On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 00:25:21 +0000 (UTC), Christopher Tidy
wrote:

RWL wrote:

The discussion about the ChangFa diesel & generator project got me
interested in the project too. I live in central PA, and the power is
as likely to go down in an ice storm in winter requiring a subfreezing
start.

How hard is it to get diesels started in cold weather?
What do you do differently to get them going?
How hard are diesels to start if they sit 3 or 4 months between short
test / maintenance runs?

In my experience diesel engines start much more easily in cold weather
(and after long idle periods) than traditional petrol engines which
employ a carburettor. Two days ago I started up a bakhoe loader which
hasn't run for 4 1/2 years. Needed a new battery but then it fired up
straight away. I didn't even have to drain the fuel tank. You'd be lucky
to do that with a simple petrol engine.

Chris

If you have no engine heater, and the glow-plugs are suspect, I've
found a quick and easy way to start a cold deisel. I just pop the air
intake off, light up the old Bernz-o-Matic propane torch and lay it in
the manifold for a few minutes. Minimal chance of fire, as the
manifold only carries air - and the heated manifold warms the initial
air charge sufficiently to start the engine. Worked good on the old
Perkins and Cummins tractor engines.

Another novel solution , which my brother and I came up with for his
old LN9000 highway tractor (and then put on his Kenworth) was an RV
water heater plumbed into a heater line, with a surplus 24 volt
circulation pump. Running on 12 volts, it kept the coolant circulating
and didn't draw much power. Had a large heeter core with a couple of
computer fans under the bunk (60 inch sleeper). The heater had
electronic ignition, and we had 2 thermostats hooked up - one
measuring water temp, one sleeper air temp which he could switch
between. Instead of running the deisel all night when taking his rest
break, he just fired up the propane heater - and when he was home for
the weekend in the winter (his lane was 1/4 mile long, in the central
Ontario Snow Belt) he could shut the truck down, and leave it cold
untill about 4 hours before he needed to leave. A timer turned on the
heater, and he had an easy to start engine, warm cab, and no ice or
snow on the windsheild.