Starting fluid in a Diesel

[CrustyJeep]

Everybody says it's bad bad bad, don't do it! I've done it in the past; when the glow pluggies no worky and the mornings get cold, it's a requirement.

Is it THAT bad? What's the dillio?

 

[NotMatt]

I've heard mixed opinions on this...

Honestly, on modern diesels it shouldn't ever be needed... but I've heard lots of guys on dieseltruckresource.com (a forum full of CTD owners that you should check out) talk about using it on old/worn out oil burners that take a few revolutions to build up some combustion chamber heat... sometimes that's the only way to get them going. Obviously, this would be in SMALL sparing amounts, as starting fluid is a much more combustible than diesel.

On your rig, I don't think you'll ever have this issue. Mine starts just fine at cold temperatures even if I don't let the grid heaters cycle... just turn the key and fire it up, it runs a little rough at first and then evens out.

Of course, this is assuming the only problem is that the thing is really cold and there's no other way to get it to fire off... if someone did something stupid like run a Duramax out of fuel and suck air into the fuel system, then they were to say, fill the tank up and try to start the rig with starting fluid... well then that's not such a good idea (I'm sure crash will chime in on THAT one... )

I miss my CTD already.

 

[CrustyJeep]

if someone did something stupid like run a Duramax out of fuel and suck air into the fuel system, then they were to say, fill the tank up and try to start the rig with starting fluid... well then that's not such a good idea

Definitely not the scenario I was asking about :eek2: :lol:

 

[Not Jobless]

When the tractor is cold I have to use starting fluid as I didn't connect the glow plugs :redneck:

 

[ROOKIE]

my parents had a old ford deisel and the only way to start it in the mornings was about half a can of starting fluid.but that thing would not die.

 

[cisco]

I tried starting fluid on a cold morning and it didn't help. If you know the witch's tity is coming for you just plug the block heater in.

 

[jeepermc]

Starting fluid in diesels with the glow plugs still connected is a bad idea....The glow plug circuit can ignite the starting fluid in the intake. If you absolutely have to use it, disable the glow plugs and use it sparingly. Good idea to have someone else outside spray it after you hit the key and are cranking it over.

Starting fluid on modern diesels in particular and all in general is just a bad idea. Bad detonation on start up too...........

 

[JOOP]

In the military we would use it every morning for the 5 tons. Pretty much had to when out at Yakima. The diesel fuel would turn to jelly at night. But we never had any problems using it.

Hell sometimes we would douche a rag with Eather (sp?), hold it over the intake and start the vehicle. Worked everytime. :redneck:

 

[Tankota]

WD40 soaked rag over the intake works also. Seen it work on a friends 1990 nonturbo ford 7.3...and on his 1980 6.9?liter

 

[darius]

People say it's bad, but how many people have seen something bad happen because of it? I've done it a bazillion times. one more I learned from a real old timer is the wrapping a gas soaked rag around the air cleaner. It'll fire right up immediately.

 

[Fullywrecked]

I'd do the WD40 or gas on a rag.

Ether will knock the rings out f a cummins if used regularly. Most of them never need it but If you in a pinch and its worth it to you go ahead!:beer:

 

[TigTorch]

Ether (starting fluid) is OK in some diesels others it's not. It depends on the design of the engine. The combustion chamber of your engine can be one of two designs: Direct Injection or Precombustion chamber.

A Pre-cup engine has a small seperate chamber in the head that the injector fires through and also holds the glow plugs. These chambers can have a thin stamped metal shell or thin casting seperating it from the main combustion chamber. The idea is that the combustion starts in the Pre-cup and that ignites the remaining fuel/air in the cylinder. You see these used on smaller engines: (cars, trucks, small tractors). Ether should not be used on a Pre-cup engine as you can create too much combustion pressure in the small chamber and actually blow-up or blow-out the Pre-cup walls.

Direct injection motors have no Pre-cups and have no glow plugs. Ether is required to start these on really cold mornings. Often there is a factory installed on-board ether injection system operated by a push button on the instrument panel. These are the big diesels; crawlers, excavators, Kenworth trucks, ect.

Glow-plugs mean don't use Ether (unless your REALLY-REALLY careful).

If you diesel car won't start on a cold morning, odds are you have one or more burn't out glowplugs. Check them for continuity. :awesomework:

 

[Glenn]

...Hell sometimes we would douche a rag with Eather (sp?), hold it over the intake and start the vehicle. Worked everytime. :redneck:

They use that on the commercial trucks. My brother had ether injection on the Freightliner he drove.

 

[Boomer]

They use that on the commercial trucks. My brother had ether injection on the Freightliner he drove.

The HEMTT 10 ton trucks I drove in the Army had an OEM ether injection system on the Detroit Diesel 8V92s.

 

[jeepermc]

People say it's bad, but how many people have seen something bad happen because of it? I've done it a bazillion times. one more I learned from a real old timer is the wrapping a gas soaked rag around the air cleaner. It'll fire right up immediately.

I've seen it melt an intake on a 7.3 when the glow plugs ignited the whole intake tract. And no it wasn't my truck, but I was standing there when it happened.

 

[t1h5ta3]

whats a glow plug...:corn:

glen you got a grid heater... dont use starting fluid... its bad enough rattling the ring lands outa the pistons.. but even worse having it ignight in the airhorn, tubes, intercooler etc...

even if your grid heater doesnt fire you shuldnt have a problem fireing your truck in eastern wa.... and if it hits the 3 cyl idle , you freek out for a sec.. it sounds wierd lol:awesomework: