Cold Engine Oil Flow Circulation

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Originally Posted By: shpankey
If wind has no effect on inanimate objects, just out of curiosity here, why have radiator fans?


You are confusing "air flow" with wind chill... Yes assuming it is at less temp than the object being cooled, moving air will remove heat, but not to a point below the ambient temp...
 
Wind chill would have an effect on inanimate object with a water content that is available to evaporate/sublimate. Of course, I'd hope this wouldn't be the case for an automobile engine.
 
Originally Posted By: shpankey
If wind has no effect on inanimate objects, just out of curiosity here, why have radiator fans?


To replace hot engine bay air with cool ambient air.

Wind chill is a construct of humans.
 
Wind chill is a way of describing the rate at which something is cooled by the flow of air. Wind chill does have an impact on inanimate objects that are above ambient temperature. It does not cool below ambient temperature (excluding cooling due to evaporation).

If the wind is blowing, it is more difficult to change the temperature of any object from ambient (in either direction by the way). Warm air can heat until the object is the same temperature as the air. Cool air can cool until the object is the same temperature as the air. Wind cannot change the temperature of an object if it is the same temperature as the wind (again, excluding evaporation).
 
Using a block heater is not a bad idea but you don't need to get too worried about it.

I have started my vehicles at -35C (-31F) with dino 5W30 when no block heater plug was available. I kept these vehicles for many years afterwards with no mechanical issues.

See the 1994 Accord in my signiture - my wife used to drive it to work where there were no plug ins. It has seen many starts at below -20C (-4F) with no problems. It has run on dino 5W30 most of its life.

Oils today such as 0W20 have much better cold flow properties and probably do not require a block heater at all.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Wind chill can work the OTHER way.
Ever consider that it HELPS when walking with it, not against it?


It helps when its not blowing. Today was a VERY windy day and i can vouch for that. My hat blew off twice. And its on tight!

Also +1 to that wind "transfers" surface heat from one place to the next, much like an ice cube transfers heat to it, and it melts. Goes from hot (surface) to cold (ice cube or air.) That said, an engine in closed engine bay would hold its heat. The heater and stuff would draw heat away.
 
zoomie
Probably about the time you've got your coffee cup into the holder, your coat arranged, and your seatbelt buckled, your engine is ready for slow driving. Driving it easy is the best way to warm it, and the lubrication of an easy running engine is no problem.

There are significant advantages to engine heaters--
--lower fuel consumption, 'cuz the cold engine is programmed to run rich
--cleaner air for the reason above
--earlier occupant comfort
--less cold-start engine wear because the engine's internal dimensions are closer to the warm engine running dimensions.

"Wind Chill" is a term used to denote the cooling effect of wind on flesh. Air flow does help cool machinery by removing any boundary layer of still air, but let's keep the terms separate and clear.
 
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