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Question for cold weather starting

fasttruck

Well-known member
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Location
Mesa, AZ
Military never too big on block heaters as plug-ins hardc to find in the field. Older designs used some form of manifold heater, newer trucks an ether kit that meters a measured ammount of either into the engine. Problems with ether kit is,. if you do not have a spare bottre always, what is left in it. Only way to measure is to take bottle out and weigh it which is not always good in field either.
 

emr

New member
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Location
landing , new jersey
The either start installed on these trucks is a measured dose and has been used for many many years on these trucks and never has there been a publication of any problems with its use in the military, And they are safe for long term use, your truck has had them used on it a bunch of times before. opinions are fine and worth allot to those who have em , Bkubu has the insight and experience to know, Like he said, If no block heater plug in at the winter show use the either start on board or a splash of either in the air intake the truck, thats what it is for and it works, As for the 809 series, the correct cold start procedure works very very well for that truck also. Now there is a bazzzillion and "one" posts on this subject :) The search function actually answers more questions than just the first one that comes to mind, There are picks of the block heater in the block , part numbers, places to buy them. one will find so much more when searching, All the best . Oh the either start on the truck runs out when needed most, carry a can also in the tool box.
 

Carlo

New member
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palazzago italia
Military never too big on block heaters as plug-ins hardc to find in the field. Older designs used some form of manifold heater, newer trucks an ether kit that meters a measured ammount of either into the engine. Problems with ether kit is,. if you do not have a spare bottre always, what is left in it. Only way to measure is to take bottle out and weigh it which is not always good in field either.
Hey Fasttruck. Is that a M123 in your photo? Im trying to buy one located in germany at auction. Have you any experince with these?
 

Triple C

New member
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NAPOLEON MO
Did you install the plate type or the thread in type? Both are listed at Napa for the 855. We have mostly thread ins on the Tractors seems like they wouls seal easier. Of course it may have to do with the age of the engine. The guy at napa asked how old the engine was. One told him it was a 2010 rebuild but I would have no idea how old the actual block is. It has what looks like an 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" threaded plug in the right hand side but it also has the plate just behind that. Did you have an option on your's or was there only one that would work?
I put the whole plate on. The plate that was on the truck didn't have a hole in it (this plate is on the passenger side of the block) I needed the one that didn't have a heater hose coming off it. I tried to buy it from NAPA but where I live they wanted $110! Everybody else was paying low 60's so I got it on ebay. Took a lot longer to drain the coolant than it did to put in the heater. I used two 5 gallon buckets and it took all the room I had. I strained it when I put it back. Really easy and has made a big difference in cold starts. This is the coldest natured motor I have ever owned!
 

Carlo

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palazzago italia
I put the whole plate on. The plate that was on the truck didn't have a hole in it (this plate is on the passenger side of the block) I needed the one that didn't have a heater hose coming off it. I tried to buy it from NAPA but where I live they wanted $110! Everybody else was paying low 60's so I got it on ebay. Took a lot longer to drain the coolant than it did to put in the heater. I used two 5 gallon buckets and it took all the room I had. I strained it when I put it back. Really easy and has made a big difference in cold starts. This is the coldest natured motor I have ever owned!
Boy to I agree with you. The 250 in my 931 is cold blodded but the 8.3 in the 923A2 starts in less than one turn. What batteries are you running Triple C?
 

Carlo

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palazzago italia
I am running two Autozone (5year replacement). I am going to add two more when I can. Are you on two or four?
The 9232 has its orginal 4 military batteries. The 931A1 has 2 "D12" we call them in Italy. They fill the battery box almost as long as the battery box and almost as wide. They use these batterys in large dozers here. They were lets say "intereresting" to lift into the battery box. I need to take a photo and send it to you.
 

1 Patriot-of-many

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,186
86
48
Location
Zimmerman MN
To use the ether You press and hold the button down for three seconds and then release it count to three and turn over the engine and it fires right up.. It was 35 F this morning and I didn't have to use the ether at all and it fired up with no problem................. [/QUOTE]

You WILL damage the engine this way. The instructions on the dash CLEARLY state to release the ether while the engine is turning over. Doing it your way will overload a single cylinder that has an open intake valve![/QUOTE] Glad you caught it, I was about to say the same thing. The instructions are clear, WHILE turning engine over.
 

Carlo

New member
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palazzago italia
To use the ether You press and hold the button down for three seconds and then release it count to three and turn over the engine and it fires right up.. It was 35 F this morning and I didn't have to use the ether at all and it fired up with no problem.................
You WILL damage the engine this way. The instructions on the dash CLEARLY state to release the ether while the engine is turning over. Doing it your way will overload a single cylinder that has an open intake valve![/QUOTE] Glad you caught it, I was about to say the same thing. The instructions are clear, WHILE turning engine over.[/QUOTE]

The little CAT starts sweet in the cold temps!
 

6x6junkie

New member
164
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Location
p.a.
Got mine off a popular e site $75 for 1500 watt took 15 mins to install in the 923 . the other morn. it was 10 deg. pluged it in for 1 hr and was up to temp when i went out to start it the hood was also melted off .either kits will be good for surplus dealers not your engine. I orderd another for the 800 series
 

diverman555

In Memorial
In Memorial
463
9
0
Location
Detroit, michigan
Well after starting my M923 2 days ago, and using up about half a can of ether I went to Napa and bought the 1500 watt Kar 30101. was easy to install took about an hour. Drained coolant, pulled block plate from rt side cleaned real good,
then put heater in. Napa part has same block plate and gasket, 6 bolts and a few tie straps and put the coolant back in. Will be plugging in this morning for first time. will try starting after 1.5 hours. will post my results so you can know
just how it works. It is 3 degrees this morning in S.E. Michigan. Mark
 

Carlo

New member
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palazzago italia
Well after starting my M923 2 days ago, and using up about half a can of ether I went to Napa and bought the 1500 watt Kar 30101. was easy to install took about an hour. Drained coolant, pulled block plate from rt side cleaned real good,
then put heater in. Napa part has same block plate and gasket, 6 bolts and a few tie straps and put the coolant back in. Will be plugging in this morning for first time. will try starting after 1.5 hours. will post my results so you can know
just how it works. It is 3 degrees this morning in S.E. Michigan. Mark
923A1 or A2?
 

diverman555

In Memorial
In Memorial
463
9
0
Location
Detroit, michigan
Yes, it has the NHC250 motor. I plugged it in for 1.5 hours and it still took a few revolutions before it fired, This morning it is 4 deg out and I am leaving it plugged in for 3 hrs and try that. I would like this truck to kick rt. over
and only take a few minutes to get warm.
Mark
 

diverman555

In Memorial
In Memorial
463
9
0
Location
Detroit, michigan
wheelspinner, what a difference it made, you were so rt.. anybody got one of those just pain in a-- neighbors? I have one. These people complain about everything. Example, I was trimming some trees, and had branches on the ground
between the 2 houses. Well it started getting dark so I decided to pick up the branches in the morning. By 9:30 the city was knocking at my door the neighbor had complained.
So just for fun we have a bunch of shrubs between us. I was thinking I would just run my extention cord from his plug on this end of his house behind the bushes. I just laughed for thinking about that and ran the cord to my house.
Mark
 

CUCVFAN

Gunner's Mate First Class
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,177
47
48
Location
Jarrettsville, MD
You should not need it on an M813, if you follow the cold start procedure. The glowplug and primer work wonders.

But, if you do use it, spray it into the intake mushroom for just a second, then jump in and start it. Don't use the glowplug...
 
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