diesel heaters in winter?

[K5dreamer]

hey all,

I finally struck up a deal and am going out to buy a 1986 M1009 blazer this sunday, $1500 dollars to buy, but with body work and some mechanical repairs will wind up being about 2k more than that, but still a great deal in my book. it only hs 56k miles on it

I did have a question though. with winter coming he says it takes a long time to get the inside of the truck warm cuz the truck only runs around 140 degrees or so. is that normal with diesels??? cold dosnt bother me, but i tend to date girls that prefer to be warm, are aftermarket electrical heaters pretty typical with these trucks? if so, what brand/model do yall prefer?

-e

 

[diesel4me]

My truck isn't "cold"..

My 82 K20 with a 6.2 isn't that "cold" in winter..I do notice the heat isn't as "hot" as a gas motor heater gets with a 195 degree T-stat,but I've never been dissapointed in the heater in my truck,--I don't even know what temp the thermostat is in it ! (never looked to see if it even HAS one in it!)..

It will "cool off" if you let it idle for several minutes,but if your driving it,it stays more than warm enough..most diesels run "cold" at idle--my VW Jetta diesel would blow icicles out of the heater on days below 20 degrees at red lights,then heat right up again once you took off and drove a short distance..would bake you as long as you were moving..

I don't think you'll need any aftermarket heaters,but it would be interesting to see if anyone uses one,and how well they work,how costly,etc...I have brought a small "sunflower" propane type heater along in my truck while plowing,so I can take breaks, and not have to leave it running constantly..doesn't take much heat to keep a pickup cab comfy..

You could always tell your girlfriend the heater isn't working well,and you'll have to snuggle up if she wants to get "heated up!"... --If she says no,then maybe you need a new girlfriend!...

 

[K5dreamer]

thanks for the heads up, im new to diesels and learning as i go, when he told me it ran at 140 i was a bit worried especially because hes put a new thermostat in the truck already. so its nice piece of mind to hear that its a normal thing for the trucks, just another quirk to get used to i guess.

as for the girlfriend, dont have one right now, but i was a boyscout, and you know us, we always like to be prepaired just in case........ that includes no back seat in the truck and a few blankets on hand

 

[tRustyK5]

They run cold at idle because they're using such a tiny amount of fuel. The good part about that is I never worry about the truck overheating while sitting in traffic, or with extended low speed wheeling.

Rene

 

[jdemaris]

I've got over a dozen vehicles with 6.2 diesels and the heat has never been an issue. They have larger cooling systems then gas-engines, so they don't heat up as well when not being used. But - of any that I have - once started and driven a little -heat has always been fine. Two of my trucks that are off road - used on my farm - can sit an idle for hours in 0-20 degree F weather and heat is fine. Same goes for my Isuzu and Ford IH diesels. Now - driving down the highway at 70 MPH on a minus 20 degree day - can be a problem - and to get heat in those conditions - a front-grille cover helps a lot. My 1982 6.2 truck and 87 6.2 Suburban both have snap-on grille covers that came as factory options. In reality - when it's 20 below - I don't tend to hit the highway with my diesels - not worth the risk of gelling fuel.
Any diesel, needs to run fairly hot and a 6.2 should have at least a 185F - better yet a 190F thermostat for winter use. If they are run colder, they carbon up too much and do not run as efficiently.
The 6.2s also need block heaters and fuel heaters. A small wattage freeze-plug block heater is usually standard - but it takes hours. On some of my plow trucks - I also have high-amp tank-type heaters also installed. Then, if I find out some morning that I need a truck to plow snow - I can plug in the large heater and have it going in half and hour - even when it's twenty-below zero.
In regard to fuel-heaters - as far as I know - all the 6.2s have them as standard equipment. The first 6.2s, in 1982, had a separate fuel heater under the intake-manifold. Later, the heater was built into the rectangular fuel-filter holder.

 

[K5dreamer]

I dont think the grill covers and such will be too much of an issue, i live in northern virginia and temps rarely get below 20 degrees, normally even in winter we look at 30 or so degrees F. just enough to snow. the truck did come with a block heater, although its not installed, i havent looked closely at it but it definatly seems larger than a freeze plug heater. its about a 5x7in aluminum block.

but thanks again everyone for the replys, ill be sure to keep this stuff in mind come wintertime.