Do you regularly start your diesel tractor as maintenance?

[skyhook]

I don't know, but my trans temp gauge is pretty well in sink with my water temp gauge on my truck within 20 minutes or so.
I don't think this would apply to you too much, GManBart, you keep your machines in an insulated garage.
In a case like this, I wouldn't start my machines that often.

 

[cford36]

To add to the discussion. I don't currently have a Tier 4 engine, however, I did have a diesel truck with DPF system. Not sure if the systems are the same or not so this may or may not be relevant. The new emissions systems need to be at operating temps to function. Excessive idling will only plug up the system faster. If the system has a monitor and is not just hour based, it will be wanting to regen all the time. (At least they are not making us run DEF in tractors....yet)

 

[RalphVa]

I went on a job to Singapore when we had a 1972 220D Benz with about 200k miles on it. Went away for 9 months. All I did was to remove the battery and put it on 2 timers in series to a trickle charger. When we returned, I put the battery back in, glowed it for the required glow period, and it started immediately. Absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Our standby diesel generator gets run for 15 minutes every 2 weeks at its regular running speed which is somewheres just shy of 2,000 rpm. Otherwise, it doesn't get run much. It used 2.5 gallons the 1st year and 5 gallons (as it came on for a couple periods to generate power in that year) the 2nd year. Its oil hasn't even turned dark yet.

Ralph

 

[TomSeller]

Commercial buildings and hospitals start their diesel emergency generators on a mandated schedule.

 

[GManBart]

I don't know, but my trans temp gauge is pretty well in sink with my water temp gauge on my truck within 20 minutes or so.
I don't think this would apply to you too much, GManBart, you keep your machines in an insulated garage.
In a case like this, I wouldn't start my machines that often.

Your transmission temp gauge shows a change after you're driving, right? That wouldn't be the case if you just let it idle for a while.

Also, transmission temps are different than engine oil temps because transmission fluid goes through the cooler that is part of the radiator or it's own dedicated cooler (sometimes both...the specifics vary with the make/model/etc).

My truck is in the uninsulated part of my barn now while I'm working to finish the insulated, ultimately heated/cooled side. I have to head out in a few, so I'll try to time how long the oil lags behind the water temp.

 

[GManBart]

Commercial buildings and hospitals start their diesel emergency generators on a mandated schedule.

Many of those have pre-oilers, and I know ours actually takes a load to test the emergency/critical circuits are properly energized (27 story, fairly large building). It takes quite a while to go to all the different areas and confirm all the circuits are working....can't recall exactly, but I think it took us close to an hour last time (I was filling in for my boss and had to check some of our areas and report back).

 

[big bubba]

okay. this is one of the more interesting threads i've seen on the forum. the endless battle of empirical vs theoretical in the internal combustion arena. lots of expertise here on both camps. like several posters here, i don't have power to where i store my tractor. if i decide not to start & warm up regularly, can i just hook some h/d jumpers to the tractor battery & let my pick up idle for say 15 min, wouldn't that charge up anything needed in the idle tractor battery? or is a charger/tender needed if i wanted to avoid starting the tractor? thx in advance

 

[TomSeller]

For those starting and running for only 15 minutes in cold winter weather, I might suggest plugging in a block heater 4 hours in advance so that the engine comes up to temp faster and it benefits the moisture evaporation.

 

[buickanddeere]

15 minutes in cold weather is only going to wear the cylinder bores, dilute the crankcase oil and wet stack the exhaust.

 

[Utopia Texas]

My Ford F-150 has a digital transmission temperature gauge I can toggle up on one of the multiple dash board screens. It takes many more miles for the transmission fluid to get up to the normal 195F degrees after the radiator fluid is at normal temperatures. In other words, when initial normal radiator fluid temperatures are reached the transmission fluid is still very cold. I assume this initial fluid temperature difference works the same on my tractor, even more so since the tractor holds 16 gallons of transmission fluid.
My Tractor Capacities....
Oil sump...............2.2 gallons
Cooling System......4.2 gallons
Hydraulic system..16.0 gallons
I realize the transmission fluid is not flowing in the same areas as the oil and radiator fluid but my point is that just because the temperature gauge on the radiator fluid comes up to the normal range other parts of the engine are not close to the proper range for quite some time.

 

[ultrarunner]

I found my D3 Dozer was not happy sitting for months at a time...

One of my friends is a retired paving contractor and said every piece of equipment was started and moved around the yard no less than every other week... and especially important with steel track equipment.

 

[DK35vince]

One of my friends is a retired paving contractor and said every piece of equipment was started and moved around the yard no less than every other week... and especially important with steel track equipment.

Why?.
What do they think they are gaining by that ??
I work for a paving company and our equipment sits through the winter unstarted.

 

[ultrarunner]

Why?.
What do they think they are gaining by that ??
I work for a paving company and our equipment sits through the winter unstarted.

He said several things...

One is steel tracks can seize over time

Two... the older equipment with clutch disks can bond to the mating surface

Three... always wanted all of his equipment work ready...

When he started out he worked for a competitor that is long since out of business... he said they were always have reliability issues... equipment put away with empty tanks... some sitting all winter with no care for the batteries... etc...


I know this is a discussion of diesels...

My first job with payroll withholding was working at a Dealership... every Saturday it was my job to wash and start all the cars on the lot... made sure we had the keys... just about eliminated battery issues, etc.

My job of the last 23 years requires regular exercise of Hospital Gen-Sets... they are all Onan Cummins units with block heater 24/7... some date from 1995 and so far so good... from start to load always under 10 seconds by mandate.

 

[GManBart]

Why?.
What do they think they are gaining by that ??
I work for a paving company and our equipment sits through the winter unstarted.

Yep...Just look at the folks mining in Alaska and the Yukon....their equipment sits for months, and left with no battery tenders, block heaters, etc....if they were running into problems every Spring you have to think they would do something about it.

 

[Popster]

FWIW, my l2850 manual says "When starting the engine after long storage, first pull the engine stop knob and then activate the starter for aboiut ten seconds to allow oil to reach every engine part."

 

[D7E]

Why?.
What do they think they are gaining by that ??
I work for a paving company and our equipment sits through the winter unstarted.

As I said our 35 machines always sit for 6 months in down to -40c climate as is normal in this area 'Some of our dozers and excavators sit for years ...just take batteries off and cover exhausts with a coffee can....10-20'000 hrs doesn't lie . If it is not going to earn any money that day it does not get started . block heaters are run over night for next day start ! In winter I work for much larger outfits and same rule ..only started if necessary ! My semi truck stays plugged in all winter in un heated shop for spur of the moment deliveries.
Swathers are a good example 1997 machine worth around $20'000 but runs for 3-5 days a year ..the rest spent sitting under a tree with no battery !

 

[TomSeller]

FWIW, my l2850 manual says "When starting the engine after long storage, first pull the engine stop knob and then activate the starter for aboiut ten seconds to allow oil to reach every engine part."

Very good idea.

 

[ultrarunner]

As I said our 35 machines always sit for 6 months in down to -40c climate as is normal in this area 'Some of our dozers and excavators sit for years ...just take batteries off and cover exhausts with a coffee can....10-20'000 hrs doesn't lie . If it is not going to earn any money that day it does not get started . block heaters are run over night for next day start ! In winter I work for much larger outfits and same rule ..only started if necessary ! My semi truck stays plugged in all winter in un heated shop for spur of the moment deliveries.
Swathers are a good example 1997 machine worth around $20'000 but runs for 3-5 days a year ..the rest spent sitting under a tree with no battery !

Uncle of a friend worked on the pipeline project... he would come back with stories of equipment that was left running for weeks at a time when it got real cold... loaders, dozers, excavators, etc...

Maybe he was spinning a yarn... ?

 

[D7E]

Uncle of a friend worked on the pipeline project... he would come back with stories of equipment that was left running for weeks at a time when it got real cold... loaders, dozers, excavators, etc...

Maybe he was spinning a yarn... ?

Absoluteley not , if your not paying the bill or in extreme conditions but 5 hours with a propane circulating heater plumbed to the block will start will start my 1968 Cat D7e in -30c

Do you have block heaters over there ..? Back in the UK it was a major event to get machines started if we had -5c overnight .

 

[gdtractor]

I don't know where to put this question .... so here goes .. perhaps someone can direct me .. thanks

I have a Yanmar YM2000 Diesel - LOVE IT!! but I can't figure out if it has a glow plug or not - it has the "glow plug" position on the switch! It runs AWESOME!!
Also, how would I find out how old it is - the number on the side says ym2000-04811

Here is a video of the tractor: http://youtu.be/2D5gmgyKoYI?list=UU7TY6oc3N-TD34WpzI3MzYg
My main concern is - WHAT YEAR IS IT? and DOES IT HAVE A GLOW PLUG?
If you can help .. I would appreciate it !

Thanks - Gary