[AT] Diesel Starting Safety Reminder

Cecil E Monson cmonson at hvc.rr.com
Tue Feb 24 04:12:48 PST 2004


	Any diesel engine will start when it turns over if it is
warm enough, has compression, and fuel. It is the principal that
makes all diesel engines run and on most of them, has nothing to
do with anything electrical. I, also, cannot imagine leaving a
diesel engine tractor in a position to start on it's own. The cost
of a fuel shut-off is so small in comparison to the danger of one
running off on it's own that it should not be a consideration. The
Allis Chalmers 160 we used to own had a fuel shut-off that stuck
out and always rusted in the rain. I still left it out but did
not like it either so I know what you mean.

	I try to be careful with my tractors too. And the trucks.
At least the trucks use an electrical solenoid to activate the
fuel supply and will not start unless the key is on. Even so, I
always make sure the transmission is in "Park" before I shut the
engine off.  Neither one of my trucks will start unless the
transmission is in "Park" so are not a problem.

	On my JD diesel crawler, I have a routine for shut-off. I
drop the blade and make sure it is all the way down, put the
transmission into neutral and swing the cast iron lock up and over
the shift lever that keeps it in neutral. Then I idle the engine
for a half minute or so, shut off the key switch and finally, pull
the throttle all the way back into the fuel cut-off position. Yes,
it runs just fine with the key in the "off" position as all the key
does is activate the charging circuits, the lights, and when held
all the way over, the starter.

	Just a note as to how easy it is to screw up when starting
a tractor, I took a little Allis Chalmers G tractor to a shop last
fall to be painted. It has always started just fine but when I got
it there, it refused to run. It would start and pop but not run.
I left it and the guy said he would take care of it. I came back the
next day and he told me he had it fixed and wanted to show me how
easy it starts and runs so I wouldn't worry about it. Before I could
say a word, he pulled the switch out and hit the starter. We were
both standing alongside by the rear wheels. It started when the
first cylinder came up and hit me with one rear wheel and him with
the other. Because the throttle was in idle position, it stalled.
In all the time I have owned this tractor, I have never started it
without shaking hands with the shift lever as on that transmission
it is very difficult to tell if it is in gear or not. If this had
been a full size farm tractor, it could have run over both of us.
If this can happen to someone like myself who was practically born
and raised on a tractor and has been extra careful all his life, it
can happen to anyone. We were both a little shaken by this and he
was very embarassed to say the least. No harm done but very close
to a disaster.

Cecil
-- 
The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
what you said.

Cecil E Monson
Lucille Hand-Monson
Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole

Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment

Free advice




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