ford 4500 tractor, not sure if my starter is up to par

[somanytractors]

My 4500 is really hard to start when its cold {not warmed up}. It's like 60 here and it is really hard to start unless its warmed up.
The intake heater is working but its still not enough.
The starter is turning the motor at about 200 rpms. I'm not sure how fast it should be turning but I'm really wondering if I should replace the starter.

Does anyone know how fast it should be spinning?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
John

 

[jaydee325]

Verify you have a good battery first. Fully charge it (greater than 12.6 rested volts) and then load test it.

 

[Agvg]

Well, does it smoke when you try to start it? Any blowby?

 

[somanytractors]

New battery and cables. Fully charged. I could probably crank on it for half an hour.

It does give off puffs of smoke, and it will slowly pick up speed and eventually start. I just have to keep cranking it.
Shouldn't be any blowby. The rings are new.
Should it start ok cold at 200 rpms? Just seems really slow to me but I'm no diesel expert.

 

[rangerfredbob]

My brother has a few Ford 4XXX tractors (3 4000's and a 4600) with the 201CI engine and all start easy with car batteries instead of the full size battery they are supposed to have, even near freezing. Are you giving the governor a little above idle? Starting at idle might not be enough. I'm not familiar with everything on all the models and the 7000, 8600 and 9000 he has don't start easy but on those they have a button at the pivot of the kill lever on the fuel pump, push the button and it gives extra fuel for starting, those 3 start right up with that button pressed, but are cranky or need a spritz of starting fluid if you don't hit the button...

 

[Agvg]

Checked timing?

 

[somanytractors]

I have not checked the timing and it's probably off.
When I got the tractor, the motor, starter, and injector pump pistons were froze up from sitting.
I tore the starter apart twice before it started working ok.
I got the pump working and put it back on about where it was but never really set it correctly.

I'll check it before I try to start it again. That could very well be the problem.

Thanks

 

[RickB]

Set the injection pump at zero at the pump mounting flange. Think about a new starter. Guys with the gear reduction starters really like them, I have no experience with them. A 4500 with good compression should roll over and start without any aid down to at least freezing. Thermostart should get you started down to near zero with some complaining.

 

[somanytractors]

I just looked at it. The pump is set at 2.
I'll try playing with the timing tomorrow, and probably a few days after that. Once it starts I cant do anything with it. It's only the first start in the morning that's a problem.
After that it starts right up every time.

I didn't know diesels went that slow. I just realized, I may need to turn down the idle speed too. It idles about 600-800. That's why I thought it should turn faster for starting.
It could be flooding if it's getting fuel for 800 rpms but turning 200

I think I'm going to tinker with it a bit more before replacing the starter.

Thanks everyone for your help.
I'll let you know how it plays out.

 

[RickB]

Diesels don't flood. Leave the low idle setting alone. Cranking speed does not translate in any way to idle speed and I would not trust your mechanical tach to be sufficiently accurate at the low end of the scale to be a useful indicator of cranking speed.
Having to go into that starter twice to make it work at all plus your comment about low cranking speed picking up after cranking for a while make me suspicious of your starter if you have a new battery and cables. What gauge cables are they? Time the pump first then go from there.