79 Datsun 210

[wobbedennis]

Ok guys, you all should of known that this car would follow me here, and with the current temperature at 2 above, I know it's not gonna start for me in the am for my hour long one way commute. Is there a way I could ward off this no start issue in the am?, it's not the battery, cranks over just fine, just won't fire. It behaves like it has no spark, and verified last year, it does have spark. I picked up a can of starting fluid, so, I'm hopeful it'll start tomorrow, but I hate using the stuff. ideas on getting her woke up with out the stuff?

[bgsengine]

Its not a quick fix but an engine block heater might help - either coolant heater or oil heater if not both, alternatively a warming blanket you throw over the engine after parking for the day, but have to remember to remove it before startup in the morning (and unplug the block heater) alternatively park it in a heated garage, I would say.

[wobbedennis]

no garage, and the freeze plugs are not of a large enough in the block to accept a block heater. I don't know about an oil heater, total oil capacity is three quarts, could that cause some damage to the oil, and how effective is it?

[wobbedennis]

would the starting fluid even hurt my car's engine?

[NO0C]

All bets are off if using starting fluid. You might be okay, then again you might lay the cylinder head on the fender.

There are alternatives to frost plug heaters.

1. Lower radiator hose heaters.



2. Circulating tank heaters.



See the heaters available from Kat’s, a well know name in the business.

http://fivestarmanufacturing.com/Kat_s

Good luck.

[NevadaWalrus]

Water injector, only use methanol. Use an electric solenoid with on/off switch so its only in use when cold. If an F.I. engine has problems it needs help but my 78 Datsun PU was carbuerated and stumbled badly when extremely cold, with the meth injection it was like having a perfectly running F.I. engine. Actually it became hard to drive easy until it warmed up cause it wanted to go from the get go. No cold stumble at all.

[Buckshot 1]

When I was a kid (many moons ago) my Father and grandfather used to put a 100W light bulb under the hood, seem to provide enough heat to fire those vehicles that sit outside during cold weather. My Father had a Buddy that would put a heat lamp under his ride. There used to be an ether kit that you install in the air cleaner for either gas/diesel powered farm tractors. The kit was also used in gas/diesel power semi tractors. I have no problem using ether as long as it has upper cylinder lube.

[madmantrapper]

Those heaters in the radiator hose work great. Had a F250 ford with a 360M engine. I would get in and have heat in a matter of minutes.

[NO0C]

Not nearly as well as the tank types.

Not a lot of value heating the coolant in the radiator when the engine is what you want to heat.

Imagine how much heat exchange there is from the radiator to the ambients.

[bgsengine]

Actually with the in-line coolant heater, you are heating the block. It works on the principle of heat rising - the heater goes in the lower radiator hose (obviously - upper hose will not always have coolant in it) and then the warmed coolant flows TO the engine block, and returns through the thermostat bypass to the upper radiator. (Most radiators will cool by passing hot coolant *from* the top, down to the bottom where water pump sucks it up and back into engine) - you'll heat the engine block via the coolant *before* it heats the radiator, if it is installed right. I used to install these every now and then in those old Chevy 350 diesels. There's a right way and a wrong way to install them