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JimSmith · #22 01-22-2004, 06:09 PM

I think before we take this too seriously ("dogma" just sounds way to serious) we should try to frame the argument so we can sort the answers into categories that make sense. Nature is not solely a black and white event, there are shades of gray and even colors. So don't expect the answers to questions to be black and white all the time.

First, a single molecule of ether that gets sucked into the engine is not going to cause it to blow up. You can do that over and over, all day long and it won't damage anything. Matter of fact, two won't either. So it is not ether itself that is bad for Diesel engines, it is more likely that ether in the hands of morons is bad for Diesel engines. Just like any other standard maintenance operation, if you do it wrong you can hurt yourself and ruin the engine, brakes, etc.

Lets be a little more broad minded about this issue and see where we would be if we applied the same logic to the rest of the stuff we commonly add to the engine. For example, we add stuff like gasoline and kerosene and other chemicals to the Diesel fuel (some pretty loosely defined stuff, by the way) to prevent it from becoming solid - is it ok to run the engine on these items instead of Diesel fuel? Could they destroy the engine? Yes, but do we ban them from the fuel tank because of that? No, we use some judgement knowing they are not Diesel fuel, follow the manufacturers instructions, or trust the kid at the station did.

I am not sure, but I think the energy content of Diesel fuel, being a liquid at room temperature and wanting to be a solid at below zero Fahrenheit (thus the additives needed) is probably greater than the same volume of ether, as a gas at these temperatures. So, I find it hard to comprehend how a small quantity of ether is going to destroy something as robust as an MB Diesel engine.

That said, and I believe you can safely pass a whif of ether across the air intake while cranking, I agree that if your Diesel does not start like the manufacturer intended, you should fix it. Who wants to lift the hood and have another person tagging along to help you get your car started all the time? And if it is really cold where you live or your battery dies all of the sudden, if you have a manual transmission unit you can "pop" start it as my daughter says. And you can do this by yourself if you think ahead a little and park aimed down a slope with enough room to just coast out of the spot. So, lets get a rant going on the use of automatic transmissions with Diesel engines. They even cause people to put ether in the intake upon occasion! So they have to be worse than ether alone!

I hope this helps. Jim