How have you kept your engine warm at night outside?

[RCM]

Hi Old Henry.
Cant imagine other solutions than the ones already pointed, but, risking going offtopic, I want to ask if you keep you car outside and what weather protection do you give Old Henry.
Thanks

[Bruce in southern OH]

Old Henry, with the temp this year being in the negative range equipment we receive has a battery wrap/pad that plugs in to 110 Volt. This works wonders on the man lifts. With the motels you have to stay at the high wattage heaters would be hard make work, finding a receptacle that would handle the load. This one is just 60 watts. I am sure there are others.
.
KAT'S Heaters/120 Volt 60 Watts 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. battery pad heater

Part Number: 22400

Alternate Part Number: BH4
.
Also, if you can use a momentary push button that by-passes the ignition resistor when starting. This will give the coil additional voltage (hotter spark)

[BILL WZOREK]

Old Henry:
The Mag oil pan heater & dip stick heater are really only Maintainers that help Martainn the all ready warm engine / That is why such low wattage.
The best type is the water circulating ones but you all ready talked about the install headache.
Henry may not like it but when at home leave him out side on a cold night have the engine up to operating temp. install the pan heater and see what that gets you.

When you used the starting fluid did you remove the air filter or did you spray under the filter trying to get it through the oil bath? ( as mentioned before the oil in the oil bath filter may be to heavy) try starting with cover off the filter.

The last thought I have is you have had your share of electrical problems this past year,
I know you don't want to hear it but it may be time for a complete wiring up grade.
Before Henry Makes a Ash of him self.~ just a thought~

[oldford2]

Professor,
I would try installing a jumper with a toggle switch to bypass the resistor when starting. This will give 6 volts to the coil instead of 4 thru the resistor and make for a hotter spark. Easy to do and helps in all starts hot and cold.
John

[1952henry]

Originally Posted by Alaska Jim

Old Henry, Kats makes a recirc. heater that goes in the heater hose, but the flathead with it's 2 "separate cooling system's" it would probably only heat half of the eng. I have torn down flatheads here in Alaska that have had one head bolt replaced with a head bolt heater. this consists of a heating element that screws down into the head and is torqued like a normal head bolt. I have not seen them for sale in years, but I have not looked either. you may find them in the Kats, or Zero-Start brand. Ck at Napa, or CARQUEST. other than that ,I would go with the silicone pad on the oil pan. I have one on my C%%%y pick-up on the trans pan and the eng. oil pan along with a freeze plug heater. I don't know if a freeze plug heater is available for a flathead they can be a pain to put in depending on the recommended location. you would have to knock out an existing freeze pug to put it in. it is a coin toss as to what is available, and what you feel is worth the trouble. For what it is worth I think coolant heaters work the best, as they keep the block, pistons, etc. warm. they do help heat the oil just by the coolant radiating heat through al the metal parts, also helps bring operating temps up quicker ( faster hot air at the heater and defroster). take your pick--hope this helps----Jim

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A15725581

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

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Back in the 50's my daily driver and only cars was old flatheads. They never failed to start and we have a lot of below nothing mornings here in Me. I remember one morning in 55 it was -30* below nothing. My only car was a 35 coupe with a stock 59Ab, It fired right up and got me to work. Walt

[Mike51Merc]

Originally Posted by oldford2

Professor,
I would try installing a jumper with a toggle switch to bypass the resistor when starting. This will give 6 volts to the coil instead of 4 thru the resistor and make for a hotter spark. Easy to do and helps in all starts hot and cold.
John

Doesn't the stock system already have a resistor bypass in the starting circuit?

Later Fords certainly do.

[Joe KCMO]

I leave it my 80 degree garage. When I want to warm it up, I leave it outside during the day and it heats up to 86 degrees. Not to worry north people, spring is just around the corner. :-)

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Mike51Merc

Doesn't the stock system already have a resistor bypass in the starting circuit?

Later Fords certainly do.

Older fords have a single post solenoid. You could add a 2 post (4 terminal) 6 volt solenoid to a earlier vehicle to give 6 volts to the coil for starting.

6 volt 4 term ford tractor solenoid.
http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/ford_..._2676_prd1.htm

[Shadetree]

I remember back in the good ol' days when the Fords were considered the best to start in cold weather. The reason given: The starter turned the engine faster than other makes.

True story. When I was first married I bought a 1954 Pontiac from my brother-in-law as a second car for $75. Later traded it for a 1963 Corvair and gave big bucks difference. One cold morning the Corvair refused to start and I walked to work. Just as I arrived at work my old Pontiac flew by with it's new happy owner!

[richard rink]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

All these ideas on why it wouldn't start... Old Henry's simple answer "It was too cold" works for me.

Without the proper combination of fuel/air/fire, there will be no ignition. The vaporization of fuel being the missing element, the carburetor and intake manifold had to warm sufficiently to make that happen, then you have what you need to start the engine.

Alan makes an excellent point. On the coldest mornings I aim a heat lamp at the carburetor and intake manifold. Despite slow cranking, the engine starts and keeps running.

Richard

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by RCM

Hi Old Henry.
Cant imagine other solutions than the ones already pointed, but, risking going offtopic, I want to ask if you keep you car outside and what weather protection do you give Old Henry.
Thanks

Car is kept in an insulated garage that rarely gets below 60°. Only problem starting is on road trips after a night sitting outside the motel below 20°.

Thanks for asking.

[Old Henry]

Looks like a lot of good ideas. The challenge will be to find a motel with an outside plug. But, I used to do it back when the engine still had the head bolt heaters in it so probably can again. One more reason to stick with the little old dive motels where I can park right at the door. The real old ones have enough gap around the door to run the wire from my room if necessary.

Thanks for the help.

[Mike51Merc]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Older fords have a single post solenoid. You could add a 2 post (4 terminal) 6 volt solenoid to a earlier vehicle to give 6 volts to the coil for starting.

6 volt 4 term ford tractor solenoid.
http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/ford_..._2676_prd1.htm

Wasn't the bypass integrated into the ignition switch (and not the solenoid)on earlier cars?

[keith oh]

Professor, With an ignition system that dirty, plug wires and plugs dirty and if you have a radio, probably carbon center wires that are broken down, it is no wonder you would have starting trouble. Even dirty spark plug porcaline will rob power. Back in the 40s the only cars on my dads used car lot you could depend on to start on 0 degree days was the flathead fords. Clean all the wireing, Have the coil checked (Skips in Fl.) change the spark plug wires and I will bet it will start on the coldest days. My old 35 does even with medeoaker compression. "Have a nice day" Keith oh

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by BILL WZOREK

Old Henry:
When you used the starting fluid did you remove the air filter or did you spray under the filter trying to get it through the oil bath? ( as mentioned before the oil in the oil bath filter may be to heavy) try starting with cover off the filter.

Originally Posted by Sixseven

Do you have an oil bath air filter that could be over-choking your engine? You wouldn't know your compressions would you?

I do have the original oil bath heater. I removed it to squirt the starter fluid into the carburetor when trying to start it.

Haven't checked compressions since engine was rebuilt in June.

[Flowmeister]

I'm not sure where you could find head bolt block heaters.
It was a delicate operation to get them out without damaging them.
Mine were located more central on the head, pretty much right under where your oil filter is.
I cleaned them up and bench tested them, they got real hot real fast.
I'll be reinstalling them for the novelty if nothing else.

[Tinker]

Mike, what John is talking about will work excellent. It's just a couple wires and a toggle switch that loops around the resistor (the original resistor is under the dash, also best to use a toggle that you have to hold in the on position, when you take your hand off it automatically goes to the off position). I guess you could start from the ignition switch too.

The solenoid version will only be on when the starter button is pushed. It is automatic on/off.

***If this is what you are asking: best to my knowledge there was never a factory bypass. This was a modification that was done by the owner. Best to my knowledge anyway, which is just that :]'


.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by keith oh

Professor, With an ignition system that dirty, plug wires and plugs dirty and if you have a radio, probably carbon center wires that are broken down, it is no wonder you would have starting trouble. Even dirty spark plug porcaline will rob power. Back in the 40s the only cars on my dads used car lot you could depend on to start on 0 degree days was the flathead fords. Clean all the wireing, Have the coil checked (Skips in Fl.) change the spark plug wires and I will bet it will start on the coldest days. My old 35 does even with medeoaker compression. "Have a nice day" Keith oh

I'm thinking you may be thinking I'm still running the engine as pictured in earlier post. That was it's condition after sitting outside 31 years. It's been rebuilt twice since, the last time in June.


Everything is pretty new and clean - plugs, wires, distributor, coil rebuilt by Skip Haney.



Runs great at all temperatures but doesn't start below 20°.

[tubman]

I've read all of these, and I haven't seen any mention of a frozen gas line. This used to be quite common up here in Minnesota, and we would throw in a can of "Heet" every fill up or two. This was especially a problem on cars that were usually kept in heated garages and left to stand outside occasionally (condensation in the tank). With the stock fuel system on a flathead, any bit of restriction on the flow is going to cause problems.

Also, when I was in college, I had a '52 as a daily driver with a "weak" engine. I had a 1200 watt tank heater on it and never had a problem starting it. Believe me, keeping one bank of a flathead at 120 degrees on a sub-zero day is really all you need to do.