Do you have to warm up your II?

[Folly77]

I was wondering if you all warm up your cars before driving them and for how long? Can you guys just take off from a cold start without stalling or anything?

My car turns over easily, but I find it runs better if I let it idle for about 5 minutes. I don't expect a car this age with a stock motor to run like new... I guess I'm just trying to find out if it's normal (and even necessary) for me to have to warm it up or if this is a symptom of some problem with the motor I'm overlooking.

Just so you know the car's had a complete tune up. It has a new carb. The air/fuel mixture has been adjusted. The idle has been adjusted. I think the only thing that has not been adjusted is the timing. The motor has 69,800 miles on it.

Thanks!

 

[1badII]

I usually let mine idle for a minute.

 

[Blue Thunder]

There's no choke on the race demon carb of course, so I have to feather the throttle slightly for about 30 seconds to keep it running, after that, it'll idle on its own. If it's ice cold, and I jump on it hard, the coolant's up to 160degrees within a few minutes. Not sure of the BTU output required to heat 2.5 gallons of coolant to 160 degrees in 3 or 4 minutes, but it's probably a lot.

 

[innocentfool]

i let my tires warm up by doing a 15 second burnout, oh the engine you mean, yeah a couple minutes

 

[77sleeper]

If it's ice cold, and I jump on it hard, the coolant's up to 160degrees within a few minutes. Not sure of the BTU output required to heat 2.5 gallons of coolant to 160 degrees in 3 or 4 minutes, but it's probably a lot.

~1070 BTU

well, a calorie is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C 

a gallon of water weighs 3785g
ice = 0°C (32°F), 160°F = 71°C  

So 3785*71= 268,735 Calories

1 calorie= 4.2 joules
1 BTU =  1055 joules
268,735*4.2= 1,128,687 Joules
1,128,687/1055= 1070

 

[COBRAIIW]

I usually warm mine up by dimming the lights, putting on some soft music, opening a bottle of


OH, you mean the car?

 

[Blue Thunder]

~1070 BTU

well, a calorie is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C 

a gallon of water weighs 3785g
ice = 0°C (32°F), 160°F = 71°C  

So 3785*71= 268,735 Calories

1 calorie= 4.2 joules
1 BTU =  1055 joules
268,735*4.2= 1,128,687 Joules
1,128,687/1055= 1070

268,000 calories?? No wonder the 'Stang needs to feed on Vipers and Vettes so often. (avoid the imports, they're all carbs, no protein)

 

[Dano78]

Should change the heading to "Do you have to warm up your carbed ford?" Cause the answer is 'yes' pretty much across the board!

However, usually because I've procrastinated my way to being too close to late to work just about every morning, I jump into my '76 F100 (carbed 460/C6) and toss in the key and go. Usually starts on the 1st crank and into reverse and down the street I go. I take it pretty easy as I'm driving it to work. Never had any problems with it and never really acts up.

But for the most part, just about every carbed Ford I own seems to be cold blooded on cold mornings. Nature of the beasts I guess...

 

[Wart]

~1070 BTU

well, a calorie is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C 

a gallon of water weighs 3785g
ice = 0°C (32°F), 160°F = 71°C  

So 3785*71= 268,735 Calories

1 calorie= 4.2 joules
1 BTU =  1055 joules
268,735*4.2= 1,128,687 Joules
1,128,687/1055= 1070

You forgot to account for the latent heat of state change.

 

[Wart]

Not sure of the BTU output required to heat 2.5 gallons of coolant to 160 degrees in 3 or 4 minutes, but it's probably a lot.

Not to mention 400 or 500 pounds of iron / aluminum.

 

[fastmonkeywheel]

I used to, or be really good at feathering the gas. But now I'm fuel injected, so no need to wait, or worry about cold weather stumblings.

 

[COBRA 7]

You forgot to account for the latent heat of state change.

Wouldn't latent heat only come in accout if your coolant was frozen?

Latent heat = change from a solid state to a liquid state.

I thunk i learned sumpintg in skoul?

 

[Folly77]

Good to know the 5 minute warm up is normal. Thanks guys!

 

[Eos]

I usually try to run it for about 30 seconds before taking off. My car is pretty start and go though. In the winter it might take a little longer, but when its warm I usually just jump in and go. My car has never stalled or shut down on me. Generally I get in and start it up and sometimes the choke kicks in and jumps to be 2k rpm's and I kick the throttle down and go. In the winter the chock will refuse to kick off until the car is warm, so it takes care of itself. My 89 mustang was different. It was fuel injected ofcourse but if you didn't let it warm up for atleast a minute it would die as soon as you took off. Weird eh?

 

[COBRAIIW]

Eos, is there such a thing as winter in Oklahoma?
I've lived in Mississippi and didn't see winter there.

Now here in Connecticut.......

 

[Eos]

Eos, is there such a thing as winter in Oklahoma?
I've lived in Mississippi and didn't see winter there.

Now here in Connecticut.......

Yeah.... it gets pretty cold here. It's usually around or below freezing in the winter. We have some weeks where it doesnt get out of the teens or twenties. And we get some snow.

 

[78Mach1]

Yeah.... it gets pretty cold here. It's usually around or below freezing in the winter. We have some weeks where it doesnt get out of the teens or twenties. And we get some snow.

yeah we get some snow up here too .

 

[Eos]

whatta cute puppy!

 

[Wart]

Wouldn't latent heat only come in accout if your coolant was frozen?

BUSTED!!

 

[1970impala]

I usually leave mine warm up for 1 minute in the garage and 2-3 outside the garage when i am closing the garage door. usually works.