Massey GC (Isek 3 cyl) cold start video. Still waiting on backordered block heater.

[GC1710]

4 degrees F, with wind making it even colder. Using a 500 watt infrared bulb for about an hour for now (see at end of video). Oil pan gets hot to the touch. I have nothing to compare to, but for a little 3 cyl and this cold I think she starts pretty well. 4 months old, 98 hours.

10 seconds on the glow plugs then off and 15 more seconds and light.

Massey Ferguson GC (Iseki 3 Cyl) Diesel cold start (4 degrees F) - YouTube

 

[Phillip w]

Question??? Are you in an enclosed building? If so, What do you figure is the temperature in you building? I've been looking for a way to start mine in the cold. You heat lamp trick maybe the answer. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

 

[irvingj]

My two cents:

A diesel relies on a temp rise, due to compression, to cause the fuel to ignite; in my experience, it's the temperature of the incoming air that's critical.

With a diesel's approximately 18:1 compression ratio, compressed air (and fuel) will rise in temp only so much, and it needs to reach a critical temp before the diesel fuel will ignite; if it doesn't reach that temp, it will only crank and not fire. Anything you can do to raise the temp of the intake air will help a diesel in the cold. That's why diesels have glow plugs, which poke into the combustion area. Their job is to warm the air.

Warming the block and the oil --and a fully-charged battery-- will help to crank faster (a good thing), but I believe it's the intake air that's most important. When mine has been really stubborn (REALLY cold), if I use a heat gun to warm up the intake manifold, it'll start right up-- just be careful not to melt plastic parts or start a fire!

The light bulb trick will also help, given a few hours, to warm things up. A blanket over the engine can also help retain the heat.

 

[ray66v]

Looks like you did have some incomplete combustion initially.

Next time, add another 20-30 seconds of glow plug time to what you used there.

10 seconds doesn't heat them up much.

Don't obsess with the heat lamp, it's not doing that much.

Make sure you open the throttle, (about 1/4 the way, depending on how cold it is), if you're not already. You need to find the sweet spot through trial and error.

Mine has started for 12 years no problem, without a block heater.

 

[fried1765]

4 degrees F, with wind making it even colder. Using a 500 watt infrared bulb for about an hour for now (see at end of video). Oil pan gets hot to the touch. I have nothing to compare to, but for a little 3 cyl and this cold I think she starts pretty well. 4 months old, 98 hours.

10 seconds on the glow plugs then off and 15 more seconds and light.

Massey Ferguson GC (Iseki 3 Cyl) Diesel cold start (4 degrees F) - YouTube

Can't be "even colder" for your tractor!
If it is 4 degrees outside, it is 4 degrees outside, and your tractor temp is 4 degrees (if outside).
"even colder" is for wind chill, and applies only to human/animal flesh.

 

[GC1710]

Question??? Are you in an enclosed building? If so, What do you figure is the temperature in you building? I've been looking for a way to start mine in the cold. You heat lamp trick maybe the answer. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

No it’s a carport, blocks the rain well, but not the wind. Just has a back wall as you can see in the picture. Lots of good opinions out there. Once I get the MF block heater I won’t worry about much else. I suppose if it’s just nuts cold -20 then I may heat the oil like I did here. But if it’s that cold there probably won’t be a reason to use the tractor.

 

[GC1710]

Can't be "even colder" for your tractor!
If it is 4 degrees outside, it is 4 degrees outside, and your tractor temp is 4 degrees (if outside).
"even colder" is for wind chill, and applies only to human/animal flesh.

Sorry should of said, “with the frigid wind chill lower than 4F it was making it even harder to warm up with the infrared lamp”.....thanks for keeping me honest.

 

[coldsteelva]

I have the GC1720. For starters (sorry about that pun) it sounds like it is turning over a bit slow. Instead of the heating lamp, you may want to put a battery tender on it so you have full cold cranking amps when you need to start it. Run the glow plugs for 30 seconds (with the battery tender attached). Then open the throttle as was previously mentioned before turning the key. It should crank faster/harder and with a bit more fuel to work with, it should fire off.

Once it starts, set the RPMs to 1500 (not idle) and let it warm. You could also install a half to 3/4 height sheet of cardboard/plastic to block up part of the radiator (where the debris screen is) which will allow it to warm faster. At those external temps, you won't be hurting the engine by allowing the block to warm up better/faster without that cold air being drawn across the radiator.

Some folks will also engage the PTO (at the low RPMs, not work RPMs) so that all of the hydraulic fluid can start to circulate and warm. This isn't considered the 'working' that is cautioned against in the manual. You wouldn't want to fire up and immediately go to 3000 RPMs and start running a 540 RPM snowblower attachment or go plowing with the hydrostatic. Grab a cup of coffee.

Once the tractor is warm, disengage PTO and slowly run your hydraulics (loader/ 3-point) through all of its positions to allow the now warm hydro to replace the still frosty fluid in your cylinders.

Go to work.

 

[fxdb96]

Yep 20-30 seconds for glow plugs works much better. Also, I think the manual recomends extensive warm up time like 10 min during the cold.

 

[fxdb96]

Great diesel theory... Hot air is critical for sure. Some diesels have air intake heaters instead of glow plugs! Maybe more for turbo motors - not sure..