Cold diesel? No glow plugs? No ether? No problem!

[@NortheastWa]

I just purchased a older diesel tractor. I'm glad somebody wrote directions on how to start it under the hood. It said if it doesn't start use ether "no thanks" I enjoyed your video. Thank you

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Ether is a good option but it is advised to disable the glow plugs or intake heater (disconnect the wire or install a properly rated switch on the wire feeding them and turn it off) if it is equipped with those or a similar element in the intake path. Keep in mind glow plugs and heating elements can and usually are active when the starting motor is activated so skipping over the key position for preheat does not typically avoid this problem. Minimize the amount of ether use and it can be safely applied. Experiment with spray durations in 1/4 second intervals until you get a feel for how much is required to start the engine. These small diesels should not require more than one 1/4 second interval spray. If you need more to get it to fire there is likely another issue preventing if from starting. Thanks for watching :)

[@Duamerthrax]

@@Ilikeurtractor Another option for safer ether use is to spray it in after the starter starts turning the engine over rather then letting it sit in the air box.

[@dieselbossbrandon]

You are very knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing this!

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for the positive comments. It's great to be able to share information via KZbin and other means. Experiences and education are vital to help others accomplish their goals and hopefully improve lifestyles for all. I'm happy to have the opportunities to do so and hope to continue.

[@johnstewart7022]

You can accomplish the same thing with a propane torch. Just play the flame into the intake while cranking and it'll bang right off. This technique also works on the 2- 3- and 4- cylinder Yanmar, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Perkins diesels.

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Any heat is better than no heat for sure. Others have stated to use a torch directly on the injector. All effective methods but I have not tested all of them. Ether seems to be the most convenient but over-dosing can be an issue. I tried starting one of these smaller diesels on a cold day and got a little crazy with ether (two-three seconds of spray in the intake.) Thankfully it didn't over rev but it was revving high and the speed control lever did nothing while the ether was being consumed. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@starpuss]

pre heat cylinder / head with small propane torch for 5min , Almost all little air cooled diesels start in -40 with that much time.

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Another good option!

[@dieselgeezer18]

hey its starPuss!

[@FrancisoDoncona]

Exactly, this method is too cumbersome, parts to loose, special adapter, needing reassembly. Just a small propane torch to the air cooling wings of the cylinder done.

[@Bigdaddy-Donkyking]

When I didn't see a heat gun I knew what was about to happen

[@copperhead2534]

DUDE!, I was a hevy mechanic in Fairbanks Alaska and simply lighy soaked a rag in GASOLINE, stretched it over the diesel intake and crank, "she will bang right off". When the rag is dry and she dies just do it again until she stays running. Gasoline VAPOR ignites much more easy than Gasoline under compression. It is much better than Phenyl Ether as I see it, the engine never locks up with excess use. It is also my "go to" to reprime air locked diesel fuel systems. Just sayin...

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences and adding to the knowledge base!

[@sgtbrown4273]

we do this in Antarctica all the time lol 😁

[@Tommysmess]

Wow that worked really good! When I purchase one of these I'll defnitly rember this trick

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching! I'd recommend keeping an eye on the availability of these on eBay. They tend to sell out between shipments and hard telling how much longer they'll be available as we move into the "all electric" stage of evolution. Have fun with it when you get one!

[@Tommysmess]

@@Ilikeurtractor I plan on putting together a minibike with the engine but the deal for the frame fell through. I'm keeping an eye for a frame, I have seen these, on amazon

[@soulmedicine]

You can use a your old ladys electric hair dryer to .👍🏻

[@ashercinemayt]

awesome sauce!

[@RinkyRoo2021]

thats a good trick thanks for posting it

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisdekock8864]

I thought he was going to start the yellow earthmover machine

[@stefanwosinsky1935]

my dexta has an intake heater which doesn't help at all. until i get to overhaul the engine i guess the only option is to keep cranking til she does start. i won't use ether/brake cleaner.

[@brookesmilbourn3188]

Similar concept to the perkins diesel thermostart system

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching and yes very similar.

[@jasperdomacena6491]

I once did this on an Old Diesel Chevy LUV... glow plugs are all buggered up and it certainly cannot start on a winter morning even if you begged on your knees so I removed the air filter, placed a flaming piece of cloth near the intake and it starts up just fine the environmentalists are screaming at your face but hey it works

[@AJ-qn6gd]

How about using methylated spirit, a bit like starting a kerosene lamp.

[@hycron1234]

Interesting, didn't know about this method.

[@ats-3693]

Sitting here watching this in Australia where it is currently 39.5C or 103.1F 😐

[@wholegrain27]

So you need to fry eggs on the manifold to cool it down before starting🤣 Send that heat north to Canada. Take care there.

[@ats-3693]

@@wholegrain27 😊 I work remotely from home here in Australia for a Canadian company based in Toronto, I have to admit it's a bit strange speaking to the folks in the office knowing that it's -10deg there while here I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt and it's 35deg plus outside 🤣

[@wholegrain27]

@@ats-3693 its -23°C (-9°F) here now. At least we don't have the c camps here yet. The want-to-be c🤬mmunist dictator we have 'leading' what's left of our nation wants them though.

[@ats-3693]

@@wholegrain27 Right now it's a pleasant 27c outside here. And yes it's a strange time to be alive that's for sure, I don't get too caught up in it myself, I don't consider any country to be home or consider myself any particular nationality I wander around a fair bit, I don't care what Australia does I don't plan to be here forever, I spend a lot of my time working from Bali, that's where I will probably go to again soon. Take care up there ✌️

[@allynonderdonk7577]

If I'm near power I run an extension cord over with a cube heater and a blanket.. Let it run for an hour and whaaaam bam thank you maaaam

[@inoahmann7542]

I wonder if the heat or the gasoline fumes helped more. Diesel definitely likes heat but gas fumes will act like ether.

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Good question. Probably worth exploring more somehow. In this case there should be very few, if any unburned gasoline fumes available since it's being burned in the air filter housing prior to reaching the inside of the cylinder. I'm learning combustion is a little more complicated than the fire triangle + chain reaction. Available ignition energy also plays into the equation. Understanding that and what is going on inside the combustion chamber on cold startup appears to be somewhat challenging without having the proper tools to collect data.

[@Wingnut353]

We often started our Ford 4000 with a oily gas rag... its a real shame you can't get the Fords or Farmtracs anymore. The new tractors have too much overpriced newfangled plastic. Also another pointer is electrical contact cleaner is often heptane.... which you guessed it is starting fluid minus some lubricants but it works fine in a pinch.

[@JoshKilen]

very nice job.

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching and supporting!

[@alternatemusicaddict5226]

Reminds me of a hot bulb engine

[@BuildBreakFix]

Seems like alot of drama lol. Propane torch with heating tip does everything he did but in 5 seconds lol

[@lawnmowerdude]

I think the idea was if you don’t have a torch.

[@axkoula7851]

A soaked rag on a stick would have the same results, I can't see why go through all that fuss.

[@BuildBreakFix]

@@axkoula7851 Exactly lol! Dumped a bucket hot water on cold diesels even to start them. this was a showboat video lol!

[@Defundemorats]

Yeah that was a long time coming, about every diesel engine in India is started that way

[@arnoldhurd1097]

I use a similar method with no gasoline, too dangerous. Heat the steel part inside the air cleaner with a propane torch, hot enough to make diesel smoke when sprayed with diesel fuel. No flame. Crank the engine when spraying the hot steel part of the intake. Any flames will eat up oxygen the engine needs to run. Heat and smoke are all you need.

[@1teddy1979]

Is that a waldon loader? I have 2 of those

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Yes. Waldon 5000. Probably late 70's but could be earlier. Someone stuck a Toyota diesel from a compact truck into it.

[@1teddy1979]

@@Ilikeurtractor oh ok interesting the 2 I have are 4 cylinder ford diesels. I know there was a gas option engine and maybe others as well

[@alexboucher4938]

What is the name/kind of diesel engine is that and where did you get that?

[@Ilikeurtractor]

They usually go under "168f diesel" or "3hp diesel" on eBay. Amazon offers a similar one with a similar title. The search for "air cooled diesel" may also return these if available. As of the past few months, they seem to come in waves of availability about every month or so and seem to sell out within a week or two. I have no idea about the details of the imports/limitations/future availability, etc. I would suggest if you have any interest in one to get one as soon as you have the opportunity and not conclude they will be available for years to come although I hope that will be the case. I am not a seller of these or affiliated with any entity which does.

[@Jairusbroyles]

How well did the engine hold up thinking about buying one

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching. So far no issues but I don’t run them often as they are used in applications that may not see a lot of use which is why I wanted a diesel in place (less long-term fuel storage issues). The prices seem to keep coming down on these. I would highly recommend getting one as I believe they are a great value.

[@Jairusbroyles]

@@Ilikeurtractor Thankyou and I might be getting one

[@kenh9508]

I thought you were just gonna put some gasoline on a rag and let the engine suck in the vapors. Works like starting fluid.

[@NinjasOfOrca]

What about winter diesel? Will kerosene act any better in the cylinder?

[@Ilikeurtractor]

It appears kerosene and diesel have very similar flashpoints and auto ignition temperatures so if it would make any difference it is likely to be insignificant. Kerosene, “jet” fuel, and “winter” fuel have lower temperature gel points which is why they are desirable in instances where regular #2 would be gelled.

[@NinjasOfOrca]

@@Ilikeurtractor that makes sense. I guess it’s why we still use glow plugs even with winter diesel ha ha

[@timwright7938]

Are you still using this diesel engine now ? And how has it held up over the years

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching and I only have two of these in service. One on a winch and the other on a kinetic log splitter which I have done other videos on and both have been reliable as far as starting and running after sitting a long time - usually they start on the first pull if it's not below 30°'F. The winch does not accumulate many hours due to the nature of the service and how often it actually gets used. The log splitter might be up to 10-15 hours now. Again, not much but I believe the run time on these should rival most other engines of similar size.

[@timwright7938]

I’m really thinking about putting one of these motors on a mud motor kit ! I think it would be kinda bad ass may not be very fast but it would definitely push my little jon boat I would think

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Applications abound! They are ideal in services where they don't see much regular usage. The other attraction is they can use alternative fuels if a person is into that. Power to weight ratio is not so great. RPM from factory is around 3000 rpm in my experience so that can cause issues too for applications requiring higher shaft speeds. Potential hard starting issues in cold weather. If you can live with those shortcomings or prefer them over problems associated with carbureted gas engines then certainly they would be the preferred choice.

[@flashesbuck]

Is that an hour meter on that engine? How did you get an hour meter on there with no spark wire?

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Thanks for watching. It is a vibration activated hour meter so no wires.

[@Ilikeurtractor]

Also, since it is vibration activated it will accumulate hours in transit so I’d recommend buying one with a switch.

[@jasonmartin9393]

I wouldnt spray starting fluid in it for the world

[@Wingnut353]

No reason not to in this particular engine... the worst you'd do to a bigger diesel is damage the glow plugs which this doesn't have any due to having extremely high compression even for a diesel.

[@beyondupnorth]

Either is fine if used correctly for moderate cold starts like this. Propane torch or hair dryer on that air cooled cylinder would get it done.

[@specjalista88]

hurry up geez

[@alanlake5220]

what a wate of 7 minutes of my time

[@dubdzine]

get to the point quicker, jesus

[@psd28]

I expected a big diesel engine… not this junk waste of time

[@ats-3693]

Great comment thanks 👍

[@dieselbossbrandon]

A diesel engine is a diesel engine.