In article , Larry
wrote:
Derek Moody wrote in news:ant051635965BxcK@half-
baked-idea.co.uk:

A
cautious squirt of ether can help too but mustn't be overdone.


Not enough can be said for NOT squirting explosives into the intake of a
small, LIGHTLY MADE diesel engine. DON'T DO THIS! Notice it says not to
do this right in the manual!

We appear to be talking about engines big enough to require starter motors,
I agree that tiny one or two cylinder jobs wouldn't like it (I said a
cautious squirt and into a fast spinning engine but you snipped that bit.)
With a really small engine hand cranking to help the starter is a much
better idea.

Diesels run on the heat of compression. There are two ways of
artificially creating this SAFELY when they are cold.....preheat the
cylinders, preferably with glow plugs...or preheat the air, preferably
with an air pre-heater in the intake. HEATING THE FUEL DOES NOT MAKE

And if you have either fitted you don't need other heating...

The heat gun is a great idea if you have a power source to run it from.

As always there is a pay off between heated air (lower mass of air per
inspired volume) and heat of compression. The engine block in winter is a
massive lump of over-chilled heatsink, anything to get a little heat in
there will help.

The usual reason why they won't start is THE COMPRESSION IS TOO LOW or
THE ENGINE DOESN'T SPIN FAST ENOUGH....both of which, of course, require

If you have a small heater than it might be better used to warm your
batteries to make sure you're getting maximum starter speed.

Elsewhere in this thread are comments about winterising/waxing up of fuel.
While this is all true for diesels in general I doubt it makes any
noticeable difference to vessels afloat in British waters. The tank, engine
compartment, and fuel lines are almost always at least partially below the
water line and so rarely get much below harbour-water temperature which in
turn will usually be above zero even in sal****er.

I have never tried this but it occurs to me that a couple of kettles' full
of hot water poured slowly over the block (might as well add detergent and
break out a scrubbing brush) would transfer heat as well as anything.

Cheerio,

--
Fishing: http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/
Writing: http://www.author.casterbridge.net/derek-moody/
uk.rec.fishing.game Badge Page:
http://www.fishing.casterbridge.net/urfg/