25 hp jinma tractor starter drags

[outback812]

I have a 254 jinma tractor and it is a bear to start in cold weather
> and at times on warm days the power cable from the battery gets hot and
> the motor cranks so slow that it will not start ... can I do anything to
> hop up the starter or do I need to get a new one. if a new one is
> needed were can I find a starter that is upgraded and at a fair
> price . I came across one geared starter made in Wisconsin , are there any other company's that make one to fit my tractor

 

[greg_g]

To my knowledge, that Wisconsin starter is the only domestic one made as a direct replacement for that particular Chinese starter.

But - isn't your Jinma equipped with a compression release?

//greg//

 

[bluechip]

Compression release is a great help in the cold, but if you have shuttle, you don't have any linkage hooked up to it.

Somtimes it pays to go back over teh obvious: Be sure you are using a multi grade diesel rated oil chinese oil turns to something like pure STP or maybe even molasis below 20 degrees and probably get to water consistancy when hot. We even had some chinese hydraulic oil in one of our yuchai dozers turn to something like vasoline last winter. If you have that covered, be sure all three glow plugs are working (should draw close to30 amps when glow plugs are engaged, then as they war, the draw will be reduced a bit).

dont crank on the starter more than 30 seconds without stopping to cool. The OEM stater is not that bad, but the amount of cranking they must do to start a y385 in the cold can be too much and melts the insulation off the windings. then it pulls more current and provides less torque.

We have the OEM starters in stock, JMParts has the gear reduction upgrade, only one I know about at present.

 

[Soundguy]

I'd also like to add.. from a guy that collects rusty tractors.. make sure your electrical connections are clean, bright and tight.. and that the cables and ends are good.

I've seen oem starter cables where the starter end metal was crimped OVER insulation on the copper wire, and was barely making any contact at all..

Soundguy

 

[3RRL]

In addition to the good advice that the other guys told you, soundguy makes a really good point.
Check those electrical connections. At one point, my starter would work and then not. It was a crummy negative connection to the frame. Every time I used the starter what little connection I had there would spark (because of the bad connection) and get more corrosion and make the connection worse. My buddy Larry cleaned it by grinding to bare metal and used a star washer to connect so it bites in.

My Kama had the decompression cable disconnected when I got it too. It was easy to hook it back up so you might try that as well. That will take a huge load off the starter. Crank it over like that (glow plugs too of course) for a few seconds before you drop the handle for it to start, and it should fire right up.

 

[geobar]

It seems that our diesels are known to be difficult to start at really cold temps. I've always wondered -- would there be an advantage, or would it be dangerous, to have someone shoot warm air from a heat gun into the air cleaner housing while cranking in cold weather?

 

[doxford jim]

It seems that our diesels are known to be difficult to start at really cold temps. I've always wondered -- would there be an advantage, or would it be dangerous, to have someone shoot warm air from a heat gun into the air cleaner housing while cranking in cold weather?

Hi,

I have a direct injection engine in my Jinma 554. It has no glow plugs or valve decompressor. I find it very easy to turn over (starter seems more than adequate for the job) but still find starting it a challenge on a cold day (-20C or -4F here yesterday). I do the same thing as I do on my old JD450 - give it a sniff of ether and away it goes, no problem. Once started and the block warm, it will start every time. I see no real problem using ether (starting fluid) once in a while. Later I will probably install a coolant heater, but for now and for convenience, starting fluid works just fine for me.

Incidently, I own two diesl powered pickups. Neither of these require help - one has glow plugs and the other an air preheater (Cummins).

Probably the safest and simplest aid would be a coolant heater.

HTH

Jim

 

[Red55]

Geobar I don't think warm air will help In fact cold air is denser and better for combustion. It's the engine thats needs to be warm. A lot of guys have been installing Katts heaters in the lower radiator hose. Some are using magnetic oil pan warmers.. -Ed

 

[Diamondpilot]

Trust me and get the new starter. I got one last year from my 25HP Jinma and wow. I battled it for 3 winters and now it starts like your car does with the aid of there cold weather starting kit and block heater. I know it sounds like a lot but the cold weather starting kit and block heater were $25 each. I just plug it in and go inside for a half hour or so then its off to the snow. It will get used tomorrow with 5" of new snow on the way.

Chris

 

[schmalts]

Geobar I don't think warm air will help In fact cold air is denser and better for combustion. It's the engine thats needs to be warm. A lot of guys have been installing Katts heaters in the lower radiator hose. Some are using magnetic oil pan warmers.. -Ed

That is about the most incorrect post i have ever seen.... Cold air is not better for combustion, it is more efficient IF IT DOES ignite because it expands when it hits the hot combustion chamber thus adding to the effective compression ratio, but it will not lite off nearly as well as a warm charge.
Warm air will make a huge difference. What do you think glow plugs and intake pre-heaters do?? Glow glugs warm the combustion air by warming the whole area but mainly the combustion air. Remember this, when you compress air in the compression stroke you also condense the heat in a way, and a diesel engine fires off by super heating the combustion mixture by compression. It does not fire off because of the compression, but because of the heat created by the compression. Add warmer combustion air and you added a far more combustable air to the engine.
Trust me, a simple hair drier stuffed in the air cleaner intake hole while starting in cold weather makes a huge difference on cold days, not only diesel but gas engines as well.
Compression releases only help start because it gets the engine spinning faster so when you flip the lever back off you get a couple high rpm compression cycles to hopefully fire the engine. but don't be fooled by the name, a compression release will not help you start the engine by lowering compression, but by cranking faster to build more heat for the short time after you release it.
Ether works because it detonates with much lower temps than diesel fuel will, but be carefull with that stuff and do not use it with glow plugs hot, and first try it with the fastest spray you can give the can because you should only need just a little fume of it mixed with the diesel mixture.