Proper Cold Weather Starting

[woolyAcres]

Now that the temperatures have dropped in my area I need to figure out the proper procedure for cold weather starting. What's the proper way to start these engines in cold weather (below 32F, and below 10F)?

The rod connected to my decompression lever is bent such that I can rotate the decompression lever 90 degrees without actually moving the lever connected to the other end of the rod. It basically slips. If I want to use decompression I have to open the hood and move that lever on top of the engine by hand. Being honest, I don't often use decompression to start it, because the lever on the top of the engine is so stiff it requires pliers to move.

The follow-up question to this is what is the principle behind the thermostat device? Does it require fuel to be useful, or can one use the thermostat and decompression without adding diesel to the fuel cup? Simply warming some input air. I ask because the hose from the fuel cup to the nipple on the thermostat device is missing, as is the cap for the fuel cup. I'm sure I can get that hose at the local auto parts store so if that's the best way forward I can solve that.

I'm lucky enough to have a block heater and have been using that when I need the tractor and it's 'cold' (below 45) but the shed where I'll keep her parked this winter doesn't have electricity so the block heater becomes less useful.

Does anyone have experience with these in cold weather? How do you operate/start it?

Thanks

 

[Todd8665]

Now that the temperatures have dropped in my area I need to figure out the proper procedure for cold weather starting. What's the proper way to start these engines in cold weather (below 32F, and below 10F)?

The rod connected to my decompression lever is bent such that I can rotate the decompression lever 90 degrees without actually moving the lever connected to the other end of the rod. It basically slips. If I want to use decompression I have to open the hood and move that lever on top of the engine by hand. Being honest, I don't often use decompression to start it, because the lever on the top of the engine is so stiff it requires pliers to move.

The follow-up question to this is what is the principle behind the thermostat device? Does it require fuel to be useful, or can one use the thermostat and decompression without adding diesel to the fuel cup? Simply warming some input air. I ask because the hose from the fuel cup to the nipple on the thermostat device is missing, as is the cap for the fuel cup. I'm sure I can get that hose at the local auto parts store so if that's the best way forward I can solve that.

I'm lucky enough to have a block heater and have been using that when I need the tractor and it's 'cold' (below 45) but the shed where I'll keep her parked this winter doesn't have electricity so the block heater becomes less useful.

Does anyone have experience with these in cold weather? How do you operate/start it?

ThanksView attachment 449391

I don't believe that your decompression lever should be that stiff, at least mine is not. My cable broke(my tractor uses cable not lever) at one time and I had to move the lever on the valve cover by hand until i get a new cable. Spray some penetrating oil where the lever exits the cover too see if it frees up a bit.

Decompression has seen its fair amount of discussion on this forum in the past, as i suspect it will again. As the name implies it allows the engine to turn without compression - freely- and gives the motor a pre-lubrication bath and allows the oil pump to gain/reach pressure. I pull my lever and crank for a few seconds (3-5??), wait a few seconds, and repeat until my oil light goes off.

Thermostart without the fuel. Hmm, boy i just don't see it putting out enough heat to make a huge difference in starting without the fuel. Good description of how they work here:

Inside a Yanmar thermostart (glow plug) unit.

I'd get the fuel flowing back to it myself...

My cold weather starting procedure - others will surely/definitely be different and Im sure wont be shy to chime in and color me foolish:ashamed:

1. Pull decompression lever and crank engine in 'bursts' of 3-5 seconds until oil light goes off.
2. Push compression cable back in.
3. Pull fuel lever to 1/2 way or a bit more.
4. Turn key to left to activate thermostart hold for 10-12 seconds.
5. Crank engine. If/when it starts immediately back fuel off to idle position. My manual says that one should re-engage the thermostart once the engine starts and continue holding until the engine runs normally. I have never had to do this. If it doesn't start i redo the 10 seconds on the thermostart.

Some are going to say they heat/use the thermostart and then crank the engine with the decompression lever pulled (as to allow for greater turning speed of the motor) then without stopping the cranking turn the decompression lever off to start the engine. I have done this when my battery is low, but in my mind all that cranking while decompressed is negating some of the purpose of the thermostart.

Here's a link to my decompression post...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ion-doing-anything.html?highlight=Thermostart

 

[normde2001]

Fix the decomp. mech.

 

[California]

I agree with Norm, fix the cold weather starting devices!

 

[careyo63]

I use my decompression every time I start mine. When the oil light goes out I let go. Not much to the Linkage in the Valve cover. You can adj. the stop if I recall.
I hardly ever have to use the Thermal Start in Ga.. I've had to and I don't have the Fuel bowl either. The Thermal wasn't even Wired up when I bought it. Here's What I do in the Pic. if I need to use it. Works Great. And for me instead of leaving it hooked up. Which I have, I just Squirt the fuel in the bulb back in the Tank.

 

[woolyAcres]

I don't believe that your decompression lever should be that stiff, at least mine is not. My cable broke(my tractor uses cable not lever) at one time and I had to move the lever on the valve cover by hand until i get a new cable. Spray some penetrating oil where the lever exits the cover too see if it frees up a bit.

Thanks for the complete response and the links. I'd be more inclined to use the decompression if it weren't so dang stiff. Based on responses here I'll get that sorted first thing.

A follow-up question about using the thermostart with fuel. What stops the fuel in the cup from running into the engine all at once? I guess I'm wondering about how this is supposed to work. Does fuel need to be added to the cup before every start or is that cup actually more like a reservoir that can be filled as needed and it hold that fluid until needed?

 

[careyo63]

Inside a Yanmar thermostart (glow plug) unit.

Also to prime it let the Thermal get hot and just a little squeeze is all it takes. 10-20 times ? Not me!!!

 

[Scotty Dive]

Here is a video I shot of my thermostart. You can see the coil heat up which opens a seal that allows fuel to drop on the heated coil and then ignite. Mine ignites around the 20 second mark so that is how long I keep it on before I crank the engine.
https://youtu.be/YM36z8bsjR0

 

[woolyAcres]

Thanks for the video. Is the fuel that's igniting coming from the fuel cup, or from the fuel pump?

Nevermind. I just read the link that was posted by (more than one person) and I see what's going on. Looks like I need to get both the decompression lever fixed and get the fuel line from the fuel cup to the thermostart device attached.

Looks like I've got some work to do this weekend. Thanks

 

[Egon]

As noted get all starting AIDS working. Then get a small generator so the tractor can get nicely warmed up before use. A tarp with small heater under it will warm the whole tractor.

 

[normde2001]

Surprising how many users don't know to fully open throttle for starting.

 

[newbury]

Also check your oil. If you were running a standard dino oil switching to a synthetic like Rotella T6 5W40 may make a big difference. It did with my 7.3 L Fords.

 

[Daryl Greene]

Surprising how many users don't know to fully open throttle for starting.

I was quite surprised to read that! Then I pulled out the Operation Manual and, sure enough, it states "Pull throttle lever all the way back (full throttle)". Lesson learned tonight.

 

[oosik]

Proper cold wx starting is whatever is recommended in your owners manual.

 

[buickanddeere]

No idea why anybody would use a thermal start to clatter a cold engine to life ? Plug in the block heater instead .

 

[davesl708]

Surprising how many users don't know to fully open throttle for starting.

Seems to vary. My BX recommends 1/2 throttle and 10 seconds on the glow plugs.

 

[careyo63]

I use the Decompression and set my Throttle at a mark on my hood that's about 1500rpms. on cold starts. I've been doing it for 8Yrs. and starts the same every time. Why they recommend full throttle I don't know? I've heard this quite a few times before.
Thank goodness I've only had to use the Thermal a couple of times. It fired right up when I did use it so I believe it does help. Like I stated before. The actual Thermal Glow plug wasn't wired to the Ign. Switch or a even had a fuel bowl when I bought it and started hearing about it on here.

 

[normde2001]

It's stated in the YM240 ops manual.

 

[chriswheeler]

Another thing that can be done. The small fuel bottle above the thermo start seams to always need filling. I owned a YM 3000 and a John Deere 950, I noticed that the 950 was self filling. Both Yanmar diesels were almost the same size. The Yanmar engine thermo start in the 950 was plumbed to the discharge from the injectors keeping the thermo start bottle always filled. Difference was the Deere bottle doesn't have a fill cap like the Yanmar does, only a inlet from the injectors, and a outlet to return excess fuel back to the tank. The little plastic fuel bottle is exactly the same size and bolts into the same bracket. The Deere thermo start fuel bottle was around $10, + the price of some small hose, well worth the price to always have that little bottle full of fuel. Highly recommend that change for any of the members that still have to fill that little bottle on a cold day.
Chris

 

[careyo63]

I stated I heard that before. Honestly my 2000 throttle has only been open all the way a couple of times. And that was just after I bought it 8yrs. ago to see how high the RPM's would go. And maybe once or twice while I was at it to check full throttle with a Mower engaged.:confused3: