YM 1700 hard starting

[B man]

YM 1700, new head gasket, new 2kw starter, will only start with wide open throttle (sometimes) usually with a little ether. What in Samhill is going on with it? TY!

 

[winston1]

Likely low compression. You are going to bust your piston lands with the either if you haven't already. It is a no no with these little engines.

 

[B man]

Just about what I figured, burns some oil, but purrs like a kitten when it warms up. Saw where one guy was using a diesel/gasoline mix to start his. So I guess I’ll have to tear into it deeper than I wanted but it is a handy little machine to have around. Thanks for the info.

 

[normde2001]

You are supposed to start with wide open throttle. No ether. Can we assume you have done all op maint, fresh fuel, fiuel filter, air filter, bled fuel lines?

 

[California]

The owner manual says start it at 100% throttle. So that's not an issue. Do you see a lot of white vapor (fuel) when it's cranking but won't fire?

If the head was off, did you verify that the valves seal properly, and now, are you sure the valve lash is set correctly?

Done all the maintenance suggested by Norm?

Does the ThermoStart heat the intake manifold properly?

If no other cause is found then this may well be broken rings/pistons as a consequence of ether. Time for a teardown.

 

[careyo63]

Throttle wide open isn't usually necessary. Never had to on my 2000. I don't think I ever have started it wide open come think of it. But were I think your at is pulling a injector or both. Esp. if all the Maint. was done. 1. Are you getting fuel to it- Injector. 2 What does the spray pattern look like. 3. If 1-2 is good then your running a compression test. I think your going to find low compression..............

 

[Jtullis13]

I agree with everyone else. Ether is a big no no for these machines. Though the manual says WOT for starting, most of them don't need to be. As per California, what is the color of your exhaust after it is warmed up? That will give us a better idea of what is going on. Carey had a good suggestion on the injector spray pattern too, and more than likely you have low compression which is probably the culprit from the beginning and now is just going to get worse.

 

[normde2001]

Yanmar engineers have obviously determined that WOT gives the proper air/fuel mixture for starting. Why fight it?

 

[winston1]

I don't fight it, but my experience with diesels in "good " condition has proven wide open throttle may not be necessary. I just don't like that wide open throttle with cold oil on crank up.

 

[bmaverick]

YM 1700, new head gasket, new 2kw starter, will only start with wide open throttle (sometimes) usually with a little ether. What in Samhill is going on with it? TY!

It's winter. Hard starting is common with a regular setup and the machine sitting outside with no enclosure (shed) around it. Yes, wide open in temps below 25F is common place. BUT, it's only to start it. In moments to minutes later, you are scaling back the throttle little-by-little.

Now, I've learned from the first hard winter up here. I have a 3-sided shed and have the CRC diesel treatment in the tank for winter running. This way, the diesel isn't going to gel up due to the low temps. I don't have to do a WOT, only 3/4 throttle now for starting.

Before my JD-850 died (aka Yanmar YM2500), I had replaced the old tech solenoid starter with a 2kw Offset Gear Reduction version. WOW, what a difference! And less to ever go wrong. And it only costed $99+free shipping back in 2013. If the YM2610 ever needs a new starter, I'm going the same route again. Just like your started setup. The OE company for Yanmar also made these starters for Nissan and Mazda. They went from solenoid types to the OGR types.

You did mention though one thing. A 'new head gasket'. I had a truck diesel mechanic who worked on my JD-850. Replaced a wrapped head ... BUT, inadvertently he swapped injectors 2 & 3 lines on the install. The engine would only stay running with full throttle all the time. Needless to say, that and the bent governor rod blew the engine in time. Sooooooooo, check your fuel lines to verify they are indeed going to the correct injectors.