Starting a diesel in freezing weather ?

[Brushwacker]

In a pinch, I used to use HEET in an aluminum pie plate under the oil pan to start a skidder on a real cold day. The HEET burns long enough to heat the engine and battery and helped cold starting a lot. It's also very cheap and portable...

Now the warnings - HEET, primarily alchohol, burns without visible flame in the daylight. It may not look lit but can burn badly. Secondly, you need to keep your equipment clean to use this method, our starting the skidder won't be your big problem.

Jim

Sounds similar to the method an old freind in NE WA used about 25 years ago when I spent a couple winters out there. He would use a coffee can full of I am pretty sure was motor oil with a cloth wick, under the oil pan to warm things up under his JD crawler. It took a while, but it gave us plenty of time to visit and drink coffee waiting for results.

 

[Goat]

Ether is for gas engines, not diesels. Using it is shooting yourself in the foot.

Diesel is a fuel with a high autoignition temperature about 210C, nominal. Ether on the other hand is a volitile fuel, it has an autoignition temperature of 160C. Aside from the other problems mentioned, introducing a fuel with a much lower autoignition temp into a diesel will effectively create detonation. It will ignite and start building cylinder pressure before the piston reaches TDC on the compression stroke exceeding the mean brake effective pressure of the cylinder. It will damage head gaskets, bearings, valves and turbos.

Use WD40 it's properties are very close to diesel.

A few gents mentioned synthetic oil, yes! It makes noticable difference in cranking speeds which is what you want. A fast enough cranking speed that generates heat faster then the cold coolant and block and conduct away.

Fix your fuel leaks...if you are leaking fuel chance are that you are also aspirating air into your injection pump.

 

[cabinman]

May have been posted, didnt read all,..There is a company out there, But you can do it all your self,..that makes a quick coupling system for the small heater core hoses, SO you pull up to the vehicle and plug in your truck to the (wanna start) vehicle,. All you are doing is swaping hot coolant with the cold stuff, pretty slick idea,. E,J,

 

[cabinman]

Either,

Ether is for gas engines, not diesels. Using it is shooting yourself in the foot.

Diesel is a fuel with a high autoignition temperature about 210C, nominal. Ether on the other hand is a volitile fuel, it has an autoignition temperature of 160C. Aside from the other problems mentioned, introducing a fuel with a much lower autoignition temp into a diesel will effectively create detonation. It will ignite and start building cylinder pressure before the piston reaches TDC on the compression stroke exceeding the mean brake effective pressure of the cylinder. It will damage head gaskets, bearings, valves and turbos.

Use WD40 it's properties are very close to diesel.

A few gents mentioned synthetic oil, yes! It makes noticable difference in cranking speeds which is what you want. A fast enough cranking speed that generates heat faster then the cold coolant and block and conduct away.

Fix your fuel leaks...if you are leaking fuel chance are that you are also aspirating air into your injection pump.

Goat,... Ive never heard anyone say that either waz for gas engines, and not for DIESELS,

 

[newby79]

If ether isn't for diesel engines then why does John deere tractors and combines have that little yellow "hot" button for starting on cold days? If used properly it will not hurt the engine. The key is used properly. I don't know if the other manufacters have something similar but it always worked on the deere's. Also maybe because we hit the button while you were cranking and not before had something to do with it. So the engine was not trying to run on straight ether. Also when it gets cold use an additive. I have used power supply for years in tractors and my trucks with great results. I have and 03 duramax and we have had nights at -20 and she'll fire right up, now granted the engine has alot of compression knock until it runs for a minute or two, but has never failed to start.

 

[gr8scott72]

May have been posted, didnt read all,..There is a company out there, But you can do it all your self,..that makes a quick coupling system for the small heater core hoses, SO you pull up to the vehicle and plug in your truck to the (wanna start) vehicle,. All you are doing is swaping hot coolant with the cold stuff, pretty slick idea,. E,J,

You're right, you didn't read. It was actually discused back and forth in this thread with the warning that mixing different coolant types from one vehicle to another could be harmful.

 

[cabinman]

coolants

You're right, you didn't read. It was actually discused back and forth in this thread with the warning that mixing different coolant types from one vehicle to another could be harmful.

I agree, there are some coolants that should not be mixed, E,J,

 

[John464]

If ether isn't for diesel engines then why does John deere tractors and combines have that little yellow "hot" button for starting on cold days? If used properly it will not hurt the engine. The key is used properly. I don't know if the other manufacters have something similar but it always worked on the deere's. Also maybe because we hit the button while you were cranking and not before had something to do with it. So the engine was not trying to run on straight ether.

that button is no ether injector, but a glow plug activation button and yes they are common on just about all deisel equipment. helps, but is not a solution to real cold weather. heater blocks(magentic) and electrical plug ins are what we use. Id only use ether or some sort of flammable if we had a power outage.

 

[newby79]

Well in response to john464 it is not a "glowplug activator" it is most certainly a ether injector. John Deere tractors do not even have glow plugs. I worked at a Deere dealership for 3 years after high school, although I am far from a diesel mechanic I did go through all of the trade-in combines and tractors. Changed oil and filter, air filter, basically looked them over and get them ready to sell, and repair anything that it may need. Under the hood of the tractor on the right hand side if you are sitting in the seat there will be a black aerosol looking can that is mounted in a cradle, this is the can of ether that is connected to the yellow button in the cab. Again I am not saying that all diesel equipment is like this just John Deere tractors and combines. There may be other manufacturers that have a "glow plug activator button" I don't know. But if you are going to have glow plugs in a engine wouldn't it make sense to have them working all of the time?

 

[John464]

You are right. John Deere has used this and may still use this. I am not familiar with Deere equipment. I do know that tree equipment such as Vermeer, Bandit, Morbark, ASV, and Bobcat use glow plugs or intake heater. Most modern industrial engines have gone to glow plugs or intake heater and do not recommend the use of ether. If the ether ignites at the wrong time by result of the glow plugs, stand back. Unless you are starting a Deere, the button is for a glow plu or intake heater and the use of ether could result in warranty void and or possible damage to your engine.

 

[ronnyb]

If you are not familar with John Deere equipment, then why did you submit a post where you were so definite that it was most certainly not an ether injector?:angry2:

 

[cabinman]

Glow plugs, and either

You are right. John Deere has used this and may still use this. I am not familiar with Deere equipment. I do know that tree equipment such as Vermeer, Bandit, Morbark, ASV, and Bobcat use glow plugs or intake heater. Most modern industrial engines have gone to glow plugs or intake heater and do not recommend the use of ether. If the ether ignites at the wrong time by result of the glow plugs, stand back. Unless you are starting a Deere, the button is for a glow plu or intake heater and the use of ether could result in warranty void and or possible damage to your engine.

Dont (ever) use either with glow plugs,.E,J,