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?
Chains Cold weather starting a diesel
- Thread starter CTPhil
- Start date
- Views: 15570
grsthegreat
Super Star Member
I used to spray starting aid in an old farm tractor at a ranch i worked at...till the day a huge flame blew up the stack and near burnt my eye lashes off.. was an old gas tractor.
I know on new tractors they frown on this practice..to the point of voiding warranties. On older units you can do what you want. I dont really know of any sure fire fix for yours except maybe adding a lower radiator heater or a freeze block heater. If these wont work, you can always add on a glue on electric heater. I did on my new DK45 cause the lower radiator hose was not an option (too short) and i didnt want to crack into the block with a freeze plug. The Wolverine glue on heaters work great for me. Took all of 5 minutes to install and i have them on a wall timer to run 2 hours before i need the tractor.
Wolverine Engine Heaters | Outperforms Engine Block Heater - Cold Starts
these are made in USA..... good product. not too $$$.
Ford tractor
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
- Messages
- 975
Ether -- the engine repair shop's best friend.
Spend the hour and put in a block heater.
Spend the hour and put in a block heater.
dodge man
Super Star Member
No glow plugs?
Gordon Gould
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
- Messages
- 6,745
- Location
- NorthEastern, VT
- Tractor
- Kubota L3010DT, Kubota M5640SUD, Dresser TD7G Dozer
My dozer, like many other pieces of heavy equipment, has a factory installed ether starting system. It is very similar to this one
www.koldban.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=2
www.koldban.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=2
jshwhite
Gold Member
I got a good laugh out of this one! Reminded me of the time working on an old Ford gas. Rebuilt the carburetor and had gasoline all over things plus a bunch of gasoline-soaked rags on the floor. Had the air intake off and shot some ether in the carb. The tractor backfired through the carb with a bang and a good sheet of flame - caught those rags and about everything else on fire! Made for a few tense moments but no damage done and good for laughs later.
Regarding cold starting, I'm curious, are glow plugs not sufficient? I don't have a heater on my Kubota and never have a problem with just glow plugs, but then again, I live in KY and it doesn't get really cold here.
grsthegreat
Super Star Member
my understanding is that glow plugs are fine for colder startsl HOWEVER, in very cold temps, like here in North Idaho can get, heating the block, or the radiator, and/or the battery will make for much nicer starts on days when it might be -4F with a wind. The DK45 will start just fine at -4, but will groan and moan and creek like the dickens. Whereas if i preheat the block for a few hours prior to start, there is next to no groaning. So this HAS to be easier on the engine.
Any if not all new diesel trucks come with glow plugged AND block heaters (in the cold climate regions). There not an option here in Idaho. All from factory. If you don't plug it in, it can take a mighty long time at idle before it wants to move. VERY hard on the engine.
CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 9,239
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200, Kubota B2601
On my Fordson E27n , Yes, an old gas tractor, long out of warranty. 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.
And as far as bad to use ether? Control yourself! "A little works well, a lot works no better"
It sure saves pulling on that crank handle ;-)
With a tie-wrap around the inlet tube, it's a simple matter to slide over and cover the hole when not needed.
And as far as bad to use ether? Control yourself! "A little works well, a lot works no better"
It sure saves pulling on that crank handle ;-)
jshwhite
Gold Member
Ahh, it makes sense to me now. I just had never experienced starting that cold. Thanks for the explanation!
redharley
Gold Member
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
Last edited:
grsthegreat
Super Star Member
I was just in Kentucky for the world Equestrian games last year. what a beautiful state.
but you do need some of our cold
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.
That's getting toward what I'm thinking, maybe a hole in the rubber tube with a rubber band to close it off.
That's sort of where I was going, but don't know what that fitting might be...
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
Super Member
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
Silver Member
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
Platinum Member
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
Platinum Member
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.
My Yella Fella groans like a bear in hibernation without a whiff, and jumps like a puppy with it.
Agreed, but I'm still fishing for a nifty idea for some off the shelf item to fit the bill.
devildog1
Veteran Member
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
