Starting Procedure

[kuboman]

Then why does my manual say to start at half throttle? Is Kubota practicing planned obsolescence? What you say sounds reasonable to me, but presumably Kubota knows what they're doing...

Although I know what my manual says to do, I find I can't start at such a high rev. It just seems too abrupt, or something. We've gotta ease into things, you know.

The manuals states what it does because when a diesel is cold it will sometimes smoke and fart around and many owners get upset with that so Kubota tells you to put it to 1/2 throttle to eliminate that commotion. Is it the best for the engine no, will it destroy your engine, no, not in the hours most owners will run there engines. All I know is if you fired up your diesel at -20 and ran it to half throttle you would get about 5 starts out of it before it did fail.

 

[ibnxe]

The wonderful thing about being human is that you can believe anything you want. It must be hard for some to understand why someone with an engineering degree would dare to suggest you should start your tractor at something approaching half throttle. Are they crazy??? No, they happen to know what they are talking about.

Here is a little perspective... As the engine fires off and reaches 1500RPM, the oil light is out within a second. This is only 25 revolutions of the crank. On a pressure lubricated engine, where does the oil go when it is squeezed through the bearings? It lubricates the cylinder walls, pistons, rings, wrist pins, cam lobes and lifters. If there were no splash lubrication, the engine would sieze in short order. If you could see inside the crankcase you would be amazed.

Start your tractor anyway you want to. It's your tractor.

Who am I to tell you what you should do? ASE certified master mechanic, race engine builder, winner of 6 regional championships and two national titles. Expert? no, my BX is my first diesel engine, but all engines are basicly the same.

 

[kuboman]

The wonderful thing about being human is that you can believe anything you want. It must be hard for some to understand why someone with an engineering degree would dare to suggest you should start your tractor at something approaching half throttle. Are they crazy??? No, they happen to know what they are talking about.

Here is a little perspective... As the engine fires off and reaches 1500RPM, the oil light is out within a second. This is only 25 revolutions of the crank. On a pressure lubricated engine, where does the oil go when it is squeezed through the bearings? It lubricates the cylinder walls, pistons, rings, wrist pins, cam lobes and lifters. If there were no splash lubrication, the engine would sieze in short order. If you could see inside the crankcase you would be amazed.

Start your tractor anyway you want to. It's your tractor.

Who am I to tell you what you should do? ASE certified master mechanic, race engine builder, winner of 6 regional championships and two national titles. Expert? no, my BX is my first diesel engine, but all engines are basicly the same.

Try forcing honey through a hole the size of a small finishing nail. That is what you are trying to do with 15W-40 oil at 0* F. Facts are facts and physics are still physics not matter what some engineer figured out.
Oh and try splashing your 0* honey. Ummm

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree if someone is starting an engine with 15W-40 oil at zero degrees the flow is going to be very slow but the filter should by-pass and some oil will get moving.

That is the reason we moved to 5W-40 year round.

 

[ibnxe]

Let's see... the viscosity of honey? The wild blackberry honey in the kitchen has a viscosity of about 200 at room temperature. I use 15W-40 oil, so at 0 degrees the viscosity is 15. So what is it you are trying to compare here?

Facts are facts and oil does flow quite nicely at 0 degrees. I would not recommend using honey in any engine.

 

[kuboman]

Let's see... the viscosity of honey? The wild blackberry honey in the kitchen has a viscosity of about 200 at room temperature. I use 15W-40 oil, so at 0 degrees the viscosity is 15. So what is it you are trying to compare here?

Facts are facts and oil does flow quite nicely at 0 degrees. I would not recommend using honey in any engine.

Try pouring your 15-40 a 0*F and then come and tell us all what you found.
Oh and honey was a figure of speech if you need that clarified:confused2:.

 

[timswi]

OK...Someone explain this...My RTV1100 has nearly the same 3cyl diesel that my BX has...When I start it, it goes to idle..The hand throttle adds a few RPM if needed, it sure doesn't sound like 1/2 throttle to me....Why wouldn't this have a fast idle to 50% of that's is what's needed/...Just sayin.

My diesel Suburban didn't have fast idle either. My guess it is the smoke that can be generated at low, cold RPMs,.That thing was old school, non turbo, injector pump only. Sold at 175K with no mechanical issues..Who knows.

I still start at idle and bump up a bit on the BX. Have never done anything differently. And probably won't.

After 6 years, it still runs like the day I bought it.

 

[ibnxe]

Try pouring your 15-40 a 0*F and then come and tell us all what you found.
Oh and honey was a figure of speech if you need that clarified:confused2:.

Got a quart in the freezer and will give you the results later. Until then, I'm going to stand with the engineers, and start my tractor at half throttle.

 

[TripleR]

The wonderful thing about being human is that you can believe anything you want. It must be hard for some to understand why someone with an engineering degree would dare to suggest you should start your tractor at something approaching half throttle. Are they crazy??? No, they happen to know what they are talking about.

Here is a little perspective... As the engine fires off and reaches 1500RPM, the oil light is out within a second. This is only 25 revolutions of the crank. On a pressure lubricated engine, where does the oil go when it is squeezed through the bearings? It lubricates the cylinder walls, pistons, rings, wrist pins, cam lobes and lifters. If there were no splash lubrication, the engine would sieze in short order. If you could see inside the crankcase you would be amazed.

Start your tractor anyway you want to. It's your tractor.

Who am I to tell you what you should do? ASE certified master mechanic, race engine builder, winner of 6 regional championships and two national titles. Expert? no, my BX is my first diesel engine, but all engines are basicly the same.

Thanks for the information, but it kind of reminds me of one of my favorite philosophers and anticipated responses:"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" --Homer Simpson

 

[kuboman]

Got a quart in the freezer and will give you the results later. Until then, I'm going to stand with the engineers, and start my tractor at half throttle.

Thats great, make sure it gets cold soaked, and it is 15-40. Then pour it through a small funnel.
Ya see I already know the answer to this one. I live in a country with 8 months of winter so this kind of research I did years ago.