2oldman wrote:
Tried to start the Cummins 8.3L in 28° weather, and it started, but shook horribly. I let it run for about a minute then turned it off. Restarted it and it ran fine. That was scary.
Talked to some truckers and called a Freightliner place.. they it was gelled fuel, and to use an additive. Got some. Hope tomorrow morning is better.
Is it a 12-valve mechanical engine? If so...normal operation. The 5.9 and 8.3 will shake and sputter on a cold start. It may not HAVE a grid heater...many did not. My F-350 had a 12-valve 5.9 with no grid heater and would start down to about -10 with no help. It sputtered and smoked for a minute, but it always started.