engine warmer

[peter lena 8,031]

with the cold weather coming , i regularly use these on under side of my kohler.s ,https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayco-SL-300-8-5-Inch-Clamp-Light-with-Aluminum-Reflector/14003467  i use  a 60  or 75 watt bulb , that just gives off enough heat in an unheated shed to slightly warm the oil pan area. the cooling duct work makes it difficult to do anything up topside , but the bulb reflector is simple and easy. you can put a couple of hooks on the outer edge to attach to frame techa matic area . between that and a battery tender , it makes cold weather starting / use much easier . just my own experience, pete

[Pullstart 59,462]

Good idea!  I ran the torpedo heater on the old Allis Chalmers in the back barn for a while the other day, I imagine a little light bulb would be even easier.  I even have a few of these in the chicken coop if I need to borrow one...

[WHNJ701 4,164]

I just pull the batteries out, drain the fuel, set some mouse traps and lock the sheds til spring

[tom2p 2,393]

I might go with the F1 tire warmers 

 

 

[tom2p 2,393]

1 hour ago, peter lena said:

with the cold weather coming , i regularly use these on under side of my kohler.s ,https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayco-SL-300-8-5-Inch-Clamp-Light-with-Aluminum-Reflector/14003467  i use  a 60  or 75 watt bulb , that just gives off enough heat in an unheated shed to slightly warm the oil pan area. the cooling duct work makes it difficult to do anything up topside , but the bulb reflector is simple and easy. you can put a couple of hooks on the outer edge to attach to frame techa matic area . between that and a battery tender , it makes cold weather starting / use much easier . just my own experience, pete

pete - these were my 'heat lamps' when I would paint at home   lol

[tom2p 2,393]

1 hour ago, jabelman said:

I just pull the batteries out, drain the fuel, set some mouse traps and lock the sheds til spring

darn mice chewed through wires of my battery minder last winter 

 

when I tried to use it this past spring I noticed they chewed through halfway at one area 

 

little rascals also did a number on the wiring of one motorcycle 

[peter lena 8,031]

maybe, some spray cam expanding foam to plug up those mouse tracks , then poison and trap bates , to finish them off. had a similar issue that expanding foam easily stopped , mouse hater, pete    

[Tractorhead 8,565]

2 hours ago, pullstart said:

Good idea!  I ran the torpedo heater on the old Allis Chalmers in the back barn for a while the other day, I imagine a little light bulb would be even easier.  I even have a few of these in the chicken coop if I need to borrow one...

 

Oh, next Time Chicken on Stalk...

frozen or fried? 😂

Edited November 13, 2019 by Tractorhead

[Tractorhead 8,565]

Possible other Options

 

Aircooled Engines - change thinner Oil  i use 10W40 in nearly all Engines.

Didn‘t do something for oil warmup, because no possibilities now.

 

if i have sometimes the ability to do, i use a old Hairdryer, that faced to the Oilpan.

Usin a remote to heat up the Oilpan about 10 min before Start.

 

Watercooled Engines - i have some simple solution.

 

 

A Block heater, that is coming out of an Caravan heater( boiler) 

and is restricted to 60 deg C ( self controlled) by a Thermo Switch.

build in a Aluminum Box with a Waterpump, attached to the Heater Circle.

 

That will do the Trick, same like a Block heater or a Webast Fuelheater.

[peter lena 8,031]

tractor head , i question  that 10-40 oil , especially in its ability to change over to 40 wt when cold, usually there is smoking before transition . i use 5-30 in cold weather and the oil transition is seamless and smokeless.just asking , pete

[tunahead72 2,332]

3 hours ago, tom2p said:

 

… little rascals also did a number on the wiring of one motorcycle 

 

 

You're being way too kind. 

 

[squonk 38,815]

Magnetic block Heater. I have 3 of them. 2 200 and 1 300Watt

 

Napa #'s KAT 1155 and KAT 1160

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by squonk

[Stepney 2,314]

Personally I've never had any issue starting a well tuned Kohler when cold. I do keep a magnetic 300 watt heater around as an all purpose tool though. When I ran my Model A ford jitter bug I'd drop an aquarium heater down the radiator. 

[Tractorhead 8,565]

44 minutes ago, peter lena said:

tractor head , i question  that 10-40 oil , especially in its ability to change over to 40 wt when cold, usually there is smoking before transition . i use 5-30 in cold weather and the oil transition is seamless and smokeless.just asking , pete

 

Hi pete,

 

Never had problems with.

 

my Car ( an 25 year old Opel just with smallest Engine 1,2 Litre 4 Cylindre) was suggested by using 5W 30.

when i use this oil, i had an oilconsumption of 4 Litres at 1000 Km what is in my opinion much to much.

especially in Winter it looses much ( allway‘s some oilspots under the Engine)

i changed the simmering on Clutch side but it drops friendly further.

 

After second Oilservices i drove with that oil, i decide to change to Shell 10W40 full synthetic

 It has actual now 244.000 Km on the Engine without unnormal Oilconsumption or Troubles.

0,2 litres between Oilservice, what is imho a good Value.

It was a continouse runner, 

i own that car since 100.000 Km.

it doesn‘t burn the complete Oil before, it looses on several points like Cyl. Head, arround the Engine on several points.

it looks like an stalactite carve, since i changed the Oil, nothing happen further.

The coldest Day‘s here are -26*C where it starts without problems.

 

In the Wheelhorse i must change the Engine, because massive damage on the Cylinderhead.

repair will 5 times the cost than another Engine, so i decide to swap the Engine to an upgrade 16 instead of 12 HP Loncin Brand.

The manufacturer( loncin)  suggested between 5W30 or 10W40.

while i have allready 10W40 i decided to use it therefore also.

i never found that it has disadvantages while using in nearly all of my Engines.

 

Only the first Oil for „burnin“ was used a 5W30.

after 1 st. Oilservice i changed all to the same Oilspec.

At Summer we reached a max. of 36*C what was also in tolerance, and at the Smallengine on my Tiller,

It seems also no Troubles. The engine runns smooth, starts easy and even they must work very Hard,

i found the running cooler ( measured by a IR Thermometer) 

In transistion use i can not imagine any significant smoke.

 

Even after Oilservice i didn‘t found evidence of Wear, the oil doesn‘t seem very dirty( metallic wear)

and has a good consistency.( fingertest) 

 

except on the bigger Turboengine ( Opel Insignia Turbo) that needs urgently a better Oil,

before the Originalengine A20NFT needs a 5W30 by GM Specs.

After 160.000 „hard driven“ Kilometres with 70% Full thottle- passages the Engine cracks its Crankhouse.

a repair was impossible, because the rip was complete thru the Engineblock.

 

That i talked to a friend of mine close to the Netherland border,

he knows about the problems on that type of Engine and 

he offered me a better Engine an A20NHT, but that must urgently be improved by Oilspec.

While this Engine was a little „stronger“ driven by an chipped Engine 250HP instead of 220 HP 😎

Here i use now Pennasol SUPER PACE SPORT 5W-50.

Now since 100.000 Km in same working conditions, and i found it runns smoother and cleaner than the Engine before.

Same Oilspec i drove in my KTM, a high Performance Racing Engine, what is upgraded to Limit.

Measured 98 Hp out of 720ccm Single Cylindre Engine on Dyno.

 

A friend of mine was before retired, a Analyst at a German Oil Company,

he guided me thru 10W40 as Standart Oil in our envoirement.

and he gives me the Specs for my High perfomace Oils in my Racing equippment.

The KTM still runs proper, even after several Racetrack

 

and it seems he was right, so far my experiences in Oilspecs.

[squonk 38,815]

I use.mine.to keep hydro and hydraulic tanks warm

[tom2p 2,393]

3 hours ago, Stepney said:

Personally I've never had any issue starting a well tuned Kohler when cold. I do keep a magnetic 300 watt heater around as an all purpose tool though. When I ran my Model A ford jitter bug I'd drop an aquarium heater down the radiator. 

it's not about starting as it is about wear ;  most wear occurs during cold startup

 

thinner oils flow much better at cold startup and then are able to lubricate better 

 

[tom2p 2,393]

7 hours ago, peter lena said:

maybe, some spray cam expanding foam to plug up those mouse tracks , then poison and trap bates , to finish them off. had a similar issue that expanding foam easily stopped , mouse hater, pete    

 

the foam would help for sure and I have used it in a few spots 

 

but I've seen mice fit under garage doors with a tight fitting bottom seal 

also seen them climb vertical brick walls and fit in tiny holes between the brick / mortar joint and the wood overhang 

 

pic below of our house - same area where I've seen them crawl straight up the brick and the into a tiny hole between brick and wood

 

the mortar joints are fairly deep (except for vertical joints on courses where brick face is out) - and this provides just enough of a spot they can crawl into 

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by tom2p