It's minus 42C here in LLoydminster Alberta Canada. That converts to -43.6F.
I plug my truck in at night and it starts in the morning, but I think it's really hard on the engine. When it's this cold, it takes about 15 seconds for the oil pressure to come up-I use 5-40 Delvac synthetic.
I'm just wondering if it would be harder or easier on the engine if I just let it run all night..
Any ideas?

 

Worse! Our engines are not designed for long term idle. Good chance of destroying the cylinder walls with fuel washdown.

Bill

 

Get yourself an oil pan heater for the really cold days.
The type that you silicone on are the best but a magnetic one will work just as well. Just got to take it on and off.

 

Idling all night will do more damage than the cold start. With our temps, full synthetic oils are a must. It was -54 with the wind chill (-42 on the gauge) around here the other night... Needless to say even 5W oils will cloud at that temp. Good block heater and like infidel said, oil pan heat would help alot if you can insulate the pan a bit with some foil backed insulation.

 

I agree that this is the best idea.

 

Its bin -46* celceus in Grande Prairie Alberta and my dad let his 07.5 6.7L cummins Idle all night.

Nick.

 

Its been freaky cold here too, I got a stick on(not magnetic) 250 watt oil pan heater from DSG in Saskatoon. That along with the regular block heater and the Cummins is a happy motor.

Al Gore and global warming, funny how he did his presentation here in summer when it was nice and warm... and not -51 Celsius with the wind!!!

 

My thoughts, too. Idling all the time is not good in cold weather. That engine isn't generating enough heat to improve things much over a cold start.

If you have an exhaust brake, then things might be different. If you can keep EGT about 600 or higher, then the engine will be fine. But if it's idling all night at 250-300 EGTs, then you're hurting the engine. JMO.

These extreme conditions will gel up even a 5w-40 synthetic, and all but demand a Webasto or Espar type of heater.

JMO

 

Wind chill wont cool your truck off any lower than ambient...


Yep full synthetics are good, like you have, and a oil pan heater would really help too.. .

 

Does anyone make a 0w30 syn for diesels? The Dodge Service Manual shows 5w30 syn as being acceptable/avaliable in 2000. Something else may be avaliable now. Dodge/cummins would not recomend if not safe to use under these obscene operating conditions.

 

I don't know of any 0w-30 diesel oils.

I think the Amsoil 5W-30 HDD is as close as you can get...

jh

 

Man I thought I had it bad. I plug mine in even when its 50F out. Overly cautious i guess, but if you take care of er and keep er warm, shell take care of you. God luck to all you good ol canadians and keep sendin the great rock bands our way.

 

I have a full synthetic 0W40 I run all winter from Esso. Wouldn't do anything less.

And I agree wind chill doesn't cool your truck, but it does steal your heat from the truck if you are just on the block heater. Its amazing how a stiff breaze will drop the effectiveness of your heater. Any heat trickling down to the oil pan or any exposed area looses it pretty fast. Not to mention how your eyes freeze open trying to find your keys in your pockets..

http://www.esso.com/Canada-English/L...XD_3_Extra.asp

 

That wind definitely sucks out the heat. I drove 300km on Monday in -30 or better weather. Truck was at full op temp. Pulled into the motel that I'm staying, go into the front office, pay up for the week, go back to the truck and the temp is down to 75 or so. Overnights have been -35 plus the wind chill, have the truck plugged in for 10 hours PLUS the Espar on for 90 minutes, and the temp is just breaking 60. Oil pressure still takes a good 10-15 seconds to build. Gives you a bit of a worry when you're used to seeing it come up before all the idiot lights on the dash go out.

 

Temps you mention are ēC, correct?