Coolant heater

[emr]

Our block heater on our chipper stopped working and we really can't get it started in the cold without it. We are trying to sell the chipper and we don't really want to stick any money into it unless we absolutely have to. We are thinking about getting a coolant heater that you install midline on one of the radiator hoses. Has anyone ever used one of these? Online reviews are decent but I have doubts.

The chipper has a 82 hp Perkins in it.

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[FJR]

What is the price difference between buying a new block heater vs. the mid line coolant heater?

 

[Reddog]

If talking lower radiator hose yes they work fine but the hose needs to be up hill from the radiator to the water pump.
Block heaters are normally about the same price. Both require draining the coolant. Most Block heaters are just a bolt in the center to loosen to remove.
Why switch styles?

 

[emr]

We can get an inline heater for $20 locally and a block heater we can get for around $100 and we would have to order it.

The inline heater would also be faster and easier to install.


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[emr]

And I would rather not even mess with it and use the cnd until it warms up but my partner hates it and would rather use the Vermeer. And it does make sense to get it working properly but I just don't have the ambition to mess with it now.

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[Tucker943]

My 4 cylinder perkins is a bastard to start below 20 degrees. I shoot flaming wd40 down the intake while someone cranks it over. No block heater on mine and no electrical outlet at my yard where the gear is.

 

[top_notch]

Just a thought, but are you sure the block heater it self is dead and not the plug and wire leading to it? Maybe even the extension cord used to plug it in?

 

[Al Smith]

If they will crank over you can start most diesels with a blast of heat from an actylene torch in the intake.

 

[emr]

Just a thought, but are you sure the block heater it self is dead and not the plug and wire leading to it? Maybe even the extension cord used to plug it in?

We are sure. Checked all the wiring with a meter and it's good right up to where it goes into the engine.

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If they will crank over you can start most diesels with a blast of heat from an actylene torch in the intake.

We don't have a torch and I don't want to mess with stuff like that.

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My 4 cylinder perkins is a bastard to start below 20 degrees. I shoot flaming wd40 down the intake while someone cranks it over. No block heater on mine and no electrical outlet at my yard where the gear is.

I believe we have the same chipper and no power at our yard either. We will plug into customers homes or start up a little generator to heat the block.

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[Tucker943]

To get by for the moment until your heater is installed, do like I do. Wont crack the rings. Starts gently without excessive cranking or a run away throttle up on starting.

 

[Reddog]

Propane brush burner, a length of stove pipe and a 90 deg elbow make for a quick pre warmer also. No electric required.

 

[arborworks1]

I had an oil pan heater on my little Perkins equipped chipper. I ran it off an inverter in the chip truck if we didn't have a plug to access. Worked fine down to 10 degrees.

 

[emr]

That is one option we talked about. We figured it probably wouldn't work.

Maybe we will look more into that.
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[sotc]

Space heater blowing under the engine while you do your morning yard duties could work for the short term.

 

[Al Smith]

I've seen them go to extremes getting old diesels to fire off .Like tarp off a dozer engine and blow heat with a kerosine salamander heater on them for two hours .

If you have a good enough battery to roll them over they'll always fire on ether just don't go bonkers and squirt half a can full in it .A little squirt is all it takes --after it's rolling over .

 

[Cobleskill]

A little story to ease your minds on ether use. When I was a kid we had a tractor that needed to be picked up by the dealer. The winch was broken on their rollback. It was very cold and snowy and the said tractor wouldn't start. We tried towing it down the road and it was to slippery to turn the wheels over. We took it out in the field and got going pretty fast. I would pop the clutch and give it a little shot of ether. The engine would turn over a little then the tires would start spinning. After numerous clutch pops and ether shots it finally fired up. Quite a bit of raw ether had collected in the intake manifold and the engine was sounding like it had a bunch of marbles in the cylinders. We didn't want to shut it down and not be able to get it going again. We drove it back to the truck and loaded it rattling all the way. All that ether didn't hurt the engine.

 

[Tucker943]

I've seen them go to extremes getting old diesels to fire off .Like tarp off a dozer engine and blow heat with a kerosine salamander heater on them for two hours .

If you have a good enough battery to roll them over they'll always fire on ether just don't go bonkers and squirt half a can full in it .A little squirt is all it takes --after it's rolling over .

Bad info. Perkins rings will crack from the littlest sniff of ether. They're known for it.

 

[Reddog]

Must just be only some newer models, other wise no Massey Ferguson's would be left running in this area.

 

[FJR]

I had a John Deere motor that I use to use ether on all of the time. It blew a connecting rod through the cylinder wall. Was ether the main reason? I don't know, but after 10k for a new motor I'm not touching a diesel motor with it again. Felt like I learned that the hard way.

 

[Cobleskill]

I own a 1973 100 horsepower JD tractor. It has needed ether when it is cold out since it was new. Has about 15,000 hours on it. The engine has never been touched other than the injection pump and the injectors. You have to keep giving it a little squirt even after it starts or it will stall. Cold blooded.

The earlier models used to have a way to throw the hydraulic pump out of gear. That helps the starter spin easier. This model discontinued that option.

 

[Tucker943]

Must just be only some newer models, other wise no Massey Ferguson's would be left running in this area.

Those are lucky tractors and I know of a few masseys offhand that have lived their life on ether. I cant explain it. I have researched on various forums about diesel engines regarding perkins and ether and known personally of 2 4 cylinder perkins that had rings broken by a light sniff of ether. The rings are light, hence them being known for blow by. With that said, use ether if you want, or go with what we know about the nature of the particular engine and use something more mild and less combustible. There are a few generations of the perkins 4 cylinder. That might make sense of the matter.

 

[Al Smith]

Another method when WD -40 used propane as a propellant was a shot of it in the intake .Might still work ,don't know .

I'm talking extreme measures here you folks do as you please but I've never blown an engine up with starting fluid .

As far as a more modern Perkins if the glow plugs work,the starter is not shot and the battery is good they will start .Old duffers like an Allis WD45 diesel with a pre combustion chamber Perkins ether .