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Ether question

nicky 68a

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
1,159
Location
england
I had an old 155 hired in once one cold winter.It had the decompressor fitted to it,and I used to wrestle with it every morning.It was a good tractor,but clearly something wasn’t quite right,or it just didn’t like the cold.I can sympathise with that
Anyway,we used to fire some sort of exploding cartridge into a fitting on the air intake manifold,and this seemed to do the trick,but we’d then let it idle up for a good 20 minuits while we put the tools away and had a cup of tea.It would take that long to get all 6 pots firing.The smoke rings were a site to be seen
 

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,040
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
I had identical Cummins engines in a Case backhoe & Dresser bulldozer. Both need a bit to start if very cold. Neither has glow plugs. It's kind of a big deal to use the block heater in the dozer. Dozer has an injector system I DO NOT like. A squirt of the concentrated stuff goes on a second after the button is released. It's too much & the engine knocks as it starts.
I much prefer fogging aerosol over the air intake less than a second. It gets less concentrated that way. I like to imagine just enough to help the diesel ignite, not enough to ignite BTDC.
 

1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
Us still running/working the old Detroit two strokes are quite familiar with the stuff. I have ether injectors on most of them and I always get the engine spinning, touch the button, or pull cable for about 1/2 second, and they fire off, (usually). These are plumbed to inject just above the blower rotors and well after the air cleaner assembly's. I use the "Zero Start" brand canisters as that is what my local supplier vendors. Never have had a problem. Very seldom do I need to ether any of my Mack four stroke engines, but they do reside inside the shop if being used much.
 

fast_st

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
1,468
Location
Mass
Occupation
IT systems admin
I'll be putting the Kats system back on the 644E after I'm done overhauling the engine, though with restored compression it might not be needed anymore, should be dandy as a backup on super cold days if we don't plug it in.
 

Mobiltech

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
1,680
Location
Sask.
Occupation
Self employed Heavy duty mechanic
When you are dealing with -40 and older machines it is odd not to see a can of ether in the cab at all times. One can will last a long time.
If you have limited cranking power I will often pull the air filters out and give it a sniff right inside the air intake. It picks it up a lot sooner and less is needed.
If I’m using ether then I don’t use the glow plugs.
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
I once did a little Mitsubishi in the woods with a dead glow plug system and cold, so I thought I would try the various things people have said over the years.

Gasoline = nothing
Brake clean = nothing
WD40 = nothing
Unlit propane = nothing
Lit propane = starts right up
Ether = starts right up

I also fail to see how ether could affect the cylinder bores one iota. By the time it makes it to the cylinder it is nothing but a wisp of a vapor anyway, no liquid at all the way I do it.
There is a trick to using gas take a breather pipe off soak a rag in gas that is big enuff to cover the opening like you were making a filter out of the rag hold it in place and crank it over. The gas wont last long so you may have to rewett it . It is alot more user friendly than ether. You can pour gas down the intac and it will not do any thing to make it start. Maybe you could clamp a rag over a intake pipe and spray it with gas from a spray bottle.
 

fast_st

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
1,468
Location
Mass
Occupation
IT systems admin
There is a trick to using gas take a breather pipe off soak a rag in gas that is big enuff to cover the opening like you were making a filter out of the rag hold it in place and crank it over. The gas wont last long so you may have to rewett it . It is alot more user friendly than ether. You can pour gas down the intac and it will do any thing to make it start. Maybe you could clamp a rag over a intake pipe and spray it with gas from a spray bottle.

Interesting, though gasoline has a high octane rating to resist compression ignition, I'd almost think dribble some gas in the intake and light it on fire, then crank the engine over. Sort of like the older Perkins with the flaming crucible of fuel preheat.
 

1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
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I have these at my shop to install if needed. 12VDC units that were given to me by the implement dealer I help out as they haven't sold one in years.
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
Ether is a fantastic tool if used wright. I am not trying to be funny but Diesel engines helped built this country and if you were ever around cold weather or old engines you know with out ether it would have been alot tougher.
 

chidog

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2021
Messages
771
Location
kent, wa
I guess there is only a hand full of us that can use ether with out messing an engine up. I had to deal with many old pony start Cats that would need it, especially on the freezing days.
 
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