What happens to an engine during a cold start in sub-zero temperatures?

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Sorry to burst you bubbles but I've actually lived in South Dakota for 5 years. -20 too many times to count. Mopars worked fine. As a matter of fact I still have one 273 with 300,000 miles on it and it still starts and runs like new. It was run every day, summer and winter, all 5 years. When it got really cold, it was the only car that would start. So much BS to be flung to what end? The wild thing was the 90 wt Gear oil in the 4 speed trans at -20. It still works fine also.
 
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My truck started in 38 below F. Actual temp, not wind chill. Didn't even rattle, 5w-30 QS.

My Dad, being reared in North Dakota, used to get coals hot and when they turned white (no flame), he'd slide them under the oil pan. Warm oil, the old flat 8's would pop right off, even with 6 volt.
 
One winter back in the late 70's, on my 68 GTS 340, I didn't get my Valvoline 50wt changed before it got real cold. Needless to say-there was no cold start that day.
 
Back in the 80’s i had a 68 coronet 318. -40 in canada is the same in f. Parked wth nose of car in snowbank. The gear reduction starter really shined on those days. If it would turn it would start. Had to do the dance on the gas pedal though.

had an 86 lebaron gts 2.2 turbo that would start in the lowetst temps too. But it got 0w20 synthetic diesel oil in the winter. That thing had wicked heat too.
 
Years ago I bought a Kat's magnetic 110v heater.
It will stick to oil pan easy, it makes starting anything out in the cold like a hot day.
Comes in really handy sometimes to get stuff running.
 
sireland67 said:
Years ago I bought a Kat's magnetic 110v heater.
It will stick to oil pan easy, it makes starting anything out in the cold like a hot day.
Comes in really handy sometimes to get stuff running.
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This is the kind of heater you need to warm up the oil anyway. Most block heaters warm the coolant which helps starting (especially on diesels) and reduces wear but with the oil hanging in a sump below the block there's barely any heat transfer to the oil that way.
 
pishta said:
Buddy in the Army told same story of trucks in German winters. Light a small fire under the oil pan. They had to use an insulated pan to prevent damage to the forest floor. German govt was anal about US forces training in the forest over there. Id think nowadays they probably have quiet generators to run block heaters in downtime. Modern Army......
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Berlin Germany late 70s early 80s. Battalion recon platoon. During the winters we had our soldiers doing 2 hour shifts in the motor pool running our gun jeeps. Fortunately our vehicles were parked in a metal building to that helped.
 
I had a 71 Honda AN600 (2 cylinder car) air cooled, Keihin VV motorcycle carb. pull manual choke out and That thing would light off like gregcons Triumph, just a jab at the starter button (that was rigged) would start that little motor, it would just catch immediately. Must have been that Variable venturi carb that necked down to nothing and the choke. after about 15 seconds push the choke in to its half way detent, and then 15 seconds later push it all the way in and away you go. That was only in the coolest 40F mornings here in CA. Tjhose air cooled motors had great heaters too. Heat in about 30 seconds as it was pulled straight over the exhaust manifold, just pray you didnt have a manifold leak or you'd get a headache.
 
jonn6464 said:
Many years ago, my father was a long haul truck driver. He made trips across the northern states and Canada. Back then truckers carried a home made pan fashioned from a piece of tin or sheet metal, which was hammered into a shallow bowl.
In the morning, he would light a small fire in the pan and place it directly under the trucks oil pan. After 10 mins or so, the oil was warm enough to flow freely when he cranked the engine.
He told me that was only good to -30. Any colder than -30 and he would just leave the truck running all night. Diesel was insanely cheap back then and the cost of the fuel used over night was better than lost time the next day trying to get his rig running.
Good old days.
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I used to keep warm with a small bbq grill laid on the passenger side floor to make up for the non existant heat in the 60's vintage trucks I drove 50 years ago.
 
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