat exchanger with the coolant flowing through it and the small engine exhaust blowing through the fins of the exchanger, or something similar

[@challenger3603]

@@wmden1 I made a tank with holes cut into it and ran the exhaust through the pipes which heated the contents of the tank. Imagine a box, cut holes in the sides and run cast iron pipes through. (Sideways radiator minus the thin fins) The pipes being smaller made the B&S force the exhaust through them. The engine was rigged like old Canadian tucks where coolant can be swapped between trucks to assist with starting. Had a valve to divert the exhaust so as to not cook the coolant. The B&S was set to pump coolant. Coolant was sent through cast iron pipes to the oil pan and the same with the coolant system. All pipes were insulated that went out off the tool box or the engine bay. Rubber lines only where flexibility was needed. Always heated the coolant to preheat the engine then did the oil. Oil pan was a custom job I had made. Like the tank had cast iron pipes running through it. Valves at the pump labeled Coolant/Oil/Tank Circulate. Cast iron pipes because every fitting was NPT and can be found anywhere(cheap), and the heat transfer rate.

[@maxsav007]

Eberspacher has a pretty fullproof system, a lot of our local northeast (PA) fleets use it. Its an external block heater that runs on diesel from the tank. Fully automated so it can be set to come on at the same time every day, not run all night, and you don't need a cord. Local heavy-duty plows and tankers have used them for years with no issues. Pretty surprised you didn't metion it actually.

[@fredg8199]

It's a heater with a pump that warms the coolant as it passes through the unit. Circulating through the block and heater core. The advantage is it will actually keep the windshield slightly warm and when you do start the unit you have next to instant warm heat out of the vents. My experience here in Alberta and running the ice has shown over 100 degree engine temperature seconds after startup at -30. As for keeping the interior warm, both Webasto and others offer a separate cab heater that keeps you toasty warm all night. But in remote areas I still would not shut off my truck past -20. That would be the time the coolant heater or truck would refuse to start. I have used Webasto combo heaters (717 tandem) with great success, love it so much I have one in my 6.0! Its nice to go shopping or to the movie at -20 and come out to a toasty warm vehicle.

[@allanmccullough8550]

@@fredg8199 My Webasto didn't start one am in SD was minus 20F 1996 Pete with a 5EK started ok but it did sputter a bit.

[@4flexo75]

Don't forget about Webasto's heaters

[@davidscott5903]

Those are neat, but they are way expensive! I was going to get one after I noticed your post, but then I saw the price. $1500 is a lot!

[@nativeoutdoors1780]

@@davidscott5903 thanks for saying the price, it's cool to know these things exist but hehe sometimes I can't afford some of the cooler tech.

[@grayguy19]

I like the coolant circulation heater the one I had would keep the coolant at about 90 to 120 degrees and because it has its own pump so you can use the heater and it usually would keep the whole engine compartment warm... Also they normally run tank blanket when you run up north

[@bobyjones2103]

Webasto coolant heater is a very good option for cold weather, you can program it the day before to turn on 2 hours before you wanna start your truck, and then once your at the truck early in the morning freezing cold, the truck starts up like it's summer time 👌

[@chipperfluffy]

I had one of these b4! They are bad a$$

[@assassinlexx1993]

We use a no name inline water heater. It worked great plus it blew hot air soon as the engine was running.

[@UCs6ktlulE5BEeb3vBBOu6DQ]

I never touched a diesel but from watching many videos, poneys that crank the engine while providing oil pressure and that the exhaust go through a air intake heat exchanger is the most awesome idea I've seen!

[@quirinonavarro1857]

4:48 That is absolutely true, most of us will said that the oil in contact with a steel oil pan will cool the oil down... I can see that you know exactly what are you talking about. Saludos.

[@detroitgarage9430]

Great video, on my Detroit I run both a coolant heater and oil pan heater.

[@jarredri]

5w-40 is a beautiful thing for my old 24 valve Cummins makes a world of difference in cold weather starting

[@notj5712]

In Fairbanks, we had oil, battery, coolant and sometimes cabin heaters. Plugged in at home, plugged in at the supermarket, plugged in at work, and that was just for the gas cars.

[@AdeptApe]

Do most stores have electrical connectors in the parking lot for this? Seems weird to me being in the continental US.

[@noahlarson1861]

Had a buddy stationed up there years ago. Said you would have to go into winter with 5 or 6 extra serpentine belts in your car that you had used for a week or so during the summer to loosen them up. In winter, i guess they would snap all the time. Sound like fun. Lol

[@notj5712]

@@AdeptApe Yep, at the head of the stalls, about waist height.

[@Zak6959]

No auxiliary engine heaters mentioned such Espar or Wabasto. Not all truckers have access to a 110 outlet in northern Canada or on the road in general. Better to run one of those than your engine all night.

[@donmunro144]

A trick we use on log skidders is make a pair of jumper hoses with quick connections. Tee into the heater hosees on the pickup truck and on the skidder. Put a shut off valve to control flow rate. You don't want full flow or you'll warp the aluminum heads on your pickup.The block will go snow white then back to normal color. Then skidder will start like a summer day. Another trick is a length or 4 inch flex pipe shoved on the tailpipe of pickup,the other end blows on the oil pan.

[@davidscott5903]

Yeah, but how do you start the truck?

[@donmunro144]

@David Scott the truck is parked at the house where it can be plugged in. Then obviously it get driven to where the equipment is parked.

[@davidscott5903]

@@donmunro144 Ok.👍

[@OShackHennessy]

@@davidscott5903 you use another truck to start the starting truck. Duh

[@acemannotsomeother]

Told a guy at work about the block heater in December, he then plugged the work truck in at the end of the day and solved his problem cold starting . Next time I was in the shop early in the morning was in May. He was still using the block heater even when the temperature outside was well above freezing! $$$

[@kizerbread]

Peg knows the best ways to cold start an engine. I learned about swapping spit to heat up the engine watching him lol #slavelake

[@Mighty-Quinn]

Hell yeah that minty sob can get anything running in the cold!

[@MrJeepin88]

Just add Cosby in a can

[@advanceddiesel7766]

CONSENT IN A CAN 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Joystickoperator]

Cosby sauce

[@victormcox]

I have an oil heater in the shop that I have waited for this video to confirm that I should install it! Thank you sir for your time and effort.

[@glovierstreeservice3271]

Same here Lol

[@victormcox]

@@glovierstreeservice3271 I didn't know how hot these things get and I didn't want to degrade the life of my oil. Mine looks like a short water heater element. I'm going to put mine in a available port on the bottom side of my oil pan. It's a C15 Cat. The blank port is the same level as my oil drain. do you know if there is any clearance issues once installed?

[@glovierstreeservice3271]

@@victormcox I dont know about the clearance

[@SocialistDistancing]

I made a lot of money towing semis from the USA that came to Canada running #2. Another thing that fuel will do is plug the vents and all the fuel run to one tank and then draw from the empty tank. Plenty of fun solving those problems Even though we have additives in our fuel , I always put in fuel conditioner. The other mistake that operators do is not cover up the front. It's a lot more difficult keeping that engine warm when it starts dropping below -15c. A belly bag/blanket is also a good idea if your operating in -20c or colder. On my personal vehicle (gasoline) , it's a block heater and a battery maintainer. I've also used battery blankets. If you have none of those things, I suggest using one or two high wattage bulbs/work lights under the hood, covered by a blanket to keep the heat in. It will bring the block temperature up. When you live in an inhospitable environment, you learn to improvise. It's been -30c to -38c all week.

[@AdeptApe]

It's been cold here this week, but not -30. I've started using just a cab heater to help get the ice off the windows and helps from turning the heater on immediately, which in turn helps the engine warm up a little faster.

[@SocialistDistancing]

@@AdeptApe yes, it's been brutal.cold here. -38c last night. Calgary was -42c. Every little bit helps when getting a engine running in these temperatures. They were not designed to run in these extreme so getting them to operating temperature takes a lot more effort and resources.

[@ralfie8801]

We pretty much can’t buy any incandescent 100W bulbs here in the US anymore, and the others available don’t make enough heat to matter.

[@ChevyConQueso]

Other alternative methods: heat gun or propane torch near the air intake, or torpedo heater over the aftercooler if you have one. We have a 7.3 PSD Superduty with a bunch of glow plugs out, and the grid heater could barely be called that. You can't feed it warm air pre-turbo or the aftercooler cools it back down too much. I put a torpedo heater pointed down on the cooler with the hood popped, give it a minute to heat the air charge, and fire it right up. Works pretty well for the really cold days we've been without electricity for the block heater.

[@sumduma55]

After the states in the video, the two most important cold start tips for freezing temperatures in my opinion would be to turn tgr key on and wait about 30 or 40 seconds after the flash does its thing to let the glow plugs cycle and to push in the clutch on standard trans regardless of it it is in neutral or not. I sometimes will let the glow plugs cycle twice before attempting to turn it over. The clutch disengage the transmission so the starter isn't turning over the mass of the trans components. It gives a slightly faster crank and your batteries will last a bit longer in the cold start situation.

[@jaydunbar7538]

Fine advice for passenger vehicles, but these old yellow motors have no such fancy heating contraptions. 👍 pushing the clutch helps, not something most think about. On my old 7.3 I'll cycle the glow plugs 3 or 4 times before I even try to start it when its down in the -30/-40s.

[@AdeptApe]

Pushing in the clutch does help reduce the starter load.

[@petermolnar8667]

I never cycle the ignition in cars, instead I listen to the relay clicking. Usually the glow plugs actually stay on twice as long as the indicator is telling you :)

[@gumby511]

@@jaydunbar7538 heck. I have to do that on my 7.3s even at 30 degrees.

[@ralfie8801]

Most modern vehicles have a safety interlock that won’t allow you to even crank it until the clutch pedal is pushed in, and they’ve been that way forever. I bought a new 1979 Chevrolet 1/2 ton with a 4 speed and it came with a clutch interlock switch on it, but it was disabled the first time it came loose from the clutch pedal arm and wouldn’t crank. I had to coast it down hill and dump the clutch to get home. Found the switch had fallen off the clutch pedal arm the next day and promptly cut the switch off and connected the wires together for a permanent fix.

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

I dump plenty of anti-gel in my trucks in winter. I also added regulated fuel return systems to heat my diesel. When it gets bitter cold I add some 100% isopropyl alcohol to keep from gelling. Do it very often and it can dry out your injectors...

[@nighttrain3926]

i got a webasto, and the timer for it, set it for half hr or hr befor fire n good to go, powered off truck batts no 120v, i also plumped it into my artic fox inframe barrel fuel heater, so pre heats fuel also

[@SUMMIT556]

So up in the Alaska arctic oil field we install oil pan pad heaters and also block/coolant heaters. When it's -50 degrees fahrenheit or less we use heat trailers to warm up the engine. Those suckers run at 1500 rpm from fall and then shut down in spring. One driver let one idle at 900rpm all night and the coolant cooled down to 40 degrees and pushed all the oil past the rings and into the exhaust and made a good inspection window in the block. But then a piece of block grounded the positive on the starter and caught the engine bay on fire

[@dazaspc]

Had a great laugh there with the picture of the fuel filter. It reminded me of the first time I had to work on a diesel that was running on chip oil.

[@jameshood3692]

Them damn inlet air heater will get apprentices with ether everytime🧨

[@viktortulbya2107]

👍 i was just cleaning and inspecting a N14 oil filter housing and was asking myself why in the world does it need a oil filter bypass? Now i know. Thanks!

[@dzrdr65]

Outstanding information for the trucker. For the logger I have set up a canadian system where I run 2 hoses from my pickup to the equipment circulating hot coolant from running pickup to cold skidder/dozer/excavator etc . Must be the same coolant. 30 min and head temp which is critical for combustion is up high enough to flash off upon cranking as long as fuel is moving. Used at -20F and away we go. Also run into intake flame heater's where you inject raw fuel onto glow plug in intake and intentionally start fire in intake just prior to cranking to increase combustion chamber temp. Found on komaysu and perkins so far.

[@AdeptApe]

That's a pretty good idea. Did you make some quick connects similar to a PTO to a trailer or something?

[@dzrdr65]

@@AdeptApe 3/4" heater hose with quick connect both ends. coil them up in a bag when not in use to keep them safe. About 15' long . If you have a specific piece you are starting cut to length that works. If you're starting everything the one that takes the most hose is what you have to go with for length. Probably holds an additional gallon of coolant tho.

[@allanmccullough8550]

The 120v heaters are about 1500 watts and if you leave it on all night that cost a lot. I use a diesel fired coolant heater that will get engine warm when below 0 f in two hours or less and I don't require 120 volts supply. When the engine is warm the oil heats up pretty quick.

[@ridgerunner106]

I used to have a 17 A Cat D7 dozer. Came with a pony motor. I can cold start anything now.

[@krazykyfan]

Seeing that NF Southern engine spewing fire in the beginning of the video gave me a good laugh. My father-in-law used to work for CSX and told me stories about some poorly maintained NF Southern trains. Funny story about cold weather and diesel engines. My grandfather owned a sawmill and logging business when I was growing up in western KY. The weather in the winter would not get brutally cold like up north, but would have mornings where the temp was in the low teens from time to time. My dad was driving into the woods early one morning and the log crew had a fire built under their old Timberjack skidder. Apparently that was their way of heating the oil and engine up to get it started lol. Very informative video and very well done sir!

[@VE4GAG]

Back in the 1980's my Dad and I were adding a small car engine and later diesel Genset engines for added oil heating. No radiator was used engine coolant was pumped through the heaters first and returned back through the main engine, a 90 amp alternator was added for battery charging, cabin power and lighting.

[@stephensafraniii3396]

Amen.

[@adventurousairman]

In Alaska we use all of the heaters to get rigs running with minimal wear

[@Hipsters_N_Hippies]

Honestly Alaska is the reason that the last generation of the Dodge Dart came with the option for a block heater. (And subsequent recalls for the dual clutch automatics in extreme temps) There may be other fiat’s/Chrysler’s/dodges/jeeps that have that option too. Since the powerplants are shared.

[@NastyCustoms5150]

Thanks for all you do, I use information I learn on this channel almost daily, thanks again for the continuing education!

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Those little Kim hotstart thermosiphoning heaters are nice. Most of the gens I see under 250kw or so have a plenty warm block ,and the oil pan (by feel) isn't far behind it. On a vehicle it's gonna have to circulate for quite a long time to be able to soak into the oil too though.

[@scuddrunner1]

1st time diesel owner, '15 Super Duty owner and I want to know EVERYTHING about it. Thank you for letting us know all about it.

[@AdeptApe]

Well there is definitely hours worth of information that could be spent discussing this, but this is a good start.

[@Krankie_V]

I think you did a great job explaining this stuff for those who aren't experienced with diesels. 👍

[@Onemanstrash1]

Diesel fired coolant heater , I don't even remember where the block heater cord is on my 07 Duramax. And I don't wait for the glowplug light to go out...

[@tonytango6676]

Oil pan blanket is not going to retain any heat after an hour or two of -40 temperatures. Background I am a Canadian who has lived in northern Canada. Otherwise, I agree with the rest of your comments.

[@pistolcutler4874]

I knew that i was going where it was going to be really cold, so i added a block heater and a two battery tender. It was -15 degrees, and the truck was ready to start in less than a minute it it didn't work at all to start.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

1 thing Josh didn’t mention was a fuel additive I liked BG it helped & a time or 2 I just let the engine idle all night didn’t like that. Thank you Josh for your help with this video

[@grumpymunchkin2959]

Lived and trucked in the Northwest Territories Canada for 8 years. Block heaters, oil pan heaters, battery blankets, 0-40 synthetic, fully closed rad cover, fully closed in belly tarp, wrapped exhaust and insulated burner box. Insulated def tank and lines, insulated fuel tank,lines and filter, anti gelling additives, methal hydrate in the air system, wrapped and heated air dryer……..and your truck would still freeze up.

[@Backyardmech1]

I’m a fan of both. If you’re in an environment where the freezing temperatures get to the negative extremes, both will be great. If you live in a place where temperatures are rarely freezing for significant amounts of time, either will get you going sooner.

[@jeanettewest]

I have owned a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 with the 488 cubic inch V-10 since 2004. I have 700W block heater, 150W heaters on the transmission pan, engine oil pan, 50W heater on the power steering oil reservoir, 80W battery blanket, and a small, waterproof trickle charger. I plug it in and I'm good to go. For when the temps fall past -15* I have a 1500W circulating heater. I have never had a problem with my truck except for normal maintenance.

[@richardcranium5839]

the proper APU takes care of everything. worth every penny

[@620JK]

My w9 3406e comes home with me daily. This is my setup when the cold months roll in. I make a 50/50 blend of T6 5w40 with T4 15w40, oil pan heater and the block heater. Inside the cab I run a space heater. She’s never let me down once and I know there’s good oil flow and lubrication on startup. Also before every winter I run a draw test and clean and lubricate every battery/wire terminal

[@xxch4osxx]

Why not just run Rotella T6 0w40 oil?

[@rileynelson6447]

I used to live in Fairbanks, AK, and I found most guys there, no matter what car, pickup or semi or industrial equipment they run, they put all of the above on. Plus a stick on fuel tank heater and heat trace on the fuel line. Then a tarp that goes from the top of the radiator down under the engine and ends somewhere near the transmission. That last one is more ice road truckers in Canada but still, when you're hundreds of miles from civilization in -50f cold, you're going to do everything to make sure your truck isn't going to fail

[@Todd66]

I had a Jetta TDI, I installed a coolant heater. I swear by them. Did not matter the temp, my TDI would fire right up with heat from the heater nice and toasty warm. After so much luck with that, I installed one in my Suzuki Samurai. It was much easier to install and did a terrific job as well.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Diesel tractors in the past often used pony motor starting, which proved to be quite effective in cold weather.

[@MrGringo466]

8:10 Batteries rely on chemical reactions, chemical reactions slow down as temperature drops. Less reactions, less power but i think you explained it well enough

[@TheMommabear02]

I wish i could have you for coffee and a good evening of problem solving! You’re an awesome mechanic, I’ve learned much from your videos and experience. But id like to have the opportunity to teach you about temperatures, below 32 degrees and around and below-40….. I deal with that every winter. I love the effort you put into your videos Josh!

[@samwagner31]

My father in law used to work in the oil fields in North dakota. Their remedy to fighting the cold was to basically never shut their trucks off. They would high idle them during shift change and the next crew would do the same. They only got shut off in the shop.

[@dougc190]

That's what my company told me to. they barely had 100,000 miles on them but have the hours of a 500,000 plus mile truck

[@prairiegold6870]

500,000 hours doesn't matter because there is very little engine wear. Diesel engines take many hours to get to operating temperature.

[@bm_videa]

I always wondered why the coolant heaters such as webasto are sold as all-in-one solution for cold weather engine health solution. warm engine block, engine oil and battery are far more important. Thanks for the video, very nice summary of this topic.

[@bobvedder2451]

I live in central Alaska, the temps usually get into the negative degrees every winter every vehicle up here has a plug hanging out of the rig to be plugged in

[@oby-1607]

I use a Webasto coolant engine heater with a timer. Works excellent. Engine starts immediately and the heater is warm almost instantly.

[@jacobbleary4806]

Cool thanks brother hopefully my truck works now in the cold. My cord was FUBAR, but element was still good. Cords like 23 years old, so definitely ok with changing that out.

[@oldbiker9739]

my greatest friend when working in the Yukon was a parachute and a propane tank and torch

[@RedDeadSpearhead]

I just picked up a 5.9 cummins that I'm going to fully go through, as well as build the truck (dodge frame, 83 Ford body). As I go through the planning process, I have in my mind the idea of a 3 plug connector hanging out to be plugged in, and on this plug, I'll have a block heater, battery tender, and Fass filter heater. Glad I'm on the right track with my plan, and thanks for reaffirming a pan heater as a decent option.

[@SuperSecretSquirell]

I put a maintainer on each battery in my old 24 Valve and fed all three plugs into one so I only had to deal with 1 cord to mess with everyday.

[@sloppyredneck4891]

I do commercial vehicle alignments, and light duty chassis repair. This is very interesting information though

[@redbaron242]

I didn't even know what #1 and # 2 diesel was. It was not till i drove to the US for the first time, that i seen it at the pump. No such thing up here in Canada. Are fuel blend changes every month, so we get perfect fuel every time of the year.

[@dingo5208]

I have a gas 5.7 hemi. I run a block heater, battery blanket and oil pan heater, they call that the arctic package and yes I used it in the arctic. My truck started every time in -60 so they all work, but as a package. The block heater and oil pan heater especially although my battery is 8 years old... Synthetic oil helps too.

[@wmden1]

This is an interesting, informative and well done video. Thanks for the useful information, without any extraneous BS.

[@richardsimms251]

Great video. RS. Canada

[@brianlittleforest631]

Good video ty. An ancedote; I had a 800a 12v battery freeze on me in 2015. It was on a project truck and I put a charger on it in the fall and come February the temps got past -30 celsius for a few weeks. I eventually thought to check on the batteries and 1 of them had popped the lid, the case was bulged and had oozed out a bunch of slush.

[@semmble2k7]

We install a lot of Webasto coolant heaters in Northern b.c. they work great

[@2009mechanic]

I have actually used the battery blankets , frost plug heaters and 1.0Amp on board trickle chargers on my 5.3 L gas GM truck engine. It sits outside. I pkug them all into a splitter under the hood and then into a timer on the wall so it doesn't run all night long. I only use it below zero.

[@truracer20]

In highschool (1993/4) I worked for a OTR trucking company that put disposable baby diapers ie pampers on their fuel filters in the winter. They ran a mix of 855 Cummins and 3406A and 3406B engines.

[@Jon_Flys_RC]

Coolant heats the block, block heats the oil pan, pan heats the oil. My 7.3 will heat the oil pan enough that it’s warm to the touch on the outside after being plugged in overnight. Proper oil weight for the operating environment is just as critical as starting aids. Switching to 5W-40 synthetic has done wonders for cold start performance.

[@johnpyle8027]

I just put a block heater and an oil pan heater on my tractor I bought early last spring. I'll see how it works soon. I will also use a fuel additive. It was harder to start than I liked in early spring. I live in the Midwest so it's never -20 I just want to prolong the life of the engine.

[@akfarmboy49]

I live in Fairbanks Alaska and your advice is correct.

[@thumbzhenry4664]

Any advice for a guy wanting to move from Texas to southern alaska?

[@akfarmboy49]

Wait till summer time.

[@akfarmboy49]

At -40 you have to block heater and oil Pan heater.

[@moonolyth]

Going with an oil pan heater for my parts cleaning bath and a couple of 120f. Thermo switches. Thanks Much Man.

[@castirondude]

If you only occasionally travel to the super cold areas, the magnetic oil pan heaters work really well. They heat the oil and the heat travels up towards the rest of the engine. You can get 2-3 of them if you want. You snap them on after you shut down and remove them before you leave. The only limitation is that a lot of Cat engines have cast aluminum oil pans so they don't work on that.

[@TheMajictech]

Most of the newer diesel engines have a plastic oil pan too. Lame!

[@leemartin3060]

I know this would fall under the auspice is of a jacket water heater, but I wish hydronic heaters would’ve been touched on. There are a lot of operators and a lot of technicians who do not know that these even exist level on how they work. Otherwise this channel is always doing a great job! Very little criticism I can offer, and definitely keep up the good work!

[@bighorn9119]

My dad has a 6.7 Cummins diesel and since we live in California we always run 15W40

[@leighboise6028]

-32 here in Montana, I think I need all of these

[@rickvonderchek6898]

In the 70s growing up on a dairy farm we always had a flood light on the oil pans in winter are diesel tractors always started

[@andya857]

I live in Northern Quebec .Deep woods deliveries .I use oil dip stick and block heater .Buy a high amp battery, never had a starting problem even at minus 45...Unimog...