i just went out and fired up "Blue" (my truck) its about 8deg out and its gunna take a while to get her warmed up, so i was thinking, rather than a mechanical high idle mod, what if i put the engine under load? would there be a problem with simply applying the parking brake and dropping it into drive? (aside from having the vehicle running and in gear without anyone in it...... but i would be in it so that is a non issue, the only way i would consider leaving it unattended would be if there was a safer system or if i could devise a safer system other than the parking brake) seems to me it would warm up a lot quicker if it were under load and i think that would also solve the problem of exhaust valve "gunk" build up that occurs when a diesel is left to idle for extended periods. anyone have any thoughts on the idea?

i decided i needed to edit the original post as i was not conveying my entire thought process, what i added is in bold and italicized .

Truely not safe... I know of a few people that do this be the what if comes to be... What if the brake releases? What if the brake adjustment is not strong enough? You should really consider the high idle flash...

I always wanted to do something like that with mine, but instead, hook up a very elaborate and unorthodox system of gears and pulleys to my PTO and power the house with a generator head until the truck was warm :lmao:Your idea is sound but does have safety concerns. I don't know how hot the trans would get just sitting there in D for 10 min. Not sure if it would heat up too much or not. Don't think it would get too hot but not sure. I have played around with running the heater core lines inside the downpipe (since I got 5" to work with) but surface area is a big factor and seems like it would have to have 5ft of copper pipe running into the downpipe, or more. Keep thinking though! Any idea could turn out to be the next best thing to sliced bread

Yeah, I know it isn't safe but I was just toying around with the idea and possibly thinking of making a better braking system, still in the design phase but thought it was a good idea.Great idea ISX!:ahhh:Who needs a generator???

It could be done with a stick (ISX) or an auto. Just find a big tree to ease up against and put it in D or 1st if you have a stick. Now you stick shifters (ISX) will have to ease out on the clutch so the truck doesnt die. Now you might be stuck from the tires digging their own graves but the cab will be nice and toasty inside while you wait for a tow truck to come pull you out.

I am thinking of forgetting about the engine and just getting an inverter and electric heater for the cab lol. Plug it into the house to get it warm in the morning, plug it into the inverter to keep it warm down the road until the heater core can overtake it.

Unless... You have one of the few people with random revving problems... Or someone with a high idle flash then the truck might take on even more damage as it tries to push over a tree...

This is what i do when it is not cold enough to set the program off.I run it up to 1200.In park:lmao2:

just buy a high idle box from prowelder. ;)

This is what i do when it is not cold enough to set the program off.I run it up to 1200.In park:lmao2:

I use to do the same thing... But once I figured out that high idle at 1,200 RPM and normally idea at 800 RPM barely changes the pyrometers so it still took the same amount of time... But I got to admit a cold automatic tranny does put a alot of load on a engine...

I use to do the same thing... But once I figured out that high idle at 1,200 RPM and normally idea at 800 RPM barely changes the pyrometers so it still took the same amount of time... [ATTACH=CONFIG]2326[/ATTACH] But I got to admit a cold automatic tranny does put a alot of load on a engine...

Johns would get as hot as yours with "High Idle and Exhaust Brake" and his was just idling at 750 in D. But I don't know if a stock tranny would do that, his was triple disc for triple the strain

I would think that the 47/48RE (stock) would give up the ghost in short order, doing this. If not, the TC may.

I can give you this much... More virtual load you put on the engine at warm up time the more pyrometer temps it going to produce hence quicker warm up times at the price of using more fuel. Just for a measure sake the 3 cylinder high idle and exhaust brake consume upwards of 6 GPH. Now if the truck was rolling 55 MPH at 6 GPH you would have 9.1 MPG... So for me I only use it for a very short period ot get the coolant to about 90-100*F and roll with it... Because high idling and not moving distroy your MPG's really quick...

Maybe I'm all wet but I'm still doing as I was taught years ago. I fire up, watch oil pressure until it peaks... idle another couple of minutes for the oil to circulate & then start driving easy. I don't put a serious load on it until I'm pretty well up on the temperature guage. I guess I'd be hard pressed to document it but this was the thinking back 60-70's. Is there something new out there I can point to?

Maybe I'm all wet but I'm still doing as I was taught years ago. I fire up, watch oil pressure until it peaks... idle another couple of minutes for the oil to circulate & then start driving easy. I don't put a serious load on it until I'm pretty well up on the temperature guage. I guess I'd be hard pressed to document it but this was the thinking back 60-70's. Is there something new out there I can point to?

I'd say your doing things perfectly. The theory is that if you idle it when the engine is cold, it easily condenses the fuel on the cylinder walls and washes them out. This is why you should start it and idle a minute then just slowly load the engine (drive). I think your fine though, I wouldn't let it idle more than 5 minutes. I don't think it is much of a concern when it is up to operating temp because it probably burns most of the fuel up, but the cold morning engine wouldn't have enough heat idling to burn it all.

Maybe I'm all wet but I'm still doing as I was taught years ago. I fire up, watch oil pressure until it peaks... idle another couple of minutes for the oil to circulate & then start driving easy. I don't put a serious load on it until I'm pretty well up on the temperature guage. I guess I'd be hard pressed to document it but this was the thinking back 60-70's. Is there something new out there I can point to?

That's about how I do it.

well, i'm glad i could give you guys something to laugh about!!

you guys have no sense of adventure!! at least my way could on occasion lead you on a wild chase around the neighbor hood trying to figure out where your truck ran off to.....

on a more serious note, how exactly would it harm the trany? i mean we have all sat at a stop light for a few minutes, most of us probably do it several times a day so for the guys with autos how would it be any different from having the truck in drive with the parking brake applied? i sat in it for about 4 minutes this morning with it in drive (no i didn't leave it un attended) and the temp started to jump so i put it in park and finished gathering all my stuff up for work (probly another 4-5 min) and by the time i was back out it was plenty warm. in Palmer Alaska this morning it was a balmy -4deg and normally at that temp it would take a mile or 2 before the temp rose enough to start heating up the cab....

to warm up the tranny fluind you can set your park brake put it in neutral and that engages the tranny pump to circulate the fluid..what is nice about the edge juice with attitude is you can monitor the temp and the engine load...high idle there is a load...and the 3 cylinder indle yesterday when i was mointoring it at 34 degrees out was about 40% engine load!!!sweet huh?:drool:

well, i'm glad i could give you guys something to laugh about!!

you guys have no sense of adventure!! at least my way could on occasion lead you on a wild chase around the neighbor hood trying to figure out where your truck ran off to.....

on a more serious note, how exactly would it harm the trany? i mean we have all sat at a stop light for a few minutes, most of us probably do it several times a day so for the guys with autos how would it be any different from having the truck in drive with the parking brake applied? i sat in it for about 4 minutes this morning with it in drive (no i didn't leave it un attended) and the temp started to jump so i put it in park and finished gathering all my stuff up for work (probly another 4-5 min) and by the time i was back out it was plenty warm. in Palmer Alaska this morning it was a balmy -4deg and normally at that temp it would take a mile or 2 before the temp rose enough to start heating up the cab....

You got a point. If you can keep it from running away from you, then I don't see a problem. Might even be better for the trans if it is warmed up before you take off and really put the load to it

My parking brake is crap so I would have to chain it to a tree. Just leave the chain wrapped around it and back up and hook it to the trailer chain hooks real quick, problem solved.

to warm up the tranny fluind you can set your park brake put it in neutral and that engages the tranny pump to circulate the fluid..what is nice about the edge juice with attitude is you can monitor the temp and the engine load...high idle there is a load...and the 3 cylinder indle yesterday when i was mointoring it at 34 degrees out was about 40% engine load!!!sweet huh?

yeah that is nice!! the edge juice has the oftware for the high idle and the 3 cylinder idle doesn't it? i remember looking at one that had all sorts of mods as well as the idle features......i think i have another plan, i'll try it out this evening and try taking a couple pics for you gus......

--- Update to the previous post...

You got a point. If you can keep it from running away from you, then I don't see a problem. Might even be better for the trans if it is warmed up before you take off and really put the load to it

My parking brake is crap so I would have to chain it to a tree. Just leave the chain wrapped around it and back up and hook it to the trailer chain hooks real quick, problem solved.

Several years ago, wifee's sister was warming up her Chevy pickup in our driveway. Stick shift, running in neutral with E brake on. I guess that was ok at her house in Maine. At the time, Sheila was a DEM caretaker, house leased from them. Next thing we know, said Chevy has rolled back across the gravel road & down an embankment into the woods. Headlights were now pointed into sky. I don't recall there was any damage & we towed it back outta there. Could have been much worse.