well i hav a 1978 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4.the motor has been changed out for a 305 a long time ago and it has a 4 barrel carb with manuel choke.i kno the older vehicles are hard to start when its freezing outside but ive got it to start before and now it just wont start.im planning on getting all new motor and stuff when i get the money but i need my truck on the road now.are there any inexpensive ways to warm up the engine like overnight or something i could buy thats not expensive?i do not hav a heated garage or any kind of storage for the truck.unfortanatley it has to sit outside.
2007-02-06 12:05:35 · 12 answers · asked by r3dn3ckboi 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Chevrolet
Just pump the hell out of it........(old school)
2007-02-06 12:11:25 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. KnowItAll 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK.. the bottom line here is you need to keep the engine block heated to keep any water vapor in your gasoline from freezing.
Also,... oil tends to get sluggish when the temp drops....
so.. a couple of things
Already mentioned are the oilpan heaters and the freeze plug heaters.. both of those are available at JC Whitney or prob. at any auto store located in areas where the temp drops.
Another alternate - good in a pinch but not as good as the preceeding ones..
Get a water heater like you find in an aquarium shop.. an underwater heater that can be submerged. Lower it into the radiator and plug it in. It will keep the water at between 70 and 90 depending upon what you set. That will heat the block.. just be sure you remove it before you drive away. There are also auto heaters that do the same thing by splicing into the water hoses..
All three of these should cost you less then $25 and require little or no expertise to install.
good luck
.
2007-02-06 15:51:55 · answer #2 · answered by ca_surveyor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to walmart and buy a heat lamp, and put that under the hood, and park close to the house if possible to keep the wind away from the engine. Laying a tarp over the hood and down around the wheels helps after the heat lamp is turned on, it may help a little. But with some of the weather around the country, it's getting difficult to start anything left out in the cold. You might try some starting fluid that sometimes helps but be cautious as that can damage an engine if you use to much.
2007-02-06 12:12:06 · answer #3 · answered by michael_trussell 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy a dip stick that is heated. Why,cause hot oil flows better than cold. A heated freeze out plug only warms the water in the block and not the the oil (Ever heard the expression flows like molasses in the winter time?) Also, could their be moisture in the distributor cap? This is another thing that will keep it from starting/ WD 40 sprayed in the cap will allow it to dry up moisture and start
2007-02-06 15:46:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your truck should start just fine. What do you think people did before fuel injection? Its called maintainance! Rebuild your carb first of all (its almost 30 years old)-a kit from auto zone is a good place to go. Tune it up.
Car manufacturers have done great things over the years with car design for low maintainance. A down fall is that most people have forgotten how to operate and take care of vehicles at anything less than 100,000 mile intervals.
2007-02-09 01:01:53 · answer #5 · answered by gittit 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop,and the best way i have found to do the older ones is set a small electric heater under the hood of it,or under the truck,and aim it upwards toward the engine,this will knock a few degrees off of it just enough to help it start good i have don't this a few times and it works well,and wont harm anything ,anything that knocks the cold air off of it will help it,good luck,hope this help,s.
2007-02-06 14:54:42 · answer #6 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Old trick.) Away from the truck throw a bag of charcol on the ground and light it up when the coals are red cover them with dirt and push the truck over them. Or you could point a torpedo heater at it.
2007-02-06 12:12:00 · answer #7 · answered by Sandman's Auto Parts 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
for u use an electric heater or any heater for that matter heater, you better be damb sure you dont have any fuel leaks. Do it right and buy an oilpan heater, otherwise, you may not have a truck to worry about starting!
2007-02-07 20:21:18 · answer #8 · answered by pyledriver 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Toss in a block heater, by removing a freeze plug.
2007-02-06 14:53:21 · answer #9 · answered by Country Boy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can buy an oilpan heater, it's magnetic so it will stick to the oilpan then just plug it in. It's cheap, simple and it works.
2007-02-06 12:21:36 · answer #10 · answered by misc 75 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
two thing,s you can do to keep the engine warm.......1..dip stick heater.......come,s with extension wire & plug.....2..block heater....fit,s in lower radiator hose.....also plug,s in.......heat,s coolant ..........so you,ll have heat in your cab almost imediatley..available at almost any automotive part,s store.
2007-02-06 21:23:58 · answer #11 · answered by slipstream 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋