Chains Cold weather starting a diesel

[redharley]

It is possible to make an easier way to introduce ether to your cold tractor engine.But I must add that any diesel needs lots of air to run wherever it gets it from should be more than enough to spray a small amount of ether at this intake point for starting. There should be an intake hose or pipe going from air cleaner to intake on the engine along this pipe you could add a fitting with tubing leading to a point that you could easily spray into but when finished needs to be sealed back up while tractor is running. if not sealed , lost of intake presure or dirt entering the system could be costly for sure. If you really want to do this I would recomend one of the kits mentioned earlier. I don't know how often you use your tractor in cold weather but here in pa a block heater plugged in 2 hrs ahead and [1] shot of ether gets us going on the coldest morning's on our 60-100horsepower units

 

[grsthegreat]

Ahh, it makes sense to me now. I just had never experienced starting that cold. Thanks for the explanation!

I was just in Kentucky for the world Equestrian games last year. what a beautiful state.


but you do need some of our cold

 

[CTPhil]

Regarding cold starting, I'm curious, are glow plugs not sufficient?

It's a Ford 3 cylinder diesel, they don't have glow plugs. Some had manifold heaters that burned a little fuel in the intake. Mine has that, non working, I may try to fix it, but ones I have used don't seem to be for really cold weather.

I drilled a hole in the metal intake pipe just up stream of the carb. The hole is sized to just pass those red tube extension nozzles that seem to come with every automotive spray can.

With a tie-wrap around the inlet tube, it's a simple matter to slide over and cover the hole when not needed.

That's getting toward what I'm thinking, maybe a hole in the rubber tube with a rubber band to close it off.

There should be an intake hose or pipe going from air cleaner to intake on the engine along this pipe you could add a fitting with tubing leading to a point that you could easily spray into but when finished needs to be sealed back up while tractor is running.

That's sort of where I was going, but don't know what that fitting might be...

 

[wolc123]

If you have a TSC store around there you might inquire about a block heater. For around $75 and an hours labor, your cold-start problems could be over. With a block heater installed, that little block will heat up enough in 30 minutes at zero degrees to start easy.

 

[leonz]

My newly acquired diesel tractor has no cold weather starting aids. No pre-heater, no block heater. With my other tractors I spray ether directly into the air intake, but on this one the intake is buried up under the cowl. I've been spraying through the grille, but it doesn't seem to be very effective. Has anyone done some kind of home grown mod to allow ether to be sprayed directly into the intake stream? The manifold and rubber hose from the air cleaner is somewhat accessible, is there some slick way to install some kind of port for spraying ether in?

Three words - Kerosene fired space heater/AKA torpedo heater/Salamander.

It works every time, all the time, I used to heat up the firewood processor for
a half hour or so to heat up the engine and hydraulic tank and hydraulic pump,

Yes, Yes, Yes, very, very, Lazy!!!, but 16 year old habits are hard to break especially this one as I have an even bigger space heater as the old one finally s*&t the bed and the electric motor to replace the old one(16 years old) was 2/3 the cost of the new space heater.


Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:
Pronovost or not at all!!!:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[knightrider955]

Ether is a diesels best friend. You wont hurt it one bit using ether. Lots of tractors come from the factory with ether provisions. Like others have said, just rig up a hose to the intake that you can spray through.

 

[MFRED]

If you're going to use ether, at least get it whirling a bit before you shoot it. And as said, just a whiff, that loud knocking isn't really good for them.

 

[DAY]

I agree with knightrider955. They wouldn't have made it a 'factory installed' item if it wasn't beneficial.
My Yella Fella groans like a bear in hibernation without a whiff, and jumps like a puppy with it.

 

[CTPhil]

Like others have said, just rig up a hose to the intake that you can spray through.

Agreed, but I'm still fishing for a nifty idea for some off the shelf item to fit the bill.

 

[devildog1]

Ether -- the engine repair shop's best friend.

Spend the hour and put in a block heater.

In my operators manual for my Grand L It clearly states not to use starting fluid or ether, I remember as some of you using both on older tractors in the past and never had an issue. So why is ether considered death to the newer diesels?
DevilDog