Cold weather start

Why Worry · Feb 27, 2014

Howdy,

Have a possibly boneheaded question but that never stopped me before....

Here in NW Missouri, we are supposed to get yet another winter storm that includes 8-9 of wonderful snow plus single digit temps..

Our Deutz 5506 is really hard to start when cold so I"m toying with the idea of making sure it"s fueled up and let it run for a few days while the storm does its thing. That way I can keep our lane clear.

Have any of you more experienced/seasoned guys ever done something like this?

JerryMT · Feb 27, 2014

I don't think "... let it run for a few days while the storm does its thing." is a good idea!
Idling diesels for a long time (several days) is not a good way to warm the up.
Is this an air cooled diesel?Is there anyway you can warm it up before you attempt to start it with external heat (torpedo heater, heat lamp, milkhouse heater, etc)? If it's a water cooled engine, is there a block heater or a tank heater available for it? That's the best way to start a diesel in cold wether. There are also maybe a Thermostart kit.

Nate V. IA · Feb 27, 2014

Not the first time I've heard of this being done. Is that an air-cooled engine?

The only thing I would worry about is if you were to loose oil pressure for whatever reason, an unattended engine with no oil pressure equals time for rebuild/replace.

the tractor vet · Feb 27, 2014

On your tractor here i am no expert as i have only worked on two . On a normal diesel engine letting them run is the fact that you need to keep cylinder temps up so that the fuel is burnt and not washing the cylinder wall from unburnt fuel . On a liquid cooled diesel the experts use to say water temp should stay above 170 and idle speed should be above 1000 RPM . Back in the day of trucking in this weather my truck got started on Monday morning and was never shut down till late Friday or early Saturday . At night or when ever ya had a chance to lay down and get some sleep to keep engine temp up i had a air switch that i could close the shutters inft. of the rad. and i would set the hand throttle for that sweet spot where the engine vibration was smoothed out and on my truck it was around 1250 and fall into the bunk and die . Engine temp stayed around 180-to 190 . For your air cooled man i don't know what to tell ya . Build a platform in ft. of the tractor high enough to set a space heater on it to blew into the air box and warm it up before you try and start it ??? Take up Residents in Air e Zonie for the winter ??

OliverGuy · Feb 27, 2014

Not exactly the same, but my smaller Kubota and new holland diesel equipment I clear sidewalks with have ran for days before. It was windchills of -40 so i just let them run because i thought they may not start again.

Why Worry · Feb 27, 2014

Thanks for the input guys!!!

It is an air cooled engine.

Bob M · Feb 27, 2014

You could do it. But idling that long in extreme cold is HARD on a diesel - and especially to an air-cooled one. You're gonna get all sorts of condensation, soot, possibly some unburned fuel, etc. in the oil. It will also "wet stack" badly, slobbering nasty black gunk out the exhaust. And you'll be burning 10+ gallons of diesel per day. That's NOT cheap ($3.99 for ag ("red") diesel in western NY right now...)

Also should the tractor happen to run out of fuel you now gotta go through and purge the air from the fuel system to get it running again. Not a pleasant job in extreme cold!

A better strategy is to preheat the engine for an hour or two with a torpedo heater when needed. Or place a 500 watt halogen work light aimed directly at the intake manifold for a while before attempting a cold start.

Dick2 · Feb 27, 2014

The trucking industry says that 1 hour of idling a Diesel engine causes engine wear equivalent to 8 hours of driving time.

Is there some way that you can keep the engine warm? Electric blanket?

DeltaRed · Feb 27, 2014

If you have access to electricity,ste a heat lamp under and throw a blanket over the top.A sort of 'tent'.

Russ from MN · Feb 27, 2014

They make glue on oil pan heaters that work well, or you could put multiple magnetic ones on the engine, as most of them are very low wattage. Another trick that I have heard of is disconnect the air intake and hold a heat gun or hair dryer blowing into the engine. Our JD 4600 has an air intake preheater. I use that along with a immersion block heater and a magnetic heater on the oil pan and it starts immediately at -20F. As soon as it starts breathing cold air it will smoke a kittle but if you push in on the key (preheat) it will stop smoking.

Pete76NY · Feb 27, 2014

Geez Algore will call the whitehouse and you'll have a Predator drone srike dropped on ya when they detect that...you'll surely bring total Global Warming on 10 years sooner than predicted...well predicted this time anyway since these global warming predictions are about as accurate as the predictions of the end of the world!
Seriuosly...all that idling will be hard on the motor!

M Nut · Feb 27, 2014

Any access to a torpedo fuel heater? The block heater quit on my skidsteer this winter and I have not had a chance to change it yet (not easy to get to at all). So, for the last few weekends, I just point my torpedo heater at the motor from a safe distance and let it blow warm air on it for 1/2 hour or so. Fires right up even when well below zero.

Why Worry · Feb 27, 2014

Wish I did have access to a torpedo heater. Based on the posts that seems like a good remedy. Just checked local craigslist and $$$OUCH$$$.

Oh well, I'll pick one up this summer.

David G · Feb 27, 2014

I let my truck run a for three days in NW Minnesota one winter when I did not have access to a heater.

I would do what you need to do to survive. Is it good for it, no, will it be OK, probably.

RedJA · Feb 27, 2014

I read once that in Siberia they let their cars and trucks run 3 to 4 months at a time during their coldest months, unless they have a heated garage.

Bret4207 · Feb 27, 2014

(quoted from post at 08:08:16 02/27/14) Howdy,

Have a possibly boneheaded question but that never stopped me before....

Here in NW Missouri, we are supposed to get yet another winter storm that includes 8-9 of wonderful snow plus single digit temps..

Our Deutz 5506 is really hard to start when cold so I"m toying with the idea of making sure it"s fueled up and let it run for a few days while the storm does its thing. That way I can keep our lane clear.

Have any of you more experienced/seasoned guys ever done something like this?

If it's hard starting, try doing like I do on my DB990. I use an electric hot air gun, like you use to strip paint. in the air intake. If the tractor will turn over it usually starts right up. You'll need to keep the gun in the intake for a minute or 2 till she starts warming up. Much more better than ether or letting it run.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 27, 2014

they use deutz here for pumping hog manure and they have 26 barns so it runs for 60 days nonstop

showcrop · Feb 27, 2014

Years ago (or decades as you guys say now) I had to be at work at 6:00 AM and the temp was -20 for four nights straight, and the car that I had didn't start well when cold. I put a drop cord under the manifolds next to the block, some cardboard with aluminum foil taped to it above, and an old blanket over the top and down both sides. I went out at 10:00, stated it and warmed it up, and plugged in the light. It started up just fine every morning.

JD Seller · Feb 27, 2014

I owned several Duetz tractors. They all had a engine oil heater in them. There was a threaded hole in the pan and there was just an element screwed into the engine oil. Worked just like a engine coolant heater.

The first one was a Duetz-Fahr DX3.5 and the second one was a Duetz-Allis 6275. They both would start great in any weather. I never plugged them in until it was 10-15 degrees. I just used the glow plugs. They both where ordered with cold weather starting packages.

If you pan has the hole then just buy the heater from Agco. If it does not then find a 500-750 watt screw in heating element and drill an tap a hole to install it into the pan. As long as the engine oil is above the element it will last fine.

notjustair · Feb 27, 2014

I had a pan heater on my air cooled engines in daily cars. It went on the oil drain sump plate. That worked like a charm.

Years ago they would drain the antifreeze and put it in the house to keep warm. I would either start and run it every so often or drain the oil into a bucket and put it in the laundry room.

I have also taken a brooder heat light and aimed it at the engine. Put it an inch or two away from the block. I have thawed frozen rear ends that way. Those bulbs put out some heat.

The comment about the heat gun would really help, too. One of my diesels has an intake air heater on it. If I start it when it is cold and let off the intake heater it dies out. Hit it again and it smooths right out. Warm air works better.

Brian in MO · Feb 28, 2014

I don't have a clue about the air cooled diesels but I've worked for pipeline contractors and in extremely cold weather we would leave equipment running for days or even a week at a time. It was considered cheaper than having everyone stand around and wait for mechanics to get everything running again. I had to wait for 3 days one time for a mechanic to get to my dozer ( I guess I was pretty low on the food chain) . We had been off for about 10 days at christmas, after that I was told leave it running till we tell you other wise! BTW this was newer equipment just a few years ago, and we still do it when necessary. It sure is nice to climb in that cab at 6:00 am and it's toasty warm!

Norberg · Apr 22, 2014

Short of a low battery, I've never had an issue starting a Deutz. I've had two and I do the maintainance on three others. How many hours are on your tractor. If it's more than 8000, it may need a little help when it's cold, but I wouldn't think so. Has the timing been changed or "turned up"?
If your pre-heater (glow-plug) is working, you shouldn't have any trouble.
We have a Deutz-Allis 7085 that has a drain-plug/oil heater, but we've never used it.
Most of the Deutz engines will have two drain-plugs. If the preheater IS working but it's still giving you fits, like earlier posts have stated, put a drain-plu heater in.

Cold weather start

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