Damn it Z, that sucks. I hope like hell you can work something out. Hopefully one of those cold-hearted banking bastards can see that it's not your fault and cut you some slack.

 

I'm hoping the same. At least I don't have Bank of America thank God.

 

I'm sorry you took it this way. I didn't mean to imply any knowledge on your part and only replied to you since I agreed with what you said. It just seemed as if the important point of not racing the engines while they are still cold was a bit subtle in your wording and in the entire thread in general in my opinion and so I highlighted the point. I have to say I'm surprised you took personal offense to what I wrote as my intention was not to be disagreeable since I did mentally note your careful wording and usage of the term "lightly" and was in agreement with your apparent point. I'm not saying you shouldn't have taken offense either and will try to be more sensitive in what I'm saying in the future. My sincere apologies.

 

Hey, that was a hell of a nice post. Thanks, I appreciate it. (Thanks also for not saying "You're just too sensitive", even though that is in fact the case).

I think we're all on about the same page; no romping and stomping until your machine is fully warmed up.

It was interesting learning about the "cold seize" phenomenon; I did some searching on it and it seems to be mainly a two-stroke thing. Made me wonder why that is, and the only thing I can think of it that maybe two-strokes tend to have a closer fit between piston and cylinder.

I've never had that happen on any of my chain saws, but I think from now on I'll let them warm up just a little bit more before they go WOT; under a light load, of course.

 

It is more relevant in a two stroke motor, It's hard to explain John, some of it has to do with tighter tolerance yes and some the way the cooling system is designed and part of the way the oil injection works or lack of one. For sleds people think the motor is warm and have hit the trail/lake, but the stat has not opened yet and the motor is at wot or 3/4 throttle and when the stat does open the -40 coolant hits the hot motor and certain metal parts contract again and then stop moveing. In most cases of a cold seize sled motor the op might have had a few to many speed pops and the race is on to the next pub and never even lets the sled run for a second; the losser has to by the rounds.

Some mechs blame it on the nickasil plateing that is on the cyld walls.
http://kustom-kraft.com/NEWNIKASIL.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikasil

If you into more interesting ways to kill a sled motor do a search for snow dust.

I let all my two stroke motors warm before wot, even on a hot day I will let a 2 stroke ob warm up before wot i'll putt out the channel 5-10 min and then go.

Everybody is different on how they start and treat a cold motor, we are all on the same page.

 

Lots of great opinions on this matter. I will still let the truck warm up for a little while until stepping on it. Nothing more and 3-5 minutes depending on the temp. I do believe as long as your driving it lightly its better than idling and getting 0 mpg and it will heat up faster.

Funny how when I watch other drivers or get into a friends vehicle they just start and drive. And when you leave work its straight on the highway so there stepping on it and its -20 outside. True to say my engine will last longer than theirs.

 

I have an example about how -30 is different than 70 and "shocking" metal:
1. First, it is not a matter of 70*. Here is why. You have an exhaust gasket leak, and it sucks in a bit of COLD air on the intake stroke. The combustion chamber sucks in a bit of cold outside air and you crack a valve.
^^ Will happen regardless of warmup, but that is an example of the tolerances to cold/heat.
2. I have heard many people say that it is not ENGINE temp that is the reason to warmup, but TRANNY temp (for us auto guys). MonteC has said that 180* is what you want to drive at for our trans. However, my gauge reads only 169* at best on a very hot day (Pan sensor). The reason the tranny "cooler" is in the rad is so the oil can be warmed up by the hot coolant flowing through it.

People forget about the transmission and ITS need for oil stabilization.

 

I have a 20 minute drive to work on the highway and its only a 30 second trip to get to it from my place. Sometimes if its really cold I take the long way to the highway to get my trans warmed up a little before I try to get up to highway speeds.

Just drive it gently like John keeps repeating. Give it a solid minute to warm the oil before you drop it in gear and drive off. Take it easy on the skinny pedal until you srart to see your oil temp needle start to rise then you should be good to drive after that.

I'm no specialist but this is how my father has told me to warm it up.

 

Thank god i'm in Florida, it only gets to about 20F here on a harsh day. I assume they dont make a stock blockheater (the kind that comes on a diesels), because that would make this thread a helluva lot shorter.

 

I've never seen it below 50 in south east Florida but I still have to warm up my 1977 hippie van when I drive it in 70 degree weather, it's a Florida van lol