Why is my 284 so difficult to start?

[20 20]

Mine also likes to give trouble when it is cold, the way I fixed it was with an inline heater, bought at TSC

 

[jswisc]

I have a Jinma 204 w/ 600+ hrs. I have a lower radiator hose tank heater that after 30 minutes lets the tractor start like summer. But during the past year I moved my battery position to the front of the tractor and more importantly I replaced my 5 year old Chinese battery (still doing it's job ok) with a 925cc battery. Since then, I don't even use the tank heater until under 20 degrees. I was surprised how fast this battery spins a cold engine and how quickly it starts after 20 seconds of glow plugs. Prior to the new battery, anything under 50 degrees I needed needed 2-3 tries with the starter without the tank heater plugged in. Now, first time everytime.

 

[meporsche]

This is somewhat unbelievable but there are no glow plugs. No manifold heater either. Yet there is a heating circuit on the fuse bus. I'm totally baffled.

I'm putting in a lower rad hose heater today.

BTW:

Do you have a lot of white or light grey smoke after the engine starts?
A fair amount

Has it always been hard to start?

Yes

How many hours on the engine?

20

Is the air filter clean? It could be that the fuel injection pump timing is too far retarded.

Yes, clean

Is the cranking speed slow or fast?

Fast

 

[meporsche]

Does anyone have any info on how to install a set of glow plugs? Looks like about $100 in parts. Shouldn't be a problem to just run the juice from the exisiting heat circuit, as long as it is hot.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Take some pictures of your engine bay. I would bet a $1 they are there and you are just overlooking them.

Chris

 

[meporsche]

Actually, I emailed Tommy from AT, he said the DI Diesels don't have the glow plugs. Believe me, they ain't there. I gave him the engine serial # to be sure of the injection type. WHat I don't understand is why there isn't ANY preheating.

 

[greg_g]

WHat I don't understand is why there isn't ANY preheating.

Direct injection. My KM454 has a direct injection FD395 engine, no factory pre-heat of any kind either. But it does have compression release. Starts fine, all the way down to +14F. Below that, the battery just ain't got the grunt to spin the crank in that thick engine oil. And I'm talking Interstate MT-93 battery with 850 CCA. Fixed that will an oil pan heater. Now any time the weather weenies predict <20F overnight, I plug in the pan heater.

//greg//

 

[Bob Rooks]

Now any time the weather weenies predict <20F overnight, I plug in the pan heater.

Question Greg,
The pan heater you're referring to, is it the dip stick submersion type or the magnetic mount type?

 

[Bob Rooks]

I'm putting in a lower rad hose heater today.
You'll be glad you did.
BTW:
Do you have a lot of white or light grey smoke after the engine starts?
A fair amount

A minimal amount of white or light grey smoke on a cold start is normal and indicates unburned fuel and a cold combustion chamber. This should clear up within a minute of slow idle time (600 - 800 r/m).

Another reason for continual hard starting is the fuel cavity in the injection pump is bleeding off due to a defective relief valve leaving the cavity partially drained. If this is the case, hand priming before startup will cure it.

 

[greg_g]

Question Greg,
The pan heater you're referring to, is it the dip stick submersion type or the magnetic mount type?

Neither. Dip stick heaters are a fire just waiting to happen, and magnetic heaters are a waste of electricity on those cast oil pans. Too much steel. I use a pair of 125w Wolverine peel'n'stick strips, one on either side of the driveshaft tunnel. 100% heat contact, insulated, no energy lost to the air.

They're the model 9.1 on the bottom of this page: Wolverine Engine Oil Heaters - Products . I just spliced the two AC cords into a single 3-prong plug, and connect that into a timer that turns on the heater at ~0700. By the time I get done with my morning coffee, the tractor fires up like on a summer morning. It's thermocouple controlled, so - when sized properly to the oil capacity - there's no coking either.

//greg//