Technical Warming up an engine?

I have been to many Land Speed events.
bonneville, Maxton, Wilmington, And Loring. Always amazed me that the competitors, even after waiting for hours, would jump in their cars and hit the go peddle. No warm up at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I see that at the drag strip too! I also saw it for 33 years on Fire trucks, 0 degrees outside, 50 in the engine room, out the door in less than30 seconds on that engine, wide open to the fire! Only lost one engine to that torture!






Bones

 

I worked a Basolo’s Auto parts in Muskogee back in the early seventies. We had an old 2 ton corn binder that noboby could get to Tulsa and back…50 miles one way!
Joe B. knew I was kinda mechanic, so he sent me! I made it and after that it was my job! I got to see the sights, while the other guys had to “ work”! All because I was raised on a ranch, where I was taught” get her done”! To borrow a phrase!






Bones

 

I was told (no first hand experience) that was a common practice-never shutting the engine down-for truck drivers way back in the day with extreme cold climates. Fuel burnt was less expensive and a whole lot less labor intensive than the alternatives.

 

It's a ritual- pull manual choke and leave it idling for a minute until it smooths out, back out of the driveway, drop it in first, slip the clutch and kill the choke. Putt a few blocks in first to get the fluids moving. Off to the races

Joe

 

I let the motor idle a bit for choke to function but, mainly to get heater working on cold mornings

 

I pull the big piece of cardboard out from under the car, make a big V and pour all the leaked oil back in the engine...hit the key, and go

 

If you warm up your car in MPLS it will be gone next time you look out the window

 

I warm all my motors, my 301 (manual choke)in my RPU needs about 3-4 minutes at 1500 -2000 rpm and then let the rear end catch up with easy driving for a few minutes. Not so much when its a very hot day but still let it warm. Being an ex mechanic i like to look after what i have and they do last longer. JW

 

When I was a kid, my mom started working around my age eleven. I remember we had a really nice Buick hardtop. She had to be there by seven AM. She would jump in every cold morning and rev it hard, until the temp came up. Well, it wasn’t long before that like new beauty blew up. Rather than fixing it, she traded for an ugly as sin booger green Buick four door. That left an indelible impression on my soul.

 

QUOTE=”Boneyard51, post: 14382497, member: 310916”]I was just reading a post here, about oil and a HAMBer mentioned “ warming up” an engine before taking off. I have my opinion and a way I was taught on the ranch, by my Dad. But I was wondering what the Ford thought on this? Anybody? What are your beliefs, pro or con? Bones[/QUOTE]





Hello,

On our old Westside of Long Beach 1940’s built house, we had a 120’ long driveway that led to the two car garage. The 1951 Oldsmobile sedan and then later the 1958 Impala had to park on the left side of the garage.

My brother’s 1951 Oldsmobile Sedan in the garage center parking. No dad’s Buick Sedan in place.
The long drive way with the 1958 Impala (chrome roof accessory showing) in the left space of our two car garage.

If the car was parked in the center space or right hand space, no warm up was necessary as the long driveway that led out to the street was fine to get the motors up to operating level. When our dad fired up his big Buicks at 5:30 in the morning, he let it run for a few minutes to get his Dobbs Hat and finish his coffee before backing it up and heading off for L.A. The Chevy Impala was always parked in the left space. That meant that after firing up in the early morning the amount of backing up and going forward to center the sedan in the garage was plenty of time to warm up. So, off we went to school or elsewhere.

Besides, we could not back up fast, due to the narrow driveway space between the fence and stucco. So, idling for 120 feet was plenty of warm up for the upcoming drive at any hour or time of year.


Jnaki

Now, when we had the 1940 Willys Coupe SBC 671 build finished, we had to back it up in several directions to get it to angle out of the rear build space/workplace. Then it was the same narrow driveway to get it hooked up to the Impala tow hitch out on the street. After each competitive day at Lion’s Dragstrip, we had to tow the Willys Coupe home, unhook the tow bar and drive the Willys Coupe (and all of its powerful 671 SBC motor sound) back into the rear garage workspace inside of the small space for overnights, locked, securely inside.

At the Lion’s Dragstrip, the initial fire up and tune prior to racing was done. But, anytime between races, the time it took from our pit area to the staging class lanes and to the starting line, was a straight shot when the lane was empty. On busy days/nights, we pushed the Willys Coupe down the class lanes to the starting gate and waited to be directed to either tower or spectator side. The fire up and rolling to the actual start line on cold nights was plenty of time to get the whole 671 SBC motor ready for the all-out assault.

Never was there a time where any of our sedans or hot rods had to sit idling to warm up. On very cold morning runs with the Ford Sedan Delivery and even with the 327 powered Sedan Delivery, it was a back up/on to the street. By the time I got out of the yard onto the street, the heater was warm enough and the motor ran fine all the way to the cold beach with the cold, offshore winds.


Obviously, just idling in any garage prior to backing up is/was the right amount of time to warm up the motor and make a run down the coastal beach runs during those colder winter months…Like yesterday in So Cal, if the 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery were around to be used, it was freezing outside. In between the rain, it had our "yard covering hail” for a good 10 minutes.

 

I fire mine up, let 'er run about 1,000 r.p.m. & wait 'til the temp gauge needle lifts off the stop. It takes a minute or so... I think about the way heat causes different metals expand at different rates. Besides if I run it too cold it'll bog under load 'till it warms a little. I think the main factor is operator comfort.

 

Modern stuff doesn't really need to warm up, but you should hold off on heavy throttle until it's up to temperature. That's what I've read anyway.
I don't know about anyone else, but the punchy smallblock in my 55 with the Holley HP ain't going anywhere until it's got heat in it. No choke and a big cam make it pretty cold blooded. In the colder months, it's at least 5 minutes of nursing it up to temperature.