Diesel tractor doesn't start when it's warmed up

[paulinkansas]

Deere 830, it's a 3 cylinder, 35 horsepower. It's starts right up when it's cold. If I run it for continuously for awhile (10 minutes to over 1 hour) and then shut it off, it won't start. It turns over fine but doesn't want to fire. I have to give it a boost of starting fluid while turning it over in order to get it to fire up. Once it does start, it seems kind of sluggish for a few seconds, then the rpms start building up. When I start it cold, the rpms don't seem sluggish at all when it starts.

I had the injector pump and fuel lift pump rebuilt about a year ago. There is no water in the system. The fuel and air filter are clean. The tractor is about 35 years old, with all the original parts.

 

[6thgpSF]

not sure about your problem but I sure would'nt use starting fluid in a diesel.I'm sure someone can give you some pointers. russ

 

[AKKAMAAN]

Deere 830, it's a 3 cylinder, 35 horsepower. It's starts right up when it's cold. If I run it for continuously for awhile (10 minutes to over 1 hour) and then shut it off, it won't start. It turns over fine but doesn't want to fire. I have to give it a boost of starting fluid while turning it over in order to get it to fire up. Once it does start, it seems kind of sluggish for a few seconds, then the rpms start building up. When I start it cold, the rpms don't seem sluggish at all when it starts.

I had the injector pump and fuel lift pump rebuilt about a year ago. There is no water in the system. The fuel and air filter are clean. The tractor is about 35 years old, with all the original parts.

Check so the ALL the fuel lines are isolated from hot engine block/parts....if fuel line get to hot, diesel can turn into gas form, and pump can not get fuel thru the injectors....have to cool down back to liquid form first.....As long as engine is running, cooler fuel is provided from tank...

About starting liquid, (ether), do not use it on ANY engine....what happens is that the ether get sucked into cylinder and will ignite before diesel injects, that will burn off the lubricating oil film on the cylinder wall and cylinder will wear very fast....and after a short time your engine is "addicted" to ether all the time....wont start with out it.....:laughing:

 

[Egon]

compression check?

 

[AKKAMAAN]

compression check?

If he used a lot of ether....yes....
But the symptoms, do not match for low compression.....at low compression, start problems appears when engine is cold....

I am pretty sure gas bubbles in the hot fuel lines is whats the problem here...I have been there my self a few times....

 

[RickB]

If he used a lot of ether....yes....
But the symptoms, do not match for low compression.....at low compression, start problems appears when engine is cold....

I am pretty sure gas bubbles in the hot fuel lines is whats the problem here...I have been there my self a few times....

I have never heard of a 300 series Deere engine running hot enough to vaporize diesel fuel in the lines. The nominal boiling point for #2 diesel fuel is around 300 degrees F. I think that theory is a stretch; not to say that it COULDN"T happen. My money is on a worn injection pump head & rotor. And yes, I did read where the pump was rebuilt a year ago. I doubt the head & rotor were replaced, and checking the invoice would be my first step.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day i would check your valve clearances you may be a bit tight and dropping enough compression to start. I am going to get shot down here but ether when used correctly is a wonderful tool in 25 years of fixing this stuff i have never found a failure that i can contribute to the use of ether, your engine does not get "addicted" to it, if it was so bad then why did most of the american manufacturers fit it as standard to alot of there equip:confused2: the only reason they stopped fitting it was better inj procedures that made cold starting easier and the use of reliable timed glow plugs. As i said used correctly it is a wonderful tool and i don't know of any workshop that doesn't have a can handy :thumbsup:. Any way enough of my ranting i hope you find the cause of your problem


Jon

 

[RickB]

G'day i would check your valve clearances you may be a bit tight and dropping enough compression to start. I am going to get shot down here but ether when used correctly is a wonderful tool in 25 years of fixing this stuff i have never found a failure that i can contribute to the use of ether, your engine does not get "addicted" to it, if it was so bad then why did most of the american manufacturers fit it as standard to alot of there equip:confused2: the only reason they stopped fitting it was better inj procedures that made cold starting easier and the use of reliable timed glow plugs. As i said used correctly it is a wonderful tool and i don't know of any workshop that doesn't have a can handy :thumbsup:. Any way enough of my ranting i hope you find the cause of your problem


Jon

I agree, but also believe that folks that don't know how to use ether are better off thinking that it should be avoided. Most compact tractors have automatic glowplug systems, and working glowplugs and ether are a potentially disastrous combination.

 

[banjodunn]

Totally agree with you Rick and it was my bad to not mention the combination of ether and glow plugs i bow my head in shame:ashamed:


Jon

 

[paulinkansas]

When the tractor left the factory, it had a port for giving it a shot of starting fluid directly to the cylinders. It doesn't have glow plugs either.

I also really doubt the fuel lines are getting hot, they are not near hot parts of the engine. Furthermore, this issue of non-starting can happen after only running the engine for 5~10 minutes from a cold start.

I'll look into a compression check (how do you do that on a diesel?) and the valve clearance.