When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was
wondering if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the injectors
and lit them if it would warm up the injectors enough to vaporize the
fuel better. Anybody ever try it?

I'm Ted Bell!

Ted Bell wrote:
When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was
wondering if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the
injectors and lit them if it would warm up the injectors enough to
vaporize the fuel better. Anybody ever try it?

I'm Ted Bell!

Perhaps a hot air gun would be safer! If you are on a mooring of course you
have fewer options,

Dennis.

"Dennis Pogson" wrote:

Ted Bell wrote:
When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was
wondering if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the
injectors and lit them if it would warm up the injectors enough to
vaporize the fuel better. Anybody ever try it?

I'm Ted Bell!

Perhaps a hot air gun would be safer! If you are on a mooring of course you
have fewer options,

We use block heaters for our diesel cars. I've also heard of just
using a light bulb under the hood. It depends on what "very cold"
means to you. Maybe a solar panel connected to the engine block
would do it.

The truckers do something similar with their engines - I think they
use ether or something.

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

"Dennis Pogson" wrote:

Ted Bell wrote:
When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was
wondering if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the
injectors and lit them if it would warm up the injectors enough to
vaporize the fuel better. Anybody ever try it?

I'm Ted Bell!

Perhaps a hot air gun would be safer! If you are on a mooring of course you
have fewer options,

We use block heaters for our diesel cars. I've also heard of just
using a light bulb under the hood. It depends on what "very cold"
means to you. Maybe a solar panel connected to the engine block
would do it.

The truckers do something similar with their engines - I think they
use ether or something.

Starting Fluid (Ether) can be very BAD for diesel engines. It is NOT
recommended for any diesel that has GlowPlugs, or Intake Manifold
Heaters. Diesel Engines only need two things to run. FUEL, and Hot
AIR. Hot Air is the easiest to come by. Politicos like diesels, as
they ALWAYS have a lot of Hot AIR available....... Now back to the
topic at hand. A little Propane Torch will emit plenty of HOT AIR,
into ANY diesel engines Intake Manifold, to give you an easy start,
clear down to -30F. Just remember, to remove the Air Filter, BEFORE
you light the torch, as they tend to catch fire and burn up.
Momma's Hair Dryer also works well for providing Hot AIR, to start
cold diesels. Ever wonder why most LongHaul Truckers have Propane
Torches and Hair Dryers in the Toolkits? 10,000 Truckers can't all be
wrong.


Bruce in alaska generates all my own power, via Diesel Gensets
--
add a 2 before @

"Ted Bell" wrote in message
...
When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was wondering
if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the injectors and lit them
if it would warm up the injectors enough to vaporize the fuel better.
Anybody ever try it?

No but I have warmed a reluctant deisel with a blow lamp before now, heat
inlet manifold and then crank. Another tip is to cover, if you can, the
inlet port which can make the engine spin a lot faster, remove the blockage
and inertia helps to start it.


--
Chris, West Cork, Ireland.

In article , Cerumen
wrote:

"Ted Bell" wrote in message
...
When it's very cold I have a hard time cranking my diesel. I was wondering
if I put Tilley wicks saturated in meths around the injectors and lit them
if it would warm up the injectors enough to vaporize the fuel better.
Anybody ever try it?

No but I have warmed a reluctant deisel with a blow lamp before now, heat
inlet manifold and then crank. Another tip is to cover, if you can, the
inlet port which can make the engine spin a lot faster, remove the blockage
and inertia helps to start it.

Usually easier and less likely to cause problems - pull the 'Engine Stop'
decompressor for a second while the engine builds speed/inertia then
release. This sometimes gets you going if the batteries are a bit low. A
cautious squirt of ether can help too but mustn't be overdone.

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/

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!

Big, giant diesels that weigh tons can withstand the occasional blast of
ether exploding BEFORE the piston reaches TDC, which tries to push the
piston down in the direction it was coming from. Little light diesels,
like the one in your sailboat CANNOT. Premature explosions from ether or
"starting fluid" from auto stores in a spray can WILL, not may, detonate
on the compression stroke. You'll hear a loud knock, if you get away
with it. You'll hear a loud bang if it blows the head gasket or blows
the head off or breaks the little aluminum piston.

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
THEM START! Diesel fuel explodes because it is finely sprayed into
superheated compressed AIR caused by the heat of compression....22:1 or
more compression. (Remember how hot the bicycle pump cylinder got
pumping up the tire?)

The heat gun is a great idea if you have a power source to run it from.
Let's avoid lighting fires in the engine compartment fumes of fuel and
battery hydrogen to crank them, ok? Thanks!

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
corrections that cost $$$$. Gas engines will run with worn rings, poorly
closing valves, leaky head gaskets.....diesels will NOT....

Larry
--

We tried to tell you to change the oil every 100 hours or THREE
MONTHS....(sigh)

"Larry" wrote in message
...
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!

Big, giant diesels that weigh tons can withstand the occasional blast of
ether exploding BEFORE the piston reaches TDC, which tries to push the
piston down in the direction it was coming from. Little light diesels,
like the one in your sailboat CANNOT. Premature explosions from ether or
"starting fluid" from auto stores in a spray can WILL, not may, detonate
on the compression stroke. You'll hear a loud knock, if you get away
with it. You'll hear a loud bang if it blows the head gasket or blows
the head off or breaks the little aluminum piston.

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
THEM START! Diesel fuel explodes because it is finely sprayed into
superheated compressed AIR caused by the heat of compression....22:1 or
more compression. (Remember how hot the bicycle pump cylinder got
pumping up the tire?)

The heat gun is a great idea if you have a power source to run it from.
Let's avoid lighting fires in the engine compartment fumes of fuel and
battery hydrogen to crank them, ok? Thanks!

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
corrections that cost $$$$. Gas engines will run with worn rings, poorly
closing valves, leaky head gaskets.....diesels will NOT....

Larry
--

We tried to tell you to change the oil every 100 hours or THREE
MONTHS....(sigh)

Another possibility is that the oil is too heavy for cold weather. Don't
know how well multi-viscosity oils work in diesels, but maybe changing to a
lighter weight would help. And removing 20 years of built-up sludge... ;-)

While possibly not recommended, a friend with a diesel Mercedes of ancient
vintage once had me spray WD-40 into his engine intake while he cranked the
motor. Being essentially kerosene, this would be much safer than ether, I
think.

"KLC Lewis" wrote in
:

While possibly not recommended, a friend with a diesel Mercedes of
ancient vintage once had me spray WD-40 into his engine intake while
he cranked the motor. Being essentially kerosene, this would be much
safer than ether, I think.



WD40 USED to be flammable...I don't think that's true, now.

I use 15W-40 Rotella T in my cars/truck and the boats. Of course, it
doesn't get that cold here. Ask Bruce in Alaska what they use up there,
where the REAL test weather conditions occur...(shudder)

Mercedes specifically forbids spraying ANY kind of starting fluid into the
gullet of their diesel engines, which is just suicide waiting to happen.
Your friend needed to get his GLOW PLUGS FIXED....

Larry
--
Have a little fun in the checkout line....
Ask the nearest American, "Did you see the ICE
agents chasing those Mexicans out the back door?"
....Shortens that checkout line right up...(c;

In article , KLC Lewis
wrote:

While possibly not recommended, a friend with a diesel Mercedes of ancient
vintage once had me spray WD-40 into his engine intake while he cranked the
motor. Being essentially kerosene, this would be much safer than ether, I
think.

It was probably the propellant that did the trick.

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/