Cold Start for C60S

[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!