[AT] Glow plugs

[Cecil R Bearden]

I have an old trick that was showed to my by a OK Nat Gas company 
backhoe operator back in 1975.   I had rented a JD crawler that was worn 
out, and a tree had toppled over and broke the fuel filter bracket.  I 
had it welded and mounted it back with a new filter and could not get 
the system complete bled.  He took an old sweatshirt rag and soaked it 
with gas, held it over the air cleaner and I hit the starter.    The 
engine would run on the gasoline with a little knock, until it picked up 
fuel and started running.
I have used that trick many times since, even in cold weather on Perkins 
engines without damage to the engine.
  I ran out of fuel in one side tank on a semi on the side of the road 
about 1/4 mile from the T/A truckstop.   I switched to the other tank 
but the engine would not pick up fuel.   Hiked over to the truckstop and 
bought a gas can then back to the gas station for a gallon of gas also 
bought a pack of red rags.  When I got back to the truck I did not want 
to ruin my pack of rags, so I just poured gas on the air filter.  It 
started and ran fine.  I went on in to OKC...
I had an 1155 Massey that had a V-8 diesel with the inj pump in the V of 
the engine.   It was a bear to pump.  I would use the gas on a rag trick 
to get fuel back into the pump.
My 7.3 powerstroke will lose pump pressure after sitting for 6 months.  
I disconnect the glow plug and use the gas on the rag to get it to start 
without running down the batteries.
I have started my 930 Case a few winters with the gas on a rag as the 
glow plug does not work.
My Belarus tractors have a glow system that drips fuel into the manifold 
and lights it off to create a small fire to warm up the air in the 
manifold.  I have never used it as they start fine as long as the 
batteries crank fast enough.
Cecil in OKla



On 12/21/2015 12:54 AM, Greg Hass wrote:
> I have a 715 IH combine that I used until last year. It had a 706 or 806
> engine with glow plugs. The guy I bought it from said even at 80 degrees
> it would not start without the glow plugs and I found out he was right.
> Even if it had been working hard, after 5 minutes you needed the glow
> plugs. The guy who owns the coffee shop I go to has a IH compact of
> about 35 hp. Last spring, if it was below freezing it would not start
> unless he warmed up the air cleaner with a hair dryer. It is a four
> cylinder engine of some foreign make, but although he has had it for 10
> years, only has 400 hours. Two weeks ago he replaced all the glow plugs
> and brought the old ones to the coffee shop and I tested them; all 4
> were bad. Years ago we had a 930 Case wheatland diesel and it had a big
> glow coil in the intake manifold. It never worked so the few times we
> run in cold weather we towed it or used a little starting fluid. It too
> had the warning label on it saying not to use starting fluid and the
> glow coil together.  A neighbor told us a friend of his had the same
> set-up and the tractor wouldn't start with the glow coil so he heated it
> up and gave it a shot of starting fluid. When it sucked it in it blew
> the manifold right off the tractor. A  cousin of mine (years ago) told
> me his neighbor had a IH 560 and was pulling 2 loads of hay up a hill,
> on the road, and it lugged down. He reached down and pressed the ether
> button and blew a rod out the side of the block. From what I have seen,
> if your engine has glow plugs and the temperature is around freezing, it
> is probable  a good idea to us them for a few seconds at least. If it
> starts without the plugs I don't think it hurts anything, but using them
> when cold gives it a little boost.
>        Greg Hass
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