Cold starting trick

[UpLateAgain]

I learned a new trick for starting the tractor today that I thought I'd pass on. I have a Zetor C42L (which, I understand, is the same thing as a Century C42L and a Branson 4220) with 257 hours on it. It was becoming progressively harder to start as this past summer went on, and once the cold weather hit, it became near impossible. I've been using a magnetic oil pan heater, but have not yet installed the block heater that just arrived yesterday.

Anyway, though it only has 257 hours, I decided to pull the glow plugs and check them out. Turns out three of the four had gone bad. I ordered new plugs, but it will take a couple of days for them to get here. In the meantime, I need the tractor and it is 18 degrees out..... what to do.

I disconnected the air intake tube from the intake manifold (simple hose clamp), and set a heat gun (paint stripper type - Stanley - $22.00 at Walmart) into the opening, turned it on for about half a minute, and cranked the engine. In about 20 seconds she popped right over. I imagine you could use a hair dryer to the same effect.... just get some warm air flowing into the cylinders. It took about another 15 seconds to put the air tube back on and clamp it down.

One word of caution - watch out for that cooling fan when you are under the hood with the engine running.

 

[JB4310]

I disconnected the air intake tube from the intake manifold (simple hose clamp), and set a heat gun (paint stripper type - Stanley - $22.00 at Walmart) into the opening, turned it on for about half a minute, and cranked the engine. In about 20 seconds she popped right over.

20 seconds is still a long time to be cranking, especially with warm air going in,
which is a good idea. That's how Cummins handles cold start, when the light says wait to start it's warming intake air as well as warming fuel in bowl. after that it fires in a second can't let the key off fast enough

Are we talking sub-zero temps here, or just below freezing?
If it's not super cold then something else must be wrong for such a low hour machine to take that much effort to start.

Maybe look closely at your fuel separator/filter, hopefully with all glow plugs working it will be back to normal though.

 

[neucam]

I have to agree while heating the intake is better than ether, get those glow plugs working, or starter or cold engine lubrication problems might surface. It should fire in a couple seconds even when below freezing, otherwise warm the battery and the oil for good fast starts.

 

[JB4310]

I've got an ornery starting Ford with 2700 hours, that requires glow plugs even in the summer, it will start with glow plugs in the winter but takes a few restarts to keep it going. I put a radiator hose heater on there and that helps with not needing the restarts.

I wanted to try something else just to see if it would work in case I forgot to plug the electric heater in or if battery was low. so I took one of those kero fired construction heaters and aimed it right at the pump side of the machine from about 5 ft away, for 10-15 minutes or so on a very cold day.
It worked, it fired up, figured it heated the block, the fuel system, the air around it as well as the intake air to some degree.
At least I know in an emergency I should be able get her going.

With my modern JD I have never needed the glow plugs, and only plugged the block heater in once just to see if it worked.

 

[jinman]

I wanted to try something else just to see if it would work in case I forgot to plug the electric heater in or if battery was low. so I took one of those kero fired construction heaters and aimed it right at the pump side of the machine from about 5 ft away, for 10-15 minutes or so on a very cold day.
It worked, it fired up, figured it heated the block, the fuel system, the air around it as well as the intake air to some degree.
At least I know in an emergency I should be able get her going.

Great idea! If you stand in front of it while warming the engine, you can dry your hair too.

 

[cowsrus]

I used that method on a hard to start older JD last winter when my block heater went out and it works really good. Word of caution : Don't use this method on a gasoline tractor

 

[Soundguy]

is it your 1700 that starts hard? have you compression tested it?

while I'm not a huge fan of the lil jap sub-compact units.. I don't dislike them either... and for the most part have found them fairly reliable and up to the job, for their size anyway.

soundguy

I've got an ornery starting Ford with 2700 hours, that requires glow plugs even in the summer, it will start with glow plugs in the winter but takes a few restarts to keep it going. I put a radiator hose heater on there and that helps with not needing the restarts.

I wanted to try something else just to see if it would work in case I forgot to plug the electric heater in or if battery was low. so I took one of those kero fired construction heaters and aimed it right at the pump side of the machine from about 5 ft away, for 10-15 minutes or so on a very cold day.
It worked, it fired up, figured it heated the block, the fuel system, the air around it as well as the intake air to some degree.
At least I know in an emergency I should be able get her going.

With my modern JD I have never needed the glow plugs, and only plugged the block heater in once just to see if it worked.

 

[Matt_Jr]

Uplateagain, good thinking. In the beginning and middle of your post I was wondering what you were leading up to. Kind of built up a little suspense. lol. I'll have to remember that. Thanks.

 

[Matt_Jr]

JB4310, I'm scared I'd melt the plastic fenders off of my BX with one of those heaters.

 

[JB4310]

is it your 1700 that starts hard? have you compression tested it?
soundguy

1700 yes, Shibaura 2 cyl, No comp test but I suspect that would be the cause. I bought it from a landscape company who pounded it day in and day out with a harley rake and they bought it from a rental company

It is a stout little machine, but I ain't married to it so I'm just gonna run it the way it is.

 

[JB4310]

I used that method on a hard to start older JD last winter when my block heater went out and it works really good. Word of caution : Don't use this method on a gasoline tractor

Yes, good caution, I would not do that with explosive fuel.

I've also heard from old timers, back in the day, they would light open fires on the ground right under the engines of heavy equipment in cold weather. That had to get interesting.

 

[Soundguy]

I heard a story of a guy that did that with one of the old fordsons.. the ones with hand cranks and coil boxes.. now them was tuff times!

soundguy

 

[Stimw]

I had a friend that was retired from the Air force, passed away in 1999. He talked about starting Euclid diesel runway plane movers in cold climates. He said they would light a piece of newspaper and stick it in the intake and crank it. The engine would eat the burnt paper!
I had a Ford Boom truck in the low 70's that had a 225 Cat engine. It had a either bottle (size of small throw away propane cylinder)mounted under the hood and a pull handle on the dash. I only used it once at 15*.
Plug in engine heaters rule!!

 

[Cami]

@Stimw: My father taught me the same trick but with an oily rag...you don't let the engine eat that!

As for the kerosene heaters, years ago I saw a purpose built truck starting setup for fleets with a Herman Nelson, big flexible ductwork and brackets to connect the ducts to truck grilles. There was even a wye connector so two trucks could be heated at once.

As for lighting fires...You really have to watch what you're doing; no daydreaming. A buddy of mine was trying to get the gasoline engine that runs the air compressor on his service truck started in -40 weather and was using a torch to warm it up. He boiled the fuel out of the carb bowl and set the works on fire. No damage was done and he was in business before long but he got a little attention in the yard.

 

[biggerten]

I've also heard from old timers, back in the day, they would light open fires on the ground right under the engines of heavy equipment in cold weather. That had to get interesting.

Many years ago, we had an old Allis Chalmers (crank start) we kept out in the woodlot. At below zero temps we'd throw a tarp over it, light a small charcoal grill, and when the flames were out and the charcoal graying (just like a barbecue) put it under the tarp. Cut wood for an hour, and then start the tractor.

 

[20 20]

Maybe bears have the better idea, go take a nap and wait for it to get warm?

 

[BXpanded]

In a pinch, a gasoline dampened rag over the air intake will usually get one going. Causes less knock than starting fluid (ether). Don't use glowplugs with ether or gasoline!

 

[Wis Bang]

I used to have to start an old cable D-8 from the 50's. The pony engine exhausted thru the diesel engine's intake manifold. You would start the pony and let it run until you could open the choke. W/ the Diesel compresson release open you would engauge the pony drive [watch the main fan blade turning] w/ the master clutch released and the diesel throttle open. As soon as the diesel showed oil pressure you would close the compression release and the main engine would fire letting you die-engauge the pony and shut it down. The secondyou killed the pony, the little rain cap on the other end of the intake would snap shut due to the maniffold vacuum.

The pony exhaust warming the diesel intake had to make the difference.

 

[Soundguy]

We had an old D6 9U with a pony engine... it was a beast and had a loosey-goosey cline adjustment.. but we greased it alot and it mostly kept the tracks on.

soundguy

 

[kenstrac]

Had a D4D forestry special with a vessel on the dash that took capsules and also had 2-1" hoses with quick disconnects that were hooked into the block that you could plug into a truck to heat the engine.