Grid heater????
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From: Terre Haute,IN
Originally Posted by stillsmokin
Again, some UPS/step van type trucks used cummins 3.9/5.9. I would bet they have grid heaters and some sort of stand alone controller that is designed to work with the cummins grid system.
. Again, industrial 5.9's DO NOT have grid heaters , industrial example- school bus or UPS trucks. 
Originally Posted by bgilbert
Most people don't care for my comments. But, how cold does it get where you live? If not much below -10*F, I wouldn't worry about. Things needed to be in good shape for good cold weather starting: Big battery- group 31 w/big CCA, alternator, starter, and air tight fuel system. Grid heaters IMO just drain on the first three things there. Especially after the engine is started. Mine are unplugged. Don't have any cold weather starting issues. Grid heaters and short trips, say to and from work are a bad combination. They'll cycle all the way to and from work, never giving your battery a chance to recharge. Over a period of time or just the next morning when its COLD out, you'll have a weak battery and it won't get the job done, that last 15 secs of grid heat will wipe out any chance or it starting. Then again its just me and thats my opinion.
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From: Nebraska
Originally Posted by bgilbert
Ok I can only read that so many times . Again, industrial 5.9's DO NOT have grid heaters , industrial example- school bus or UPS trucks.
. Again, industrial 5.9's DO NOT have grid heaters , industrial example- school bus or UPS trucks. 
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From: British Columbia, Canada
Depending on ambient temps the heater will run between 5 and 25 seconds...the on/off cycle time will also vary with outside temps but your looking at a max "on time" of roughly 30 seconds....
One of the other functions the heaters help with is cylinder washdown...if you run in extreme cold OR you have the old girl tweaked up high for performance the fuel will need warm cylinders or you'll end up with some near raw fuel on the cylinder walls and that aint great....you'll need to change oil much more frequently if you are in extremes.
OH, Bill is right...those boogers will kill a near new 1050 amp battery in about 15 minutes if you can't get the truck to start...been there, done that, got the T-shirt AND the video....nuthin worse than having a Ford jump start ya in the bush...bummer....
bob...
One of the other functions the heaters help with is cylinder washdown...if you run in extreme cold OR you have the old girl tweaked up high for performance the fuel will need warm cylinders or you'll end up with some near raw fuel on the cylinder walls and that aint great....you'll need to change oil much more frequently if you are in extremes.
OH, Bill is right...those boogers will kill a near new 1050 amp battery in about 15 minutes if you can't get the truck to start...been there, done that, got the T-shirt AND the video....nuthin worse than having a Ford jump start ya in the bush...bummer....
bob...
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From: Terre Haute,IN
Here you guys go, an example of an INDUSTRIAL 5.9 GRID HEATER 
. I don't know how to post a pic on this site, so I put it in my gallery. https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...hp?photo=13297
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From: New Holland, PA
Are those the special invisible grids?
The '96 medium duty Ford at work has no grids, but the newer trucks with Cats do have grids. Seems like big stuff didn't need it until they tightened up the heavy duty emission standards in the late '90's.
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From: Southern California
Originally Posted by wannadiesel
I would keep the fuel heater. It has it's own thermostat built in, so just wire it to something that's hot with the key on. It pulls about 5 amps.
If this Chevy is an ex-diesel, you could use the Chevy glow plug controller to run the relays for the grid heaters. Just put a thermal switch in the power to the control side of the relays so you don't have the grids kicking on in the summer.
The grids are run in paralell. Two relays, two heavy gauge (6 AWG I think) cables to the grids, and then a common ground to the engine.
If this Chevy is an ex-diesel, you could use the Chevy glow plug controller to run the relays for the grid heaters. Just put a thermal switch in the power to the control side of the relays so you don't have the grids kicking on in the summer.
The grids are run in paralell. Two relays, two heavy gauge (6 AWG I think) cables to the grids, and then a common ground to the engine.
In my 92 Chevy 6.2 diesel, the glow plug controller was a thermal unit that was in the coolant circuit and they were pretty delicate devices, I went through 4 of them in the time I had the truck, If a few of the glow plugs went out, the controller would burn out. Also if it was not in contact with the coolant for less than a minuet, it would burn out. I think they did go to an electronic unit after that, but by then I bought my Cummins and I did not follow them much after that.
But unlike the Cummins, on a 6.2 if you could not light at least 6 of the 8 glow plugs, you would not start the engine. And we are talking in Southern California.
I think you could use the + wire that feeds the glow plug controller to power the Cummins grid circuit but you would have to use the origional timer circuit from the donor because unless you implanted the controller into the water path there would be nothing to cycle with.
Back then the controllers were around $150.00 from the dealer and if you did use the controller you might be putting a weak link into your rig.
But this is just from my experience owning and working on them.
I agree with Dave on this:
[QUOTE=wannadiesel]I would keep the fuel heater. It has it's own thermostat built in, so just wire it to something that's hot with the key on. It pulls about 5 amps.
I would just connect your fuel heater through a Bosch relay and trigger that from your IGN. circuit.
Good luck Jim
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From: Southern California
All of mine went out at usually the most un-opportune times, like when you were going on vacation and always on a weekend.
I got so I could start mine fairly easy, I built an injector that would give a shot of WD-40 into the air plenum from the push of a button inside.
I also seemed to run one tank dry before I could switch the tanks; a shot of WD-40 and a quick crank and it was primed again.
I always wanted my Dodge with a Cummins but that Chevy was a real nice truck and although I blew allot of transmissions in the beginning till I found a shop that built me a bulletproof trans. I burned out quite a few alternators also.
I lost that truck to a 70 MPH rear end collision, while I was at a stop light.
Jim
I got so I could start mine fairly easy, I built an injector that would give a shot of WD-40 into the air plenum from the push of a button inside.
I also seemed to run one tank dry before I could switch the tanks; a shot of WD-40 and a quick crank and it was primed again.
I always wanted my Dodge with a Cummins but that Chevy was a real nice truck and although I blew allot of transmissions in the beginning till I found a shop that built me a bulletproof trans. I burned out quite a few alternators also.
I lost that truck to a 70 MPH rear end collision, while I was at a stop light.
Jim
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