How cold will it start

Hey no problem, I hate math, and it takes a while for my brain to start on these cold mornings.

 

hey its ok. this is how i read it " i burn $1000in fuel over 8 hours" and i was like that isnt possible esp just sitting in a parking lot.

 

When I was running a detroit 60 anything under 5* was a guarantied no start without ether.

 

The very worst thing you can do to any engine is use a lot of either, the rings in an engine are bent upwards so when under power they flatten out giving full contact, maximum sealing. When you have either knock it can bend the rings flat, under power they bend down, minimum sealing. If you pull the head off the liners will have gray streaks.
If push comes to shove It is better to run the engine at 900 to 1,200 RPM, and be safe, than risk getting sick.
The Cadillac of systems is an APU, it can save you a lot money in the long run, in engine life, personal safety, and down time. Heat in the winter, in the cab and the engine, cools in the summer and keeps your batteries charged.
Just a thought!

 

My last truck that had a Detroit in it would start at -10 without being plugged in, and sitting out in the open. My last two trucks with yellow motors, not a chance at that temperature.

 

In my experience, Detroit S60's are one of the easiest to fire up in cold weather. We have 3 of them and none of the drivers plugged them in Friday night. Saturday morning it was -4F and they fired up without issue. They puffed some smoke and ran rough for a minute or two, but we just let them warm up a bit before we brought them in the shop.

 

I must have a lemon Detroit. I found out this morning my block heater quit working it was -4 when I started it after about 4or5 mins of cranking massive amount of smoke and a couple snorts of ether it started finally. I has 4 intersate batteries that are 2 months old and has 3 years and 280k on a rebuild

 

until you actually know the compression or age of the motor
you are not talking apples and apples
I don't care if the engine is yellow green blue or black
good comprssion and good batteries it will start

now an old 238 318 350 detriot from the 70's
might not start in florida without ether

 

To start an engine in the cold. crank for 10 seconds, wait for 1 minute, it should start. it is torment to wait the minute, but that process works.
I lived in Alberta for 13.5 years and worked at a Detroit dealership, 9 years 364 days, with 16 bays we might use a tow truck 3 times a day, in 16 hours, when I went to a trucking company, the trucks would start at -30 F with a Detroit, the Cummins, you had one chance, the Cats you just pulled them into the shop. These trucks were plugged in but many times the power would go out, that is when you learned which one starts.
In the 70's and 80's the two cycle Detroits were the most popular engine going north,because they worked in the cold. I worked for a Trucking company, they had cabovers with 8V92's that were three years old and they replaced them with Cat powered trucks, it took two weeks and the drivers refused to take them over to 60th parallel they would rather have the old Detroits, 1984 right after the tornado In the three years we ran those trucks north one truck broke down, the driver called me on the satellite phone, I asked him what it did and diagnosed it as there was a problem with the shutdown solinoid it took him 10 minutes to get the cab up, the ground strap was broken, to the shut down air solinoid, he clamped it with a pair of Vise grips.
Just a thought!