Thats what they had to do to get the tanks running during the Russian winters...if they had to shut them down that is. The Panther was hand cranked which I'm sure was a royal PITA at -50 degree's with a T34 rolling towards you! Two poor SOB's had to stand at the back and crank away for all they were worth.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Kubota is likely IDI.

If they have glowplugs, use them when the engine is cold. An intake air heater is not a good substitute, it wastes energy heating all the air when only the air in the prechamber needs to be heated and it will take longer to start.

don't worry about it, when you see the tractor, you will see the Glow Plugs if they are there. we have faith in you, with all the projects and subjects you have brought up over the years here...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

My Kubota has glow plugs. There is also an indicator in the dash. They are activated by turning the key part way towards start.

My Dad's old Massey Fergeson diesel does not have glow plugs, but that is a different story.

You may want to check the fuel filter.

Good luck.
wbuhrman

This thing has a single banger with no glow plug nor anything other than a compression relief. You crank it hard and drop the hammer on her and she starts on pure compression....

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1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com

I may be wrong but the reason why bigger diesels dont need gp's is becuase the cylinder size if much bigger. The proportion of air not in contact with the cylinder wall is greater. When it cranks, the air heats up and doesnt cool down as fast resulting in ignition

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1981 300SD 512k OM603

Equipment diesels are a different world in some respects from our automotive familiarities. They have different injection systems that make vehicles quieter for the road, and starting systems vary greatly.

My late 70's JD400 with a Perkins 4 cyl engine has no glows or heaters. It does have some sort of screw on dash fitting that goes to a line that went directly to the intake manifold, which has long been disconnected, I can only assume it was probably a propane injection setup of sorts. She fires right off and runs great, unless its snowy or cold enough to snow, then you have to wait until the sun's been on the block for an hour or two.

When the rock hauler's were out here buying rock, I was able to borrow his International dozer, it used to have glows, long dead, he was cheap. He used ether on it regularly, and it had become the only way to start it. Of course, it was well beyond worn out and back....I almost blew it up once, sprayed a bit too much in it when I had forgotten to engage the kill knob, once it fired up.....I thought there was going to be schrapnel flying....needless to say it was the last time I used his dozer, can't afford to replace that.....

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

I'm pretty sure that's the ether injection I was talking about. John Deere put it on several tractors as a last resort, since they almost never need help starting anyway. As in, that one day a year when it wont' start and the cows have to get fed no matter what. I think some cans of starting fluid will adapt to that thing and let you put a quick shot through to the intake. At least at the time they did. Something like that, anyway.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Ether injection...ewwwww. I don't know why it was disconnected, but I guess I'll just leave it off, we all know what ether does to a diesel. I'd rather try propane.

Last winter there was a day I really wanted it to start, it had snowed. I got to trying everything I could think of, turned my propane torch on unlit and stuck it in the airbox, heated the intake with the torch, pointed my heatgun down the air intake on high, heated the IP with the heat gun, I fought it for an hour or so and gave up. I wasn't desperate enough to risk it with a shot of canned ether. After the sun hit it for an hour or so it fired right off.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

I have hand cranked to start a 10kW Lister Generator (Direct drive) at -10C. No batteries, no aides. Just compression. It just about killed me, but I did it. There are probably a few others who have done the same. I always considered Listers were the masters of cold start.

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Retired Marine Engineer
2005 E320 CDI
1987 300 Turbo Diesel @ 300,000 kM going
1974 240 D 300,K Miles when given away gone
1970 200 D gone
1969 190 D gone

I have a Kubota B6100 hydro, with about 2500hrs on it, and there is NO way it would start w/o glowing when cold, though the compression release thing also works. It is so cold blooded that if i don't restart within a hour, it'll need re-glowing to start. It's been like this since I bought it, and other ones I've tried are like this too.

Even the Kubota 4hp diesel likes glow when cold, but doesn't need glow as often and the tractor.


As far as the ether injector for tractors goes, any that I've looked at (just a few) all give a pre-measured amount of ether for each try, not simply hold the nozzle down on the can for whatever time the operator activates the injector. I have one of these one my truck, to ensure it's tired butt will light up when I need it too.

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1991 GMC Sonoma Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted March Mar 2003) - sold
1994 S10 Ext Cab w/Isuzu diesel (converted Mar 2008)
1998 Toyota Sienna XLE
B6100HST Kubota CUT DIESEL

1994 S10 with Isuzu diesel and 5spd
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...S15/SigPic.jpg