Starting out this morning for a maintenance run in the 41 coupe it (Sorry, it has no name as would say JD's 51, i.e., "Sally Ann"). Well, anyway it took a lot of choke and warmed up slowly with the 180 degree thermostat. I started driving it when the (dash) heat needle just started to move.

What is best: Let it heat up under load whilst driving along or let it heat up with no load? In both instances, heat to it reaches the thermostat temperature.

Over the years, I've heard recommendations both ways. I know, one thing, the old radial engines we used on airplanes, were not accelerated until the needles were in the "green, i.e., at temps.

Is my method acceptable? That is, let it sit until the needle starts to move.

Anyone got an opinion on what's the best warm up practice for our old 216s?
Charlie

I let my '38 run for one to two minutes depending on the ambient temperature before driving. If it's really cold I drive slowly (30 mph) for the first mile or so. I start working the choke in as soon as possible. The over rich mixture will wash the cylinder walls down.

I pretty much do the same as Tiny, as soon as the oil pressure registers and it will run smoothly its drive time. Normally one or two minutes.

Charlie
Tiny's suggestion is good. I am not going to say mine is better (you choose) but on any vehicle that has manual choke and if I use it at all, when the engine starts I put the choke in to about half way for a couple of minutes then all the way. I rarely leave it idle to warm up, (start, check for oil pressure and drive).

A side issue with idle warming in cooler weather is condensation in the muffler due to lack of exhaust flow at low engine speed.
Tony

When I use my 1941 for example, I start the car and move it out of storage. I let it run while I go back in the building to rearrange things and then close the door. By the time I get back to the car and move it over to my driveway to pick up the bride, it is ready to go.

The bearins get instant oil flow if you are using 10W-30 oil. The mains get direct high pressure and the rods have oil sitting in the troughs for instant oiling. I just wouldnt drive over 30 MPH for the first few minutes if the needle is pegged on the 30 pound mark. I drive just fast enough to keep below 30 pounds. In zero weather its a different story. Then would let the engine run at a fast idle for a few minutes.All that being said just because the water temp is up to 180 dosen't indicate the oil is even beginning to heat up. It takes at leat 20 minutes of driving (in the summer) to get the oil heated up......and longer in the winter.

After starting I push back the choke as soon as possible and keep the engine running by a bit hand throttle as long I feel it would shut down without.
And according to german strict laws, I drive off immediatly. The engine will heat up faster if it has to work, means after at least 2 minutes driving everything is in "normal temperature areas".
The engine will take much more time to heat up when it is just idling without any load or work. But it should be well known to drive slowly as long water and (more important) oil is not hot. Could oil does not lube as well as hot oil does.
And it is of course possible to kill an engine by high speed as long it is cold.
Now in winter (did drive out in nice snow yesterday) it may need 15 miles (or more) to get the oil hot.
In germany laws say it is strictly forbidden (because of envoronment reasons) to heat up a car by just idling it. Maybe the police does not see everything, but there are sometimes unexpected silly "admirers" and helpmates calling them...

Stefangermany