Cold Start for C60S

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Do you remember winters and particularly the WIND CHILL being reported on the news when you were kids being much much colder than now?

The numbers reported 20 years ago were substantial colder, it is not global warming. They changed the system the original system for a wind speed of 20MPH at 5 F yielded a wind-chill of -31F the new system introduced in November 2001 yields a wind chill temperature of -15F. If you take this change into affect when they report record chill have the converted the old record under the old system to the new system.

I stumbled on the change when trying to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, here is the link to the NOAA web page that explains the difference http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/?n=windchill

Cheers Phil

PS Current Wind Chill Temperature here is -35C old system -26C new system

[BCA]

For 15 years I have been using a very tired M38 CDN as a snow plow. Ugly body, messy engine compartment, low compression, missing all the collectible jewelry sold off to dress up it's restored cousins. This jeep has no reason to keep running but I can start it up and plow to my hearts content at the lowest temperature. It sits in the farm field all summer, then starts right up when winter comes again. A great example of the jeep that would never let you down. A thing of legends.
Yet, so many of us have fully restored hobby vehicles that have trouble starting after a few days of sitting. How come? Brian

[motto]

Perhaps it's because if the snow plough Jeep doesn't perform it's for the high jump whereas the show pony in the garage will just get some more TLC?

David

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by BCA

For 15 years I have been using a very tired M38 CDN as a snow plow. Ugly body, messy engine compartment, low compression...... This jeep has no reason to keep running but I can start it up and plow to my hearts content at the lowest temperature. It sits in the farm field all summer, then starts right up when winter comes again. ..... A thing of legends.
Yet, so many of us have fully restored hobby vehicles that have trouble starting after a few days of sitting. How come? Brian

Hi Brian

I think some of the reasons that some older engines (won't call the clunkers out of respect) will start fine and run in cold weather is there very age and the wear. All of the tolerances all through out the engine are large on the older "fully run in engines". As you point out they start and run may not put out quite as much power as a fresh engine, but they get the job done.

I would not want to try and start a freshly rebuilt engine that has been sitting in sub zero conditions. It would be an interesting test to do on a freshly rebuilt 216 vs one 216 with 20,000 on the odometer let them both sit in the cold and use a torque wrench instead of the crank to see just how many pound feet of torque it takes to just turn the crank the first bit.

My HUP and C60L are parked bumper to bumper in an unheated garage the HUP has probably 1500 miles on a fresh rebuild and the C60L has who knows how many miles. If I can get them far enough apart to get between them I might try this little experiment.

When I rebuild an engine I generally put them on the test stand for the initial run. One of the bits of my test stand is a really good coolant heater which is mounted very low so it gets a really good thermosyphon going which if I leave it plugged in over night will get a 216 Chevy up to about 120F. Engines seem to like this treatment and generally seem to start easier initially than engines that were just room temperature. Of course with a 216 priming the oil pump and system with a drill is also part of the game.

I think the other reason those old trucks who sit out in the weather will start in the dead of winter is self preservation they know that if they don't one of the reasons we keep them will be gone. Besides maybe they just like thumbing their noses at the trucks kept indoors.

Cheers Phil

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

I think the other reason those old trucks who sit out in the weather will start in the dead of winter is self preservation they know that if they don't one of the reasons we keep them will be gone. Besides maybe they just like thumbing their noses at the trucks kept indoors.

How true!

I had a "cluncker" running for a 4-5 years with minimal maintenance, while out "main car" got all it's regular services (and then some...). The little Italian pulled a long nose to the noble Swede when it turned out to do basically the same job for a lot less effort. In the end it succumbed to the rust devil so I sold it. But a handy guy welded it up and it's still running...

H.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Follow-up on cold weather starting for Chevy CMP after long cold soaking over the last few months (2). The HUP has been parked in an unheated garage. I put the battery charger on the HUP to warm the battery for an hour, the HUP has just over a 1000 miles on its full rebuild. Turned on the ignition let the electric fuel pump click away for a minute. Pulled the Choke all the way out and pulled the hand Throttle out 1/2. Pushed in the clutch with transmission into neutral hit the starter, engine turned over maybe two revolutions and coughed to life. Pushed in the choke half way, hand Throttle was set at a fast idle probably 800RPM, oil pressure came up fairly quickly. Oil in the engine is 30 weight.

Moved the truck out of the garage before the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors went off. Covered the radiator to aid in getting the engine up to temperature. This week we've had some warm weather up to 36F or 2.2C just enough to turn the top 2 inches of the our dirt driveway and the dirt road we live on to mud.

Once the engine was showing some warmth 100F took the truck for a slow drive down the driveway and out on to the dirt road. Kept the speed slow enough to not through mud up on the wheel wells. It is about 1/2 mile out to the paved road so I made several low speed trips in and out leaving lots and lots of non-directional tire tracks. Basically covering the drive and road with tire tracks.

Well the temperature went down again that night and it looks like it will not go above freezing for the next week at least. When I drove my car out the next morning it was like driving on rumble strips. Now two days later the road is still frozen and the tire tracks are still there.

Wonder what the neighbors think of the new road surface?

Cheers Phil

PS- With the radiator covered and the air temp just above freezing the engine came up to 160F when the thermostat opened then dropped 20 degrees and then cycled back up to 160F then gradually warming to about 200F and remaining constant through a couple of trips in and out. Wanted to run the engine long enough to really get all the oil and block up to vaporize and pull out of the engine and moisture.

[Tony Wheeler]

Nice work Phil, proving 6V battery more than adequate if warmed, as you suggested earlier wrt Beauty.

Of course I'm struggling with the concept of warming the motor up after working my F60S in 45C this week - it's already at operating temp without even running!

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

The numbers reported 20 years ago were substantial colder, it is not global warming. They changed the system the original system for a wind speed of 20MPH at 5 F yielded a wind-chill of -31F the new system introduced in November 2001 yields a wind chill temperature of -15F. If you take this change into affect when they report record chill have the converted the old record under the old system to the new system.

Phil,
Just another ploy by the authorities to try and "sell" the idea that this is all down to Man and his fossil fuel burning ....... a lot of tosh, we are brighter than that.