saddamsnightmare
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July 5th, 2015.
Generally, I only had the flame heater fail once, and replaced it with a new unit, ended the cold weather starting issues for the engine, and when I replaced the starter motor due to a worn out solenoid, ended the cold weather starting issues pretty much permanently.
As regards large diesel engines, pretty much no locomotive engine built in the US today or in the last 50 years uses ether for cold starts, as they universally can't stand going much below 50*F and using crank starting with the batteries on board. If below 45*F and not running, we either drain all the coolant (no antifreeze) or place the unit on engine block heaters with circulatory pumps to protect the radiators.
Ditto for marine engines using the GM or older ALCO locomotive prime movers. Plus the CID per cylinder runs at about 567, 645 and 710 inches working displacement per cylinder, so you would need a lot of ether to start one. Most 567 to 710 crankcases take about 250 to 300 gallons of oil on changes, and the cooling systems also run about 200-300 gallons plus.
The German Deutz engines, even the older ones, are not as dependent on starting aids for cold weather starts, and the genset referred to earlier would, when new, start at -20 to -30F just on batteries, with no pan heater or ether (air-cooled diesel, one of the more efficient and reliable designs). The unit should still do it as it has less the 50 hours on it from new.
American engineers just seem not to know how to design a diesel that can take extreme cold weather starts without starting aids (glow plugs, ether or block heaters).
The Deutz 4 cylinder was modified to lay at a 30* angle from horizontal so it could fit under a railroad passenger car, and it was designed to take down to -30*F starts and operate at +140* F with load, plus operate being pulled in either direction at up to 105-110 MPH (which is what usually kills the water cooled underfloor gensets in railroad service, lack of air flow through the radiator when pulled in reverse at high speeds, and rocks in the radiator in forward motion at high speeds).
I have often wondered why the Army did not design these trucks to take their cooling air in at the side of the hood, as even with the brush guards, there had to be more then a few case of branches taking out a radiator in cross country work. A side drafted radiator would seem to be a better idea, as Deere used it on their older tractor diesel engines.![Smile :smile: :smile:](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Generally, I only had the flame heater fail once, and replaced it with a new unit, ended the cold weather starting issues for the engine, and when I replaced the starter motor due to a worn out solenoid, ended the cold weather starting issues pretty much permanently.
As regards large diesel engines, pretty much no locomotive engine built in the US today or in the last 50 years uses ether for cold starts, as they universally can't stand going much below 50*F and using crank starting with the batteries on board. If below 45*F and not running, we either drain all the coolant (no antifreeze) or place the unit on engine block heaters with circulatory pumps to protect the radiators.
Ditto for marine engines using the GM or older ALCO locomotive prime movers. Plus the CID per cylinder runs at about 567, 645 and 710 inches working displacement per cylinder, so you would need a lot of ether to start one. Most 567 to 710 crankcases take about 250 to 300 gallons of oil on changes, and the cooling systems also run about 200-300 gallons plus.
The German Deutz engines, even the older ones, are not as dependent on starting aids for cold weather starts, and the genset referred to earlier would, when new, start at -20 to -30F just on batteries, with no pan heater or ether (air-cooled diesel, one of the more efficient and reliable designs). The unit should still do it as it has less the 50 hours on it from new.
American engineers just seem not to know how to design a diesel that can take extreme cold weather starts without starting aids (glow plugs, ether or block heaters).
The Deutz 4 cylinder was modified to lay at a 30* angle from horizontal so it could fit under a railroad passenger car, and it was designed to take down to -30*F starts and operate at +140* F with load, plus operate being pulled in either direction at up to 105-110 MPH (which is what usually kills the water cooled underfloor gensets in railroad service, lack of air flow through the radiator when pulled in reverse at high speeds, and rocks in the radiator in forward motion at high speeds).
I have often wondered why the Army did not design these trucks to take their cooling air in at the side of the hood, as even with the brush guards, there had to be more then a few case of branches taking out a radiator in cross country work. A side drafted radiator would seem to be a better idea, as Deere used it on their older tractor diesel engines.
![Smile :smile: :smile:](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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