automatic grid heaters no more pluging in!!!!
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Montana
is just too early in the morning or does anyone see what I'm seeing?
A buddy tried the same thing with an inverter and a very good sized battery to run the block heater. Battery was totally dead in about 45 minutes.
I thought using Ether on our engines was a nono?
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 996
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From: Stillwater, OK
A buddy tried the same thing with an inverter and a very good sized battery to run the block heater. Battery was totally dead in about 45 minutes.
You can safely use either to start a CTD as long as the grid heaters are disconnected. What you want to avoid is the grids setting off the either before it gets into the cylinders.
You can safely use either to start a CTD as long as the grid heaters are disconnected. What you want to avoid is the grids setting off the either before it gets into the cylinders.
Point 2, YES. BOOMMMM!!!!
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Plano, TX
haha.....Like mentioned, disable the heater grids and use ONLY AS MUCH AS IT TAKES and you should be fine. This is an interesting concept......Title should be changed from Grid heater to block heater.....
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 272
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From: Walden, NY
if your running 15-40 oil your not suposed to start your truck if the oil is below 10 degrees. At 0 degrees with the block heater pluged in your oil is only 14degrees. At below 0 I put a magnetic heater on the oil pan as well as having the block heater. will it start up ok with thick oil? sure it will. Will you spin or scuff your bearings? eventually. Its not such a bad idea if your in places where you need to keep your oil warmer and cant always plug in. You only need to run your block heater 1hour prier to starting according to the manuals. I think it draws 700watt? You probbaly want a duel purpose battery as you wont be draining it compleetly all the time and deep cycles as I understand only like to be charged when dead/near dead and regular batteries cant take that kind of a hit. think (but dont nessasirly get) optima yellow top. Thats a duel purpose battery. Lots of brands though so look around. A easyer way you might want to think about going is 5-40 oil. thats good to start down to -20degrees F. unfortuantly I can only find it in synthetic so far by rotella and its twice as much per gallon as regular rotella 15-40 I use.
Good luck!
Chris
Good luck!
Chris
One or 2 oil changes a yr with Rotella T syn instead of reg rotella will cost an additional 50 dollars,at the most!MUCH less than going thru all the hassles of this project,and the cost.And the engine will last longer,and get oil faster.The invertor will not last long,they like 14 Volts much better than 11.5-12V that a cold battery thats being discharged will provide.The batts will quickly be run down,in a matter of a few hrs at the most.I plow snow,and cant take a chance on the truck not starting,so I run the rotella syn all yr,the Cummins starts easily below zero,in NY,and i have a .020 thicker head gasket. If you gotta plug it in, Id get this instead,it will last longer,and is has many uses. http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/eu1000.htm
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Laredo, Tx, 7 hours south of Dallas
I'll get a video of my truck starting with a .020"+ HG, and pistons shaved down .010"-, with a Smarty ECM, and Mach 4.8's. I do not have a block heater cord, or grid heaters. Sounds very unusual when it gets to 30*F or less.
Merrick
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: street,Maryland
4x4 dually sorry for the confusion I did mean the block heater and the 4 ga. wire is for charging the batterys only which is the same size as the stock wire from the stock battery so I figured that would be ok.
infidel I am running 3 aux.batterys total 2 of wich are mounted on the trailor for running equiptment one mounted under the bed of my truck the one mounted on the truck will be used for the block heater only unless I go some were with out the trarilor and need power hope this clears things up
as for every one else that thought the cost of this mod was to high I agree if you were doing this for the sole purpos of pluging in your block heater but in my case I all ready have the inverter so all i need to do is plug in to it. and I will no longer need to buy fuel for my generator and will not need to load and un load the generator on days that it is not needed.
ps thanks for taking the time to read my post..
Rick
infidel I am running 3 aux.batterys total 2 of wich are mounted on the trailor for running equiptment one mounted under the bed of my truck the one mounted on the truck will be used for the block heater only unless I go some were with out the trarilor and need power hope this clears things up
as for every one else that thought the cost of this mod was to high I agree if you were doing this for the sole purpos of pluging in your block heater but in my case I all ready have the inverter so all i need to do is plug in to it. and I will no longer need to buy fuel for my generator and will not need to load and un load the generator on days that it is not needed.
ps thanks for taking the time to read my post..
Rick
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Kalispell, MT
I like it- there is nothing worse than starting one of these beasts stone cold. Sure they start, but how much life are you using up with mollases(sp) for oil powering thru the oil passages?
How long do you need to be plugged in to raise the temp on these huge blocks of iron, anyways? I would use an inverter/extra battery alot if I had one.
How long do you need to be plugged in to raise the temp on these huge blocks of iron, anyways? I would use an inverter/extra battery alot if I had one.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 272
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From: Walden, NY
I like it- there is nothing worse than starting one of these beasts stone cold. Sure they start, but how much life are you using up with mollases(sp) for oil powering thru the oil passages?
How long do you need to be plugged in to raise the temp on these huge blocks of iron, anyways? I would use an inverter/extra battery alot if I had one.
How long do you need to be plugged in to raise the temp on these huge blocks of iron, anyways? I would use an inverter/extra battery alot if I had one.
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