Cold starting a diesel

[Tom Brown]

My LS125 has not been a particularly good starter. It always starts but I normally have to do quite a bit of cranking to get it to sputter to life. Once running, it's great. Last night, I left the loader outside. It was -15C. I just assumed it wouldn't start well, if at all. After being plugged in for 3 hours, I tried it and, much to my surprise, it fired right up. In fact, it started to fire the instant I started cranking and after about 5 seconds of cranking, it was running. It started *easier* than in warmer weather. What's up with these small diesels? What's the trick to getting them to start well?

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Tom
Even though its -15, being plugged in for 3 hours may have the engine warmer then when you tried to start it in the warmer fall weather.
Do you have glow plugs? are they ALL working? what weight oil are using in the motor and hydraulics. Both oils put a extra drag on the starting motor in cold weather. Are you going to be starting this when its -25 or -30, if so consider 0-40 engine oil. Some of these units that came from the south have had heavy oil put in at some point in their life.
Some diesels, unlike a gas engine require being plugged in even when its +10 or +5C to avoid alot of cranking. Our diesel 7.3l ford f350 was like this.
Some diesels start excelent in cold weather and some need alot of help. Usually a block heater and maybe some light winter oil.
Actually NH Steinbach told me to use 0-40 year round in my ls 160.
Ken

 

[sandhills-elect]

Tom
Even though its -15, being plugged in for 3 hours may have the engine warmer then when you tried to start it in the warmer fall weather.
Do you have glow plugs? are they ALL working? what weight oil are using in the motor and hydraulics. Both oils put a extra drag on the starting motor in cold weather. Are you going to be starting this when its -25 or -30, if so consider 0-40 engine oil. Some of these units that came from the south have had heavy oil put in at some point in their life.
Some diesels, unlike a gas engine require being plugged in even when its +10 or +5C to avoid alot of cranking. Our diesel 7.3l ford f350 was like this.
Some diesels start excelent in cold weather and some need alot of help. Usually a block heater and maybe some light winter oil.
Actually NH Steinbach told me to use 0-40 year round in my ls 160.
Ken

Do any of you heat your hydraulic with some kind of element. I was thinking about it but don't quit know what kind to get. I know it has to be for oil, i just was thinking about using one that goes in the oil pan plug. What do you guys think? Brent.

 

[Tazza]

Do any of you heat your hydraulic with some kind of element. I was thinking about it but don't quit know what kind to get. I know it has to be for oil, i just was thinking about using one that goes in the oil pan plug. What do you guys think? Brent.

You can't really warm the hydraulics as you need it to circulate a bit. My manual always said for cold weather its best to let it warm up before you start running the machine hard. It said it was a good idea to start it and engage the aus hydraulics so they dead end and cause the oil to go over the relief to warm the oul up faster.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

You can't really warm the hydraulics as you need it to circulate a bit. My manual always said for cold weather its best to let it warm up before you start running the machine hard. It said it was a good idea to start it and engage the aus hydraulics so they dead end and cause the oil to go over the relief to warm the oul up faster.

Our float truck has a 400 watt oil pan heater for @ 35 litres of oil. Some of the folks using Espar fuel fired equipment heaters have put a coolant coil in the hyd tank or run the exhaust from the heater up to the fuel tank. Some of these limber and feller buchers would have a barrel or more of oil. If you plan to startit cold often then thinner oil would be better. Sol long as the pumps are not skipping because they can't draw oil I always considered it ok to begin to work the functions with little or no load to begin to warm thngs up.
I try to keeps my machines inside if I'm using them but I have never had any trouble just starting them and letting the machine run at a low idle for 5 minutes b4 putting it to work as far as the hydraulics go. My 853 seemed to be the most sensitive and sometimes the warning light would come on at -20 c or colder. In a minute or so it would go out but would return if you increased the rpm. After a few minutes you could throttle it up partial and begin to use it slowly inceasing the rpm as it warmed over the first few minutes and keep the trans light off.
Ken

 

[sandhills-elect]

Our float truck has a 400 watt oil pan heater for @ 35 litres of oil. Some of the folks using Espar fuel fired equipment heaters have put a coolant coil in the hyd tank or run the exhaust from the heater up to the fuel tank. Some of these limber and feller buchers would have a barrel or more of oil. If you plan to startit cold often then thinner oil would be better. Sol long as the pumps are not skipping because they can't draw oil I always considered it ok to begin to work the functions with little or no load to begin to warm thngs up.
I try to keeps my machines inside if I'm using them but I have never had any trouble just starting them and letting the machine run at a low idle for 5 minutes b4 putting it to work as far as the hydraulics go. My 853 seemed to be the most sensitive and sometimes the warning light would come on at -20 c or colder. In a minute or so it would go out but would return if you increased the rpm. After a few minutes you could throttle it up partial and begin to use it slowly inceasing the rpm as it warmed over the first few minutes and keep the trans light off.
Ken

A guy down here order a Scat trak a few years back with a cold start kit and it had two batteries, block heater, and a hydraulic tank heater, but has been a while since i seen it. I was thinking of doing the same to my gehl. It is not a must but if i plug in the engine heater i thought i would heat the hydraulic oil too. It sets in but not a heated shop. Thanks for the input Brent.

 

[mllud]

A guy down here order a Scat trak a few years back with a cold start kit and it had two batteries, block heater, and a hydraulic tank heater, but has been a while since i seen it. I was thinking of doing the same to my gehl. It is not a must but if i plug in the engine heater i thought i would heat the hydraulic oil too. It sets in but not a heated shop. Thanks for the input Brent.

It would be nice to heat the hydraulic oil. Even if its only 50% of the total volume. it would speed up the warm up process. At about 5° F this morning I could tell the hydraulics were stiff. I took things slow for a while.
Cold metal puts wear and tear on machinery. The more you can do the better. My N/H has a plastic hydraulic tank. That would create a whole new set of problems were a heater is concerned. You would have to be careful not to melt it.
Mike

 

[mllud]

It would be nice to heat the hydraulic oil. Even if its only 50% of the total volume. it would speed up the warm up process. At about 5° F this morning I could tell the hydraulics were stiff. I took things slow for a while.
Cold metal puts wear and tear on machinery. The more you can do the better. My N/H has a plastic hydraulic tank. That would create a whole new set of problems were a heater is concerned. You would have to be careful not to melt it.
Mike

I said cold metal puts wear on machinery in the previous post. The oil not circulating is as worst on wear. Mike