How do I best warm up a diesel for cab heat?

[Delmer]

Check where the heater hoses connect to the engine, sometimes there will be valves there. But if the heat works great after an hour of work, but doesn't do anything for fifteen minutes when cold, that seems normal to me.

 

[emmett518]

I turned over my manure pile to exercise the hoe. Temp got to 143 F while digging at 1200 rpms.

 

[Delmer]

How long? if it was a half an hour at 50 degrees outside, then I'd think it should be a lot closer to 180, but hard to tell with little info.

 

[terex herder]

I suspect your thermostat is stuck open. Does the top radiator hose get warm before the engine gets up to temperature? Top hose should stay cold if not up to temperature.

 

[Nige]

Have you found the thermostat location yet.?

 

[emmett518]

Not yet. It has been frigid here, but I am going to pop by my Deere dealer to buy the right stat and gasket.

 

[DMiller]

Biggest issue for Equipment warm up was mentioned and pretty well ignored, NOT Operator Comfort but hydraulics warmup so the machine CAN function properly, should be a pressure bypass on the hydraulics so the system will actually heat itself up with cold thick oil, takes time for that to develop enough heat to not drive engine coolant temp in the hydraulics heat exchanger into the basement.

 

[emmett518]

What temp should hydraulics be before working? And do you need to measure hyd temps or is engine oil or coolant temp a decent variable to watch?

 

[Tinkerer]

This is from the operators manual. FWIW.

 

[emmett518]

Thanks.

 

[AzIron]

Biggest issue for Equipment warm up was mentioned and pretty well ignored, NOT Operator Comfort but hydraulics warmup so the machine CAN function properly, should be a pressure bypass on the hydraulics so the system will actually heat itself up with cold thick oil, takes time for that to develop enough heat to not drive engine coolant temp in the hydraulics heat exchanger into the basement.

Glad someone noticed

 

[Coaldust]

We start them in November and shut them off in April. Unless we pull them inside.

 

[colson04]

We start them in November and shut them off in April. Unless we pull them inside.

Ford had a promo video for the 6.7L diesel when it was new, like 12 years ago. They shipped a fleet of F-350s with the 6.7L up to Prudhoe Bay for cold weather testing because they would get so many hours in such a short time span. That was the first time I had ever heard about literally running the trucks 24/7 and only shutting then down for service work.

 

[emmett518]

The Deere dealer mentioned that there was indeed a change made in the thermostat design. She also mentioned there were two, and both should be replaced at the same time.
This could also have to do with a possibly failed viscous fan drive that is not slipping when engine is cold. Deere wants huge bucks for that. Might pull mine, and see if a Borg Warner dealer can match it.

 

[emmett518]

We start them in November and shut them off in April. Unless we pull them inside.

Wow. Talk about heavy duty!!

 

[Delmer]

failed viscous fan drive that is not slipping when engine is cold.

Heavy equipment had solid drive fans for decades, and worked fine, the viscous fan drive is not a problem unless it sends the fan through the radiator, if the bearing is fine, leave it.

 

[Truck Shop]

Same with a hydraulic power winch. I always pay extra out then power in before putting it to work.