[Vwdiesel] Ford diesel hard starting

[Val Christian]

I've used ether in times of desperation.  It will get an engine going 
without glow plugs at 20F.  Impossible otherwise.  No experience with 
propane, except using it to heat the head and the oil pan.
Another useful cold weather extreme starting technique.

>From my perspective, the greatest risk with ether is that it will detonate
on the compression stroke, and with a high enough charge could cause
component structural damage.  If you will, the rapid burn risk.

Another risk is that of combustion byproducts, or rather non-combusted
by products, getting introduced into the crankcase.  One anecdotal 
account had the valve cover popped, and the oilpan deformed, so that
it leaked oil at the oilpan gasket.

The accounts of precombustion chamber damage, glow plug damage are 
conceptually possible.

I would certainly avoid ether in a TD, since the intake path is so
long.  

About the only thing I consider using ether on these days is small
two-stroke gasoline engines, when trying to get them online after
seasonal downtime.  And that's to the tune of a can of ether in 
a decade or so.  It leaks out of the can faster than I can use it.

Having said all of that, it seems that a soft grommet allowing the 
introduction of a torch tip, from an oxy-acetylene set would be a 
helpful cold weather mod.  Just turn on the O2 and the C2H2 for 10 
seconds prior to start.  Turn off after engine is running...

Val


ps: I can envision a new TV show.  Extreme car starting techniques.




> 
> 
> 
> 
> > Ether should be the last resort, and can shorten engine life significantly=
> .
> >=20
> 
> I know that's the standard answer but I'm curious as to actually why.=A0 I'v=
> e=20
> read that "in the early days" it was straight ether and tended to wash the=20
> cylinders and valve stems dry UNLESS it had top cylinder lubricant in it,=20
> which all or nearly all starting fluid does anymore.=A0 I just don't see how=
> =20
> it's=20
> more damaging than say propane would be.=A0 If you have a CLUE of what=20
> you're doing, you're only introducing a vapor and not flushing it with=20
> liquid.=A0=20
> The damage I can see is two things.=A0 Don't use it with hot glow plugs=20
> going and don't wash the cylinders down with liquid.=A0 Beyond that it=20
> seems a light burst to start it just isn't going to do any significant=20
> damage.=A0=20
> Can anybody cite information that I'm thinking the wrong direction here?=A0=20=
> :)
> =A0=A0=A0=A0 Loren
> _______________________________________________
> Vwdiesel mailing list
> Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
>