Hello everybody I have a 1986 Ford f250 6.9 diesel.
I live in an apartment complex so can't run an extension cord for my heater block. I was hoping someone could help me with any alternatives to keep my truck warm during winter?
Thanks again for your help!!

 

What kind of winter temps are you talking about? With a good GP/Starting system you should be able to start it down pretty low.

Low temps will definitely shine a light on weak starting parts though.

Basically you are going to want to make sure all your GPs are working correctly, Battery cables and grounds are good, starter is in good shape and probably some big batteries just in case. I saw some Group 31 Commercial batteries at NAPA with 1125CCA for about $130 each.

 

I have good batteries. I have a small short but I need to figure out where it is. When I turn on my lights or signal sometimes the truck cuts all power. I live in Colorado so it gets to the singles and soon we're expecting negatives. I was looking into heater things for the oil pan but I'm not quite sure what needs to be heated because I'm originally from Cali.

 

Without access to an outlet you are a little limited. Switching to synthetic oil can help it turn over easier. Not sure if a couple battery blankets would help retain more heat in the batteries over night. Anything you can do to reduce resistance in the starting circuit could help......maybe make sure all your grounds are super clean and add one directly to the starter.

With a good system I have started my van in the morning when it was 3*f out. You can always cycle the glow plugs a couple of times before turning it over. Maybe put your glow plugs on a push button system so you can run them just a little longer, although it would probably shorten their lifespan.

 

How would you reduce the resistance? Sorry I'm a noob when it comes to this stuff.
And I have a push system.

 

Make sure all connections are clean and tight. Add extra ground, like from a starter bolt to the frame. Insure battery cables are in good condition.....possibly up-size the cables.

I also use a spray to seal all exposed cable connections. Can't remember the name, but it just put a coating on it to limit exposure to the elements and prevent corrosion.

Also, remember that if your battery cables are original then they are really old. They can have a build up of corrosion inside even if they look good.

Maybe some more members who have experienced this exact situation will chime in.

Another thing to think about could be upgrading you alternator to a g3 version. Our OEM ones don't charge much at idle. The added charging capacity of a g3 can help maintain your batteries....especially if you are taxing them more with extra GP cycles and crank time due to extreme cold. A high quality starter can make a big difference too. I purchased a Powermaster and have been very happy with it.

How many CCA are your batteries. I have 2x850CCA batteries and I would wish I had more. When I replace them it will be with the group 31 batteries I mentioned earlier. With mine being a van I also have dual HVAC. It works great, but having 2 blowers on high while at idle really cuts into and charging.

Remember, for the truck to start there has to be enough heat/pressure in the cylinder for the cold fuel to combust. This heat is produced by the glow plugs combined with the compression of air in the cylinder. So the faster it turns over the better. A healthy IP/Injector system helps too. Correct timing makes it fire easier.

 

I would have to figure out those exact numbers when I'm off work.
Could someone give me a list of what I should do so I can start shopping around? Thanks again for all the help

 

Are you currently having any starting issues? I would hate for you to spend the time/money to overhaul this stuff if it wasn't needed.

 

Only when it drops below 35 my truck starts kinda hard. But from what I've read it's normal for a diesel to start like that if it's a cold start without any heating accessories. This morning though my starter got stuck or something so I disconnected the batteries. Other than that I just need to figure out how to start easier than cranking if like a mother.

 

I would start my checking to make sure all your glow plugs are functioning. Clean all your connections well and insure your batteries are fully charged.

There is a good video of a before and after starter that shows how fast a new/good starter should turn the IDI over.

When you say "Crank it like a mother", how long?

Just for reference it was in the mid 20's here last night and I forgot to plug in the van. I cycled the plugs once and started cranking about 3 seconds after the light went out. Took slightly more cranking that I would like for it to fire off, but in all reality it was probably somewhere in the 7-10 second range. I think my IP timing is off a bit. IT has 125K miles on the pump. When I first put it in it would fire with in a couple of seconds.

 

it sounds like you need a starter.
if you can count the revolutions of the engine trying to start the starter is bad.
with a good starter it should spin so fast you can not count the revolutions.
on my 88 the starter slowly died to the point where it would not start under 40 degrees. once i put a new starter and positive cable in the truck, it will crack rite off at 0 degrees so fast it almost sounds like a gas engine starting.

 

Most of the time if I hold the glow button for ten seconds she fires up pretty quick. When it's considerably cold and the ten seconds doesn't work I'll hit it for another 8 after like ten seconds. I crank it for about 15 seconds and if it doesn't work I hit it for a little longer but I'm pretty cautious about my plugs so I don't overdo it. I lot of white smoke comes out which makes sense and it sounds like it's about to fire up and then I'm good! But I'll not sure if that's normal for a cold start

 

How would I know if it's the starter?

 

If you google IDI Cold start you should be able to find quite a few videos that show what a cold start is like.

They will also give you an idea of how fast the starter should turn the truck over. You can always replace the starter, or you could take yours out and clean/lube it up. There are how to videos online if you Google it.

 

Yeah it's exactly that but it takes a little longer for it to fire up