Another winter is on the way. Here are a few things I do to enable my steed during cold weather. Of course below 15 degrees I plug the grid heater up. I also put it in gear for about 1 minute after I'm up to 50 psi on oil the gauge before taking off. I also run in tow mode, (lock out OD) until I'm up to operating temp.

This past year I corrected a few things that did effect OD operation at about 40 to 50 mph. So, it's off to another year of winter driving. Now if I could just figure out a quick way to get in a frozen door. K.

edit2: replenished de-icer (big can), also bought new cable feed for portable dash cam.

 

When it gets below freezing I plug the block heater in. Fires right up, no fuss no muss.

I replaced my block heater relay a few weeks back because one side was DOA.

 

block heaters

I just go outside and start it.

that thing is a freak of nature... fires right up. no block heater, no waiting for grid heater


I did a cold start yesterday to prove my point.

sat for over a week, 1/2" of frozen snow on it, about 10* outside, and had to melt my way into the drivers door.

no plugged in crap...in fact I have never once plugged it in...

went out there put the key in, pushed the clutch in, and immediately turned the key past on to start and it cranked 5 times and fired right off. no waiting for a grid heater. no fumbling and stumbling. it made one lope and smoothed right out after the single lope. vp44s are good for something! after about a minute of idling it ramps up its idle on its own and then cuts out 3-cylinders. (aka: 3-cyl high idle) warms up fairly quickly in 3-cyl mode.

 

Jigs, you got one of those "new Fangled" 2000's. K.

 

I know the block heater isn't needed, but it definitely helps with both starting and I didn't have any ice or condensation on the windows.

I meant I replaced my grid heater relays.

I don't have all that fancy electronic wizardry. This thing is just cold blooded and doesn't like starting.

I think my head gasket is compromised. I went out and started it right up this morning, and left it to warm up for about five minutes while I gave the chickens water (frozen) and washed my hands. When I got back to my truck I smelled hot coolant, and found some wisping smoke/steam coming from under the #5 exhaust runner. I couldn't see anything dribbling, but I've been suspicious of the head gasket for about a year. I don't go through much coolant - maybe a quart over the last year - but I can hear an air pocket in my heater core every now and then. Now that I'm smelling coolant and seeing that steam/smoke, it's almost a given.

Considering I hit over 50psi a few times when my wastegate diaphragm was fubar, I'm not surprised.

It'll give me a good reason to replace the coppers on my injectors and make sure I don't have any fuel leaks, as well as adjust my timing.

And if someone wants to get me a new exhaust manifold, that would be a great time for it to go in too.

And a turbo.

I'm thinking that a 35/40 hybrid is my best bet. I don't want to get rid of my pacbrake, but I need a bit more air.