# Winter diesel stories from the 1980s



## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

Holy smokes,  I almost forgot the tried and true push-start!   If you've got a pal or an assistant, you can always get a good push up to 30 mph to get the engine to turn over (with a manual transmission)   One time I had the security guard from the parking garage push me down the street  with his capped pick-up truck to get the car started. <br><br>That may be one clincher for folks in cold climates to skip the automatic. <br><br>


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

I thought I'd bump this for the first-time owners, so they can see how much life has improved in the last 30 years.

(Keep in mind this is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and I wouldn't recommend some of these techniques on a modern diesel)


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Blasts from the past , Into the future and I am sure these Goofer Balls will think up Imaginative ways to get they're cruzen started and running in these low Temps .


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Interesting. Glad you bumped this. It was posted before I became a member and I missed it.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

Gees....when I was in Korea way back, the Koreans could make anything work. They put GI 6X6 diesel engines in a 1965 Buick and it ran and drove. In their left over Korean war GI trucks, they would start a fire under the oil pan to heat it up...pretty funny to watch since sometimes things that weren't supposed to, caught fire. Talk about a Chinese fire drill....!!!


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Hearing that reminded me of something my father told me when I was very young. The sheep station we were living on at the time had 2 Massey Ferguson 65 diesel tractors. One was fitted with a 12V battery and the other one (my dad's) was fitted with 2 6V batteries in series to make 12V. The tractor with 2 6V batteries always started in cold -5 or -6C and was used to tow the other one which just wouldn't start. I guess the 2 batteries simply gave a better starter speed?


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

If the 2 x 6 volt had a little higher voltage than the 1 x 12, it would make a difference. 

I'll also admit that before the ring problem I toyed with the idea of hooking a small medical oxygen tank up to the air intake that could be activated with a valve. But after the ring job it started better anyway, and I played it conservatively.


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

ParisTNDude said:


> Gees....when I was in Korea way back, the Koreans could make anything work. They put GI 6X6 diesel engines in a 1965 Buick and it ran and drove. In their left over Korean war GI trucks, they would start a fire under the oil pan to heat it up...pretty funny to watch since sometimes things that weren't supposed to, caught fire. Talk about a Chinese fire drill....!!!


LOL. A few charcoal briquettes might be safer!


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

In the 1980's I was rocking these diesels: 1,790 cubic inch flat 12 twin turbo diesels. They had around 750hp and held nearly 35 gallons of oil. M60A3 Patton. 

Not economical but just the ticket for patrolling the Iron Curtain. They were replaced with M1's in 1985.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

ParisTNDude said:


> Gees....when I was in Korea way back, the Koreans could make anything work. They put GI 6X6 diesel engines in a 1965 Buick and it ran and drove. In their left over Korean war GI trucks, they would start a fire under the oil pan to heat it up...pretty funny to watch since sometimes things that weren't supposed to, caught fire. Talk about a Chinese fire drill....!!!


cool story! I can picture it!



Aussie said:


> Hearing that reminded me of something my father told me when I was very young. The sheep station we were living on at the time had 2 Massey Ferguson 65 diesel tractors. One was fitted with a 12V battery and the other one (my dad's) was fitted with 2 6V batteries in series to make 12V. The tractor with 2 6V batteries always started in cold -5 or -6C and was used to tow the other one which just wouldn't start. I guess the 2 batteries simply gave a better starter speed?


I'm guessing the 6 volt batteries had a higher CCA capacity....


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