KAMA 454 pre-Heat

[Paddy]

While I was bleading the fuel system after the valve lash adjustment, I thought I needed to blead the fuel line to the Pre-heat device located on the intake. For those who don't know the KAMA, it uses some sort of fuel drip with ele heat instead of glow plugs. All the injectors conected in series to return to the fuel tank but, also a line that gos to the Pre-heat. As I went through the normal cranking and tightening of the injector lines, she fired as expected That's when I thought, I would 'crack' the line to the Pre-Heat. I thinking open just enough until I see fuel and No air. Nothing. Even when I removed the line completely, I saw nothing. The engine was running.

What am I missing??

 

[greg_g]

What am I missing??

The return line is not pressurized, therefore didn't need bleeding in the first place. Secondly, it is not unusual for it to appear empty if there is no excess fuel to be returned to the tank. Third, it's not a drip as you might think. When you energize the pre-heater, you're just warming up the coil in the intake manifold. Fuel isn't moving yet. Once you start cranking the engine (under compression) the intake valves create a vacuum in the intake manifold that literally sucks fuel outa that return line and through the heating coil.

Hope that helps clear things up. Mine didn't come with any kind of pre-heater; no glow plug, no manifold heater. even so, it starts down to about 15 degrees. 14 degrees and it's sluggish, 13 degrees and no-go. But the pair of 125W Wolverines I put on the oil pan gratefully give me all the preheat I need.

//greg//

 

[bluechip]

The preheater was a surprise to us. We asked for something like that and were told it was not available, then a couple shipments later,they were on the engine. next batch they were there but not plumbed in. The engines in the KM were direct injection and always seemed easy to start (so long as multi grade oil is used in cold weather).

 

[3RRL]

There was some discussion about how the intake pre heater works on the Kama and on some other brands. You might want to check it out?
Click Here:
INTAKE PRE HEATER

 

[Paddy]

All,

My real pre-heat is a heated garage I always use the compression release and ....the Pre-heat when below 40 deg F(amp draw shows it's working). She starts fast and easy. Greg has convinced me to make life easy on the starter and lube system.

Rob,

I can't enter the 'other' site. Any summary? With an easy starting tractor I'm not sure I need to do anything different. I have been bad and left her out in the drive a few times on 20 deg cold nights , but she starts just fine. Might run on 2 cyc for 3 sec but I have never had to crank twice.

My wife can't believe my tractor get's a front row seat next to the Honda in the garage, while my Volvo sits in the cold. Some weeks I drive my tractor more than I do my car.

Patrick

 

[3RRL]

All,

My real pre-heat is a heated garage I always use the compression release and ....the Pre-heat when below 40 deg F(amp draw shows it's working). She starts fast and easy. Greg has convinced me to make life easy on the starter and lube system.

Rob,

I can't enter the 'other' site. Any summary? With an easy starting tractor I'm not sure I need to do anything different. I have been bad and left her out in the drive a few times on 20 deg cold nights , but she starts just fine. Might run on 2 cyc for 3 sec but I have never had to crank twice.

My wife can't believe my tractor get's a front row seat next to the Honda in the garage, while my Volvo sits in the cold. Some weeks I drive my tractor more than I do my car.

Patrick

Pat,
Greg has given you some good advice on using the decompression feature. He convinced me too. Even though my Kama 554 (no glow plugs) came with it not hooked up because it starts so easily, I still hooked it up and crank until I get oil pressure for pre-lube for the first start of the day. Mine has always fired up within a second or two.

Question, why can't you get to the other site?? The thread basically describes how the manifold pre-heater works. There are a couple of examples that describe a heating element inside the manifold that heats up incoming air for combustion prior to starting ...for easier starting. I suppose this is what ours does. Our manual only refers to using it in "cold starts" without explaining how it works.

LOL about your wife's comments. They will never figure it out.