Glow Plugs

[Yardscaper]

Hey all,

Today it is 16 degrees in St. Louis, and low and behold, I can not get either of my PTs to start. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif They are both Deutz and have always given me trouble in the cold weather. I was wondering if there is a way to install glow plugs onto these engines. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I am now offering snow removal, but can not rely on the Power Tracs due to no glow plugs. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifThanks!

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

I have been able to start my 1845 in mid-teen temperatures, but haven't tried it yet this year. (It was 10, this moring, but not enough snow to plow.)
There was a thread some time ago about glow plugs. My recollection is that there isn't a provision for them in the heads, but may be wrong. Periodically, there have been threads on winter starting of the PTs, which you can find with a search. The concensus seemed to be that a heater for the hydraulic oil is the best first step, if you can't get the whole machine inside, since the starter has to crank the pumps. 2d in importance, and always good for a diesel is a block/and/or oil heater. For best electric performance, taking the battery off and putting it inside overnight keeps battery efficiency up.
Last resort for me for frozen/inoperative stuff last year was a shop vac hose from the exhaust pipe of the pickup truck. Throw a tarp over the PT and the hose underneath it and warm everything up. It puts out a lot of water, so I recommend using that system sparingly. Also, if you rev the truck engine, you'll melt the hose. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Metal hose or the hose that garages use would work really well. Wonder where garages and service centers get their hoses?

 

[Gunfighter]

I have a John Deere 790, it doesn't have glow plugs ether.
Deere equipped it with a air intake heater.. It's a heating element
that attaches to the end of the intake manifold and heats the intake
air when required...

When the temps get down into the teens an twenties, I energize
the heater for 20 to 30 seconds an start the engine.. It hasn't failed
me yet...

I don't see any reason the heating element couldn't be installed
between the intake an air clean on any engine...

Richard
West Michigan.

 

[RegL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hey all,

Today it is 16 degrees in St. Louis, and low and behold, I can not get either of my PTs to start. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif They are both Deutz and have always given me trouble in the cold weather. I was wondering if there is a way to install glow plugs onto these engines. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I am now offering snow removal, but can not rely on the Power Tracs due to no glow plugs. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifThanks! )</font>

Now don't I feel foolish. If the 1430 doesn't have glow plugs I have been going through the motions for nothing. When it's cold, I turn the key on for 20-30 seconds before I try crank the engien over. If it don't start the first time I repeat the process. I just had mine running a couple hours ago as I had to take it off the open trailer where it had been sitting all night and the temp was 2 deg. Went through the steps above 3 times and she fired on one cylinder for a minute and than both. I was working the tractor yesterday so I think that may have made starting it today a little easier. Last Winter, There were a couple times when it was real cold that I started up the torpedo heater and pointed it under the PT for a while to warm things up.

After reading your post I started to wonder where I got the idea that the 1430 has glow plugs. I'm reading the starting instructions now in the manual. Step# 8 reads" Set the throttle half way open and heat glow plugs ( Consult engine manual for details.) I can't find my engine manual but if some one has their's handy it would be nice to know if we have glow plugs or not.

 

[Yardscaper]

Thanks for the replies. I used to use the old heater under the PT trick, but now that I am doing snow removal on commercial sites this year, we are leaving our PTs on site and do not have a way to get a heater to them. We use Jeep Wranglers to get to the site and just fire up the equipment and go. I have had John Deere Tractors and now have Cat Skid steers along with my 2 PTs, and the PTs are the only ones without glow plugs. My 1430 did fire with a little persistence, but my 2445 said "No Way!". I may try to get a larger battery on the 2445 and see where that gets me. I would just like my 2445 to fire up easier, and I believe that if PT offered glow plugs as an option, they would be quite popular, at least with those of us that get to enjoy winters wrath. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Happy Holidays

 

[Clarke]

I would get a 110Volt converter for the wrangler big enough to run a torpedo heater or an aircraft propane heater, cover and insulate the engine preheat with the torpedo start and plow..

sg

 

[BobRip]

Maybe you have glow plugs and don't know it? Your procedure seems to work.

 

[blackwell]

Deutz 1011F engines are not available with glow plugs, however they do offer a heater for the intake manifold powered with the machines battery.
EB

 

[Rip]

Bill,

I have an 1845 and ordered what my local Deutz dealer calls a "glow plug kit" for about $150 which I think installs in the intake manifold so may be more like the intake air pre-heater that someone else here mentioned. It is 12 volt so requires no external power.

This will be my first winter with this unit, and I already noticed it was getting harder and harder to start as the temp fell, although it always did start on one cylinder and then pick up the other two within a minute or so.

The kit is not in yet, so I have no further real world experience to share, but some sort of cold weather starting aid is available from Deutz. I even think they offer an ether injection kit as an alternative, but I figured the heater or glow plug was safer.

In addition to winter blend diesel I also add about 10% to 15% kerosene per the Deutz manual (which I got by calling Deutz USA in Georgia). Changing to a thinner or synthetic engine and/or hydraulic oil would further ease the starter and cold engine load also.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!!