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Cold temps and the 6.2L

Volare

Volare

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Carbondale, Colorado
Alright guys,

As some of you know I'm moving into the mountains this winter and I will be bring my 6.2 with me.

What Do I need to do to make sure she fires on the coldest of coldest days. (up to -30F)

The glow plugs and relay are brand new. (installed last spring). I think i will go and get 2 brand new batterys.

I did a coolant flush and it's good to -40F.

So what do you guys suggest I do to prep her for the winter months in the mountains?

Thanks,
 
Block heater...

An hour or two before needing to start usually does the trick. Set it up on a timer at home.

Rene
 
A cold weather front will help with your heater working in the cold as well... This is the one on my '83:

2008-01-29_018.jpg


The center comes off and leaves a bug screen over the grill for the summer months too:
flatbed_test.jpg
 
Volare said:
I think i will go and get 2 brand new batterys
Click to expand...

You should also get new battery cables that are larger than stock. I ran 2 ga battery cables on my '79 with a 6.2L and could start it off of 1 battery at -10 deg F (block heater assisted of course).
 
Park it in a sheltered place, even if you buy a canvas car port for it. Makes a huge difference keeping it out of the wind, especially when it comes to trying to warm the engine up with a block heater (wind will suck heat out of an engine like you wouldn't believe!)

You might also want to consider replacing the glow plugs with some 60g units if you haven't already done so, then install a manual switch to glow the plugs longer than the factory relay will do so for you.

Finally, if its cold all the time like that, you might want to consider some sort of an inline coolant heater that circulates the coolant around the engine block. Either an electric unit, or a diesel fired unit.
 
Well here is the deal.

I will have to drive to work each day. Overnight is what i'm worried about. During the day while it's parked at work I wont be able to plug it in. I'm not so worried about the day. It's the overnight temps that i'm worried about. I have to walk out the door at 5am each morning. I'm sure the people that live around me will love me when i'm out there cranking it at 4:45 in the morning. But it will only be for 4 days out of the week. So i'm not worried about it.

Any of you guys know where I can find Power Service Artic Express Diesel Fuel AntiGel? Surely you guys up in Canada of heard of this stuff.
 
ok I see why you're asking about that engine oil now.

3 things for sure, full winter front. you can even pull your fan off the engine in the coldest winter months. you'll have a hard enough time making heat without that big old fan working against you. you'll be hard pressed to keep it at operating temp while daily driving with the fan in there. I know of a guy in Montana that pulls the fan from is 12v dodge from Nov-Mar every year for 7-8 years now.

that inline coolant heater like whats in that other thread is 100x better than a block heater. outside of that inline electric. if you want to spend the bucks (and they are bucks well spent) get an Espar, Proheat, Webasto.... diesel fired coolant heater. set the timer up and never have to worry about plugins again. Have cab heat in minutes.

0w-40 engine oil. I generally run it from Thanksgiving to May long weekend. then back to my drum of Caterpillar 15w-40 in the summer.

I use power service often......I recommend run the white bottle in winter and the grey bottle in summer. the white power service has antigel in it already. plus cetain boosters and lubrication. http://www.powerservice.com/dfs/
 
I just bought an Espar Hydronic D5 through my shop, with a 7 day electronic programmable control module. I decided enough is enough, I don't like the cold. there is also a trigger wire tha comes off the control module that you can run to a relay to tie into your dash blower motor.....SO it'll maintain your coolant at 140* or whatever its set at circulate it with its internal pump, AND run your fan to heat your interior.


Espar Hydronic D5 Coolant Heaters

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actually heres a really good cold start vid of how a 24v ISB cummins goes into 3 cylinder cutout. runs about 45 seconds kick into high idle after another minute (2:14 of vid) drops 3 cylinders. filmed in good old suckhole Alberta at -58c with windchill. Electronics are good for somethings..........

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When I got mine I was advised to put it 3/4 of the way to the floor on start up in the cold days. The guy said the throttle was automatically about at half throttle but a little more was good when it was cold.
 
The throttle is never automatically at 1/2 throttle. The guy was probably a little confused by the HPCA when the truck was cold.

Rene
 
It was the dealer I bought my truck from and you've probably read my mutterings about him and his shysterness.
 
The factory owner's manual tells you to give it some throttle when starting....been awhile since I looked but I believe it states maybe 1/2 throttle when reasonably warm, and full throttle when really cold.
 
6.2Blazer said:
The factory owner's manual tells you to give it some throttle when starting....been awhile since I looked but I believe it states maybe 1/2 throttle when reasonably warm, and full throttle when really cold.
Click to expand...

Hmm first time I have heard of this...

Well it's same temp as yesterday and i'm about to go out and start it. Will record it again but will have foot 1/2 pressed on tottle. Dont want to do a full thorttle start...
 
Flip the drivers side sun visor down...the starting instructions are right there.

I use about 1/8th throttle most of the year...unless it's already warmed up. Coldest I've started it at lately was about 45 F.

rene
 
Volare said:
Hmm first time I have heard of this...

Well it's same temp as yesterday and i'm about to go out and start it. Will record it again but will have foot 1/2 pressed on tottle. Dont want to do a full thorttle start...
Click to expand...

If it's really cold you might have to. Just let off the throttle when she catches so you don't run her into the governor before she gets oil flowing :doah:
 
If it's cold enough to have to use full throttle to start it you don't have to be lightning fast to keep it off the govenor...

I'd never start it warm like that though, cuz it probably would hit the gov before I could get my foot out of it.

Rene
 
I have never gave it 1/8 or any thottle to start any of my diesels when it's cold....

Hmm i'm gonna go out and read the sun visor...
 
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