Starting an LMTV in the cold is like

[spankybear]

Starting a radial engine...

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO MAYBE NO NO NO NO MAYBE MAYBE NO MAYBE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE OK OK OK MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE OK

I need to find an ether cyclinder. It not normaily this cold in the northwest...

 

[wandering neurons]

Ether cylinder is available from NAPA, it's a pretty generic unit.

Block heater is much better assuming you've got 110v within reach. Also pretty generic for Cat 3116.

DIesels with no glow plugs, block heaters, or grid warmers are ignorant about starting in extreme cold...

Starting a radial engine...

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO MAYBE NO NO NO NO MAYBE MAYBE NO MAYBE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE OK OK OK MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE OK

I need to find an ether cyclinder. It not normaily this cold in the northwest...

 

[spankybear]

Ether cylinder is available from NAPA, it's a pretty generic unit.

Block heater is much better assuming you've got 110v within reach. Also pretty generic for Cat 3116.

DIesels with no glow plugs, block heaters, or grid warmers are ignorant about starting in extreme cold...

went to the local NAPA and asked and he looked at me like I was from another world. He had no clue whan I was talking about. Said they don't carry delco parts... I gave him the part number and about 10 mins later he said there was one in Oregon and it would take a week to get. Story of my life.

 

[Ronmar]

Block heater, 1500W… Zero start 3500081…

 

[GeneralDisorder]

My local NAPA had the ether cylinders in stock. Pretty common item - do you have a FleetPride near you? Unless your NAPA does commercial stuff on a regular basis they probably won't know what you are talking about.

Rick

 

[Awesomeness]

Starting a radial engine...

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO MAYBE NO NO NO NO MAYBE MAYBE NO MAYBE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE MAYBE SMOKE OK OK OK MAYBE SMOKE SMOKE OK

I need to find an ether cyclinder. It not normaily this cold in the northwest...

The part number for the ether cylinder is in the spreadsheet (here in my signature). It costs like $30.

NOTE: The ether system will not work unless it's a decent bit below freezing. You can press the button, but it has an internal thermostat that won't actually do anything unless it's below about 20-30°F (the manual states some exact temperature, but I have found that the mechanism is not that precise).

Yep, that's pretty much how starting it goes. The block heater ($100, part number also in the spreadsheet), even if plugged in for as little as 30 minutes, will generally make it start up very quickly. I generally try to start the truck naturally, unless the temperature is below about 20°F. Then, if possible, I'll use the block heater briefly. Finally, I'll use the ether, but have only used it a handful of times ever.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

It's below freezing here today, and my C7 truck started up with very little difficulty. I don't have the ether bottle installed yet. Still trying to track down the gasket for the connection. NAPA couldn't get it for me even though I have the part number. I'll probably try FleetPride or find one online.

 

[Awesomeness]

It's below freezing here today, and my C7 truck started up with very little difficulty. I don't have the ether bottle installed yet. Still trying to track down the gasket for the connection. NAPA couldn't get it for me even though I have the part number. I'll probably try FleetPride or find one online.

The little gasket that seals against the bottle, like one inside a garden hose? When I bought the bottle, it came in a cardboard box, with the gasket included.

The later trucks start a lot easier than the 3116's.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

Nice. I'll take a second look in the box. The bottle I procured was a "Katz" branded unit. Maybe I missed the included gasket!

 

[Third From Texas]

You mean like this....

*not my video

 

[coachgeo]

It's below freezing here today, and my C7 truck started up with very little difficulty. I don't have the ether bottle installed yet. Still trying to track down the gasket for the connection. NAPA couldn't get it for me even though I have the part number. I'll probably try FleetPride or find one online.

make sure the c7 does not have a air intake heater ..... this would come on via a thermostat.... if it does and you add either then you go boom and blow parts of your engine up.

granted if it has military ether system installed then it likely does not have air intake electric heater also.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

make sure the c7 does not have a air intake heater ..... this would come on via a thermostat.... if it does and you add either then you go boom and blow parts of your engine up.

granted if it has military ether system installed then it likely does not have air intake electric heater also.

My C7 has both a grid heater, and the military installed ether system.

 

[Ronmar]

I think on the C7, how they are used/applied is ultimately decided by the ECU…

 

[Ned81]

I just installed a block heater last night. We got about a foot of snow today and temp was around 28. It started right up like it was 75 out. Didn’t even smoke and the heat was warm pretty quick. The install was easy. Just drained about 12 gal of antifreeze, knocked out the freeze plug, cleaned the hole, installed the heater. The best part was the truck took all the antifreeze without having to run the engine to circulate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GeneralDisorder]

I think on the C7, how they are used/applied is ultimately decided by the ECU…

That is my understanding. There's no way to manually trigger the ether. The intake heater has a corresponding dash indicator lamp. I installed an ether bottle because the black plastic cap wasn't keeping out water from the fitting anyway as there was no gasket. I ended up using a silicone garden hose gasket and trimmed the OD down a bit to fit.

Rarely get below 20 degrees here and last week I started the truck at about 26 degrees without the ether (just installed it over the weekend) and there really was no struggle at all to start. Never know where I'll be spending the night in it once the habitat is ready though so better to have it and not need it.

 

[Ned81]

That is my understanding. There's no way to manually trigger the ether. The intake heater has a corresponding dash indicator lamp. I installed an ether bottle because the black plastic cap wasn't keeping out water from the fitting anyway as there was no gasket. I ended up using a silicone garden hose gasket and trimmed the OD down a bit to fit.

Rarely get below 20 degrees here and last week I started the truck at about 26 degrees without the ether (just installed it over the weekend) and there really was no struggle at all to start. Never know where I'll be spending the night in it once the habitat is ready though so better to have it and not need it.

I have the 3116. The tm for cold start says something like turn on switch. Press throttle to the floor one time then hold the throttle at a 1/3 while cranking. Press and hold ether button once the engine begins to crank and continue to hold it until engine is fully running. It says do not use ether until the engine is cranking.
There is also a fast warm up procedure as well.
The c7 might be different.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ronmar]

I have the 3116. The tm for cold start says something like turn on switch. Press throttle to the floor one time then hold the throttle at a 1/3 while cranking. Press and hold ether button once the engine begins to crank and continue to hold it until engine is fully running. It says do not use ether until the engine is cranking.
There is also a fast warm up procedure as well.
The c7 might be different.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the 3116 The press and release the throttle, then hold at 1/3 is for all starts, not just cold ones, but I don’t think I have ever started mine this way. Thats how I start my tractor though…

From 32F down to -25F, you press the starter button then press the ether button for 3 seconds on, 2 seconds off(on,2,3,off,2,on,2,3,off,2) to pulse the ether injection(60% duty cycle).

The 3126 and C7 are electronically controlled so cold start is pretty much automated. that and it uses the exhaust brake in a warmup mode to load the engine combined with a high idle control, all electronic…

How long did you run the electric heat for a good start at 28F? I installed one last fall but my dash is still out and havn’t had occasion to do a cold start with the heater yet

 

[Ned81]

On the 3116 The press and release the throttle, then hold at 1/3 is for all starts, not just cold ones, but I don’t think I have ever started mine this way. Thats how I start my tractor though…

From 32F down to -25F, you press the starter button then press the ether button for 3 seconds on, 2 seconds off(on,2,3,off,2,on,2,3,off,2) to pulse the ether injection(60% duty cycle).

The 3126 and C7 are electronically controlled so cold start is pretty much automated. that and it uses the exhaust brake in a warmup mode to load the engine combined with a high idle control, all electronic…

How long did you run the electric heat for a good start at 28F? I installed one last fall but my dash is still out and havn’t had occasion to do a cold start with the heater yet

I had it going all night. I don’t having on tonight. Expecting a low of 21 tonight. I’m going to turn it on in the morning and see what happens. I’ll probably keep it on for a couple hours before I start it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GeneralDisorder]

How long did you run the electric heat for a good start at 28F? I installed one last fall but my dash is still out and havn’t had occasion to do a cold start with the heater yet

The "intake heater" lamp only comes on after it's started. So...... I don't *think* it's operating unless you are cranking or the engine is running. It takes a little more cranking to get fired up at the 26 degrees we had last week - maybe 5 seconds of cranking compared to 2 seconds at normal temp. Hopefully we get some REALLY cold weather in January so I can experience the full system possibly including the application of ether.

 

[Awesomeness]

I had it going all night. I don’t having on tonight. Expecting a low of 21 tonight. I’m going to turn it on in the morning and see what happens. I’ll probably keep it on for a couple hours before I start it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You don't "need" to run it all night. If you turn it on even just 30-60 minutes before you start the truck, the truck will start quickly, but smoke for 15-30 seconds while everything gets going. I would just put it on an extension cord to the house, and step outside to plug it in, then go back in and get dressed/ready... by the time I was done it would start nicely.

If you plug it in for more than a few hours (e.g. on a timer that starts it at 3AM), it will start right up. I calculated once that it costs about $2-3 to run it all night, if that's something you care about.

The block heater never really seemed to affect the time it took the engine to warm up overall once started. It's only heating the coolant in the water jacket around the cylinders, and only raising it like 30-40 degrees. Once the engine is started, the other half-dozen gallons of coolant in the engine, plus the several gallons of oil, plus all the transmission oil that goes through the heat exchanger, plus the metal of the transmission itself, etc. all has to get heated. That's literally a few thousand pounds of additional metal and liquid that must get warmed up, and the block heater was only affecting a tiny fraction of it.

In below-freezing weather, the engine will also basically never warm up just by idling. It's not burning enough fuel to do it, so the gauge will stay pegged at the bottom. You have to get moving before it starts to warm up.