Engine warm up

[Autodave]

On a cold start, do you guy's let your engine run for a certain time before driving?

[Kurt in NJ]

Once started, throttle, spark and mixture set to drive out the door it goes---only if I have to run back into the house to get something will I let it "warm up"

[Kevin in NJ]

How long till you get it in gear and the clutch out?

Something to understand or keep in mind. In taking apart engines that have been sitting around for decades (30-40 years) with no oil in them. When you pull the caps on the rods and the mains there is still a good oil film on them.
I am mentioning this because you engine keeps a good film of oil on everything when it is used periodically. So you will not have issues.

Now clearly you do not want to start beating the crap out out of the engine till it gets a bit warmer. The oil thins and is flowing all over nicely.

A final note. The only pressure oiled bearing in the A is also the most worn. That is the cam center main.

[Autodave]

It was a brisk 60 degrees yesterday(), I just did not know if it harmful without running it for a couple minutes.

[Kohnke Rebabbitting]

Engins should be warmed up at least 3 minutes in warm weather, and at least 5, and more in cold weather.

Pistons for sure need the heat to close the gap to cylinder wall clearance.

Many a piston have been cracked, or exploded in all engines from doing the opposite.

[P.S.]

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Here's what I do to warm up the motor. It takes about 5 minutes when it's mild outside, longer when it's cold.

[J Franklin]

I run a 160 degree thermostat. Idles out of the garage for about 2 minutes.

[Patrick L.]

Start it up. Get levers and such where they need to be. Let the clutch out and go. Just like any other engine, take it easy for a bit.

[msmaron]

Originally Posted by Autodave

It was a brisk 60 degrees yesterday(), I just did not know if it harmful without running it for a couple minutes.

You kidding RIGHT.....I thought you said cold?? I let mine warm up in the summer for a full 5 minutes, in winter when its cold.. 38 degrees or less until the thermostat reads 160 and I go, sometimes 8-10 min.. I always warm up a car before i drive...

[Rex_A_Lott]

Call me old-fashioned, I still like for mine to get up to NOP, NOT before I get on it hard.

[brum1]

I let it warm about 2 minute or so and then baby it on the raod for another minuite or so

[Autodave]

Originally Posted by msmaron

You kidding RIGHT.....I thought you said cold?? I let mine warm up in the summer for a full 5 minutes, in winter when its cold.. 38 degrees or less until the thermostat reads 160 and I go, sometimes 8-10 min.. I always warm up a car before i drive...

I know what cold is...I used to live in Marengo,Il.
I have been letting it run till I can turn down the idle, and then let it run a bit longer.

[QGolden]

I'm sorta' old school in that I let motors warm up before I take 'em out for a ride. Old ones get all the way up to operating temp. I am also realistic enough to know that it is likely unnecessary, but I do it anyway. There is 4800 lbs of pressure in the firing cylinder and I figure that having everything up to temp and fully seated can't hurt.

Oh, and it is 18 degrees at my house right now with gusts to 45mph.

[Fred K-OR]

Good point Bill, it does make a difference where you live.

I warm mine up a bit before I take off because I do not want to have to open the gas valve to keep it running while going down the road. So by letting it warm a bit, it will not cough and spit while I am trying to get in traffic.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Fred K-OR

Good point Bill, it does make a difference where you live.

I warm mine up a bit before I take off because I do not want to have to open the gas valve to keep it running while going down the road. So by letting it warm a bit, it will not cough and spit while I am trying to get in traffic.

You're right, Fred, Sometimes you don't want to chance that it would cough/stutter/or die & get rear ended! Betty, next door had a '26 Studebaker, named "ASTHMA", as she would cough & sputter until she was warm!!
It was a balmy mid 70's day here today, my "DURT GUYS" are coming tomorrow to scratch & re-seed my lawn. Bill W.

[Mike V. Florida]

Even here in Florida I warm the engine before I drive. Just a minute or two the engine seems to settle in after that.

[Brother Hesekiel]

I warm up my engine as well. I use the scientifically proven best way to do that: by driving the car gently until not only the water, but also the oil are warm. We're talking 20 minutes in Southern California weather here.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Kohnke Rebabbitting

Engins should be warmed up at least 3 minutes in warm weather, and at least 5, and more in cold weather.

Pistons for sure need the heat to close the gap to cylinder wall clearance.

Many a piston have been cracked, or exploded in all engines from doing the opposite.

TIMES 2 !
I wonder how many guys...who drive off as soon as engine is started,especially in cold country...run a thermostat ? Why bother to run a thermostat, when purpose defeated driving a cold engine. Same same !

[Allanw]

Originally Posted by Brother Hesekiel

I warm up my engine as well. I use the scientifically proven best way to do that: by driving the car gently until not only the water, but also the oil are warm. We're talking 20 minutes in Southern California weather here.

Agreed! Idling a car to warm up is not doing it any favours. once the oil had circulated to all the required areas, it needs to be driven to warm up properly.

If you live in a cold area, and are worried about cold start protection, buy better oil - a 0W-XX will give the best startup protection, as it doesn't thicken when cold anywhere near as much as other oils.

Idling a car does NOT warm it up evenly, and certainly isn't warming up any other parts of the car, like the trans and diff etc. You've likely heated the pistons, head, coolant and exhaust valves. The rest hasn't warmed up, but you drive off, thinking it is.

Idling is the slowest way to warm an engine. Idling also does very little to raise the oil temps, and that thick cold oil (especially if you still use SAE 30) is what's causing the wear, as the flow is reduced when it's thick (That's what causes cold start wear). Flow is what protects the engine, not the pressure (otherwise an "A" engine wouldn't work, without pressure fed bearings, pressure in modern engines just gives better supply flow).

So with idling, you sit there with it doing a whole lot of cold revolutions with cold oil being pumped very slowly through the engine. Then drive off with warm coolant, and still cold oil.

In the vehicles I've had with an oil temperature gauge, the oil temp takes about twice as long to get to temp as the coolant does. Even my Aircooled VW's would have the air thermostat open (and the head temperature up to normal, when fitted) well before the oil temps were up to normal.

[green30coupe]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

You're right, Fred, Sometimes you don't want to chance that it would cough/stutter/or die & get rear ended! Betty, next door had a '26 Studebaker, named "ASTHMA", as she would cough & sputter until she was warm!!
It was a balmy mid 70's day here today, my "DURT GUYS" are coming tomorrow to scratch & re-seed my lawn. Bill W.

Too bad Betty was so cold natured.