My block heater wasnt working

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member

Location

Woodville, Ontario, Canada

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

Yesterday morning it dipped to-20F. I had the tractor plugged in all night, cause I need it before sunrise to feed cows. Yesterday morning no start. I checked the plug, looked ok. Follows back to engine block.

Suppose to be 2 pins on block heater, one is apparently missing. I needed the tractor, so I rigged up a 100watt incandescent light bulb on a pig tail , against both sides of the engine block. And shrouded it in with cardboard
After a few hours I tried the tractor, and it started up. Hows that for old school technique

Wondered at the time if I was wasting my efforts, but it paid off.

 

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Eric in IL

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

What do you think was the culprit there ? Bad plug that created arcing ?

The neighbors burned a 9600 Ford a few years ago due to a bad cord on a block heater. I've tried to be more cautious since their loss.

 

OP

OP

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member

Location

Woodville, Ontario, Canada

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

No idea, but the pin is stuck in the rubber cord end

 

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Fritz Maurer

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

How do you guys make any money up there? Your heating and electric bills must be murder. Hasnt been -20 here in about that many years.

 

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cjunrau

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

When that happens to me I usually throw blankets over and tiger torch under in a special barrel and 15-20 minutes and away we go. But I like your idea.

 

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OP

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member

Location

Woodville, Ontario, Canada

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

We make a cool profit, and store it in a snow bank !!

 

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in-too-deep

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

That's a bad feeling when animals are expecting you, and your equipment does the ruh-ruh-ruh-nope. On to Plan B!

 

rusty6

Well-known Member

Location

East central Sask.

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

(quoted from post at 07:49:58 01/12/22) How do you guys make any money up there? Your heating and electric bills must be murder. Hasnt been -20 here in about that many years.

Click to expand...

We might spend a little more on heating up here but I spend zero on air conditioning through the summer. Seriously, my heating bill averages $70 a month for the whole year. Natural gas.

 

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aFORDable

Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

 

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fastfarmall

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

I got two magnetic heaters i put on the oil pan, in a emergency !!

 

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Bud Sather in MT

Member

Location

Glasgow, Mt

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

My solution is 6 inch elbow with 4 feet of straight pipe. I use galvanized pipe. Put under tractor with elbow up under the oil pan. I lay my weed burner in the end of the straight and light it. You do not need the torch turned up much. It is amazing the heat coming through the elbow. I like it as there is no flame under the tractor. Faster results put a tarp over the engine making sure the torch does not touch the tarp. Amazing how soon you will be able to start your tractor. Bud

 

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miangus

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

I know that feelin. Monday I went to haul bales and the three point control on my 4020 was frozen. I was a little annoyed as I had installed a new cable last summer to avoid this issue. Instead of taking the time to unthaw I jerked on the lever and broke the lever on the dash. I had to remove the cowling and run the control with vice grips after I put a heater on it to unthaw the cable.

 

Tom in TN

Well-known Member

Location

Southern Middle Tennessee

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

I was stationed in Winter Harbor, ME many years ago when I was in the Navy. My wife and I lived in a mobile home off the base so I had to commute to the base every day. We had an old 1955 Dodge that wouldn't even think about starting in cold weather. I finally started putting a 100 watt trouble light next to the carburetor and covered it with a blanket. The old Dodge roared to life every morning.

Tom in TN

 

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Two0aks

Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

We had (A little less heat) so far when it dipped to +28 for a couple of days. I don't know what real cold is, but rain is another matter. Here in Or-e-gun 238 people fell off their bicycle last year and drowned.

Bill

PS. Good job on the light bulb. Necessity is the mother of invention and you can't get that at the hardware store.

 

timcasbolt

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

An electric dipstick heater is another solution.

 

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Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

A tarp over the hood that reaches all the way down to the floor and then stick a torpedo heater under the rear axle pointing foeward will work every time it's tried. BTDT. (;>)) Used to do that after the morning milking on the way to breakfast. After breakfast the tractor engine would be hot to the touch.

 

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Ken Macfarlane

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

I'm surprised, neither of our Kubotas has a block heater, will start on glow plugs only down to -35 C, that's as cold as we get here in NB.

 

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MARK ROBKE

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

I probably would have set my salamander (torpedo) heater up on something and aimed it at the engine; but you have to be careful, keeping several feet away! Well, anyway, it looks like the heater will be easy to replace-just put some die-electric grease on the plug when you install it.
There are some interesting videos on u-tube about cold starts, like guys pulling the intake boot off and holding burning rags so while cranking, it sucks the fire into the intake manifold. Mark.

 

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sms

Well-known Member

• Jan 12, 2022

• #1

Remember heat lamp bulbs?

 

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caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

• Jan 13, 2022

• #1

We just pulled them out of the way and used a different tractor till that one was fixed. Not going to get antifreeze all over me to switch it with the engine full. Might need to do that method on a Stieger next week. Block heater was not working on it either.