Goldenrod, you are fearless with that post. I could not go to that extreme but I dont loose sleep at night with a 7 minute idle in -40F, 3 minute at freezing with tranny in neutral and heater off.
For 3 decades from single, dual and 4 barrel carbs to now computerized fuel injection idling, I have never torn down an engine in my extreme cold climate, I get 300k +. All my buddies who have driven their vehicles successfully 3 decades in our climate will not go out and drive off a frozen vehicle either.
My father started a 1966 Ford Truck up north every day in winter with an ambient temp of -45F to -50F. With blockheating he would idle that truck 15 minutes every morning, that truck went 1.5 decades in hard service. I used to sit in that truck as a kid on a froze rock hard seat thinking it was going to snap like a pretzel driving off. No syn oil used then in late sixties/seventies on that truck, it was still running in 1981 when mine shut down.
Miners who had to cross Lake Athabaska on winter roads with mine supplies in -45F on a three day trip had to idle gas trucks all night with tarps on engines to keep them from freezing up, those trucks did many hard years service then too. Those were trucks from 60s with crude carburation.
Colt, I dont have a remote starter, I do use heat pad, 0-30 syn oil and blockheater, I echoe your idle time on cold weather, I also warm up that engine in summer too and still drive off gentle in 100F while still in high metal wear zone below 160F. With todays overhead cams and busy upper end, I like to know that oil is reaching everywhere and getting add pack warmed and working gentle up there at an idle at start, not on a load. That is my concern on not idling. Fully hot, I idle 30 seconds after a shutdown before drive off to insure that oil is completely circulating in pressure up.
When one lives in a cold climate, good habits follow into summer, if one drives off gentle cold all winter, that habit seems to stay in summer too, not a real evil in my opinion for the drive train.
There are too many variables when people post from California to Alaska and inbetween on this subject. Climate, aluminum/cast blocks, syn or dino oil, pad/blockheaters, access to traffic on 80 mph traffic or quiet slow town street for drive off. Many more I probably missed, one has to take all into consideration and do what works best for situation, my motto is "if aint broke, dont fix it" unless you can afford to experiement in driving off on a frozen stiff solid hunk mechanization, I have better places for my money.
I do spend on pad heaters, best syn oil, fuel for idle, my wife's and my cost on wages having our vehicles hooped one day or two hurts, + $70.00 per hour mechanic rate and new parts. Small price to pay in "tried tested and true" idling to keep vehicles working decades on end & keep working and playing inexpensively in long haul works for us.
I wont give up proved success with thin skin, too expensive a gamble for me.
Cyprs
