[Vwdiesel] cycling glowplugs

[Val Christian]

> I thought about putting 12v on my block heater, but the output would be so
> small I doubt it would
> overcome the cold ! (let alone warm up the engine)

Let's assume it's REAL cold.  You probably need 5 kW of heat to get your
block up to temp.  That would be 5 car batteries, except when they're 
cold, they have less juice.

Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree.  Perhaps the best cold start 
solution might not be electrical.  Another preheat / start technique is
to use would be to preheat the intake air.  If you have a NA diesel, you
might consider a flame heater.  Something like a propane torch in the 
intake, and a spark ignitor to light off the torch, once the rotational
velocity from cranking gets high enough.  

One could try this with the airbox removed, and the airfilter out of the
engine.  

I have seen / heard of some heavy equipment being started in extreme cold
using a oxyacetylene torch in the intake manifold, to preheat things.

Another option, is a gasser engine, running a small generator, to get
conventional electric.  That could run the block heat for a couple of
hours (expensive), or possible to run electric elements in the intake 
manifold.  (Yes sir, that porcupine intake manifold has 840 Beru 11 volt
glow plugs which are pulse width modulated to control the intake air to
provide a uniform 700F temperature, regardless of the cranking speed.
Once the starter motor disengages, the heaters show down.  Oh, how is it
powered?  Well, we found that there was this isotope in veggie oil, 
which powers a small nuke electric plant in the trunk.  If we get it
perfected, we'll just modify the next vwdiesel model year to be a 
nuke powered electric car.  Cleaner, and no fish 'n chips smell.)

Val