when i used to live in the cold parts of the country I had a heater for the bottom rad hose that i plugged in
plug it in when you go to start your truck instant heat
it worked by keeping the antifreeze warmed up while it was plugged in
might want to see if ya can find one of them
unfortunately i can`t remember the name of em as it has been a few years since i lived in the cold parts of the country

 

I start my truck 10 minutes before walking out the door. That is usually enough time for me get some heat in the cab, and the ice has freed itself from the windshield, so I can easily scrape it off. I only plug it in if the temps hit 8 degrees or lower.

It hasn't given me any problems so far.

The smarty puts it in high idle some days and not others... Haven't figured it out yet.

 

i plug mine in every night with the heater in the block. the truck is also garage kept, not heated, but it is inside. but when it sits outside at work, with no place to plug it in it really doesn't like it.

it still starts, just not happily. i got 2 group 31 batteries in it so i have no loss of power.

well i just take it easy on it till it warms up a lil before i get on it.

i just use my cardboard and just take it easy now...i will get bigger injectors eventually which may help.

thanks guys

 

before I changed my thermostat I would have heat within 5 minutes of starting the truck up, now it barely comes off 140 and unless I am on it hard plowing or towing my bobcat it wont even get above the first line, and during the last foot of snow we got the truck ran for 12 hours straight and I only seen it get to 190 once and that was when I poured the fuel to it getting on the freeway with the bobcat going uphill for a mile or so, I am about ready to put my old junk thermostat back in so I can get some heat

 

I was going to say thermostat.. Mine swallowed the rubber ring gasket and stuck open. After I changed it, I got decent heat. Easy job to do..

 

Cody...
I had exactly the same issues with mine at Fall Brawl.I had punched out the head gasket 2 weeks before the Brawl and had to have it redone.When we put it back together we used a NAPA thermostat and that was a BAD thing.The truck barely went up to 160 degrees(if it got there) and when you hit the road it dropped like a stone and ran around 140,maybe sort of,kinda,well,sometimes anyway.

When Wes did the retorque on my head Saturday of the brawl I had him bring the updated thermostat from his Cummins shop and we changed it.Since that day I have zero issues with heat and it runs at the proper operating temp.My guess is you have either a thermostat thats stuck open or a aftermarket one(not a Cummins part) which is a POS.Try swapping the thermostat out and see where it leads.

I also run the Flex-A-Lite's on mine and I have no issues with warm ups after it sits while I am at work all day.........Andy