574 starter problems

Rio_Grande · Jan 27, 2015

I have been fighting a cold weather starting issue for some time now. This 574 is only used occasionally to unload pallets of material. About 3 times a year I have to have it in 20 deg weather. Actually try not to use it due to the hard starting.

The battery is new as of a couple years ago, tests out good, brand new cables on it this time last year. Got a new key switch today due to me breaking the old one. 2 years ago when this started I had the starter rebuilt at a starter shop. It seemed to fix the problem however winter ended about the same time. Started fine for the next year until the cold weather arrived. Then the starter would crank a few cycles maybe 15-20 seconds max then the starter would stop and whine. I took it apart and cleaned everything. Using the block heater and topping the battery off would occasionally get it started but the only cure was warm weather.

This year, block heater and battery charger topping it off got it started on a 35 deg day, but today in the 20s I couldn't get it to crank long enough to start.

Is it possible that one winding field is bad in this thing? Just seems that even cold this thing should have enough umph to crank more that 15-20 seconds. I watched one of those cold start old start videos on you tube and they crank for quite some time repeatedly before finally getting it started. Mine starts in a few cranks or not at all.

davesl708 · Jan 27, 2015

I would speculate the starter is fine. Since the problem is during the cold have you put an ohm meter to the glow plugs to make sure they are all functioning
Could possibly use a hair dryer to blow warm air into the intake to help.

Avondale · Jan 28, 2015

My 574 does not have glow plugs and the ether port is de-commissioned but has an excellent water jacket heater. It will melt the snow off the cowling if left on long enough. It will not start if cold.

Rio_Grande · Jan 28, 2015

I don't have glow plugs and if there was an either injector on it, it is gone. My heater is in the heater hose but I bought a new one that goes in the head. I have a slight coolant leak that drains the rad down to just above the water jackets in the rad. Not sure if it is the water pump or the radiator, but I was concerned with putting the one in the head that the coolant level might get low and burn up the heater. I will fix the coolant leak in the summer, just got to make it run about 3 times between now and then.