tip for starting diesel even though you have total glow plug failure.

[pistonium]

I have the pleasure of working with an older guy with 30 years of diesel experience, and he showed me a trick I've never ran into before; I thought I'd pass it on to others here.

The situation is not uncommon I think, where after the first glow plug craps out on a CUCV, the rest quickly follow due to overvoltage.....

So I'm sitting in the 1008 after work, with the truck engine cold at probably 50 degrees F or so, and no glow at all. We say "the engine's good, it should start with no glow if we crank a bit". I start cranking....and again....and then Ed puts his hand tightly over the exhaust on one side and says "crank it again, I'll keep the hot air in". I crank, and it fires up quite well. After thinking about it, it makes perfect sense....leave the hot air from the compression stroke in the engine, and it should fire next time or even the third time!

Anyway, I thought it was a neat trick if you are ever stuck without glow in marginal temperatures - just plug the exhaust. And carry hand cleaner for your palm after you do it!

 

[wreckerman893]

That works well as long as you have someone to cover the pipe while you crank.....it would be a long stretch to do it yourself.

 

[schwenk industries]

a rag to plug it maybe? I have never heard of this before.

 

[L999here]

....maybe better...?

Might not be good for the GM products...but have been using ether shots for my 7.3 Ford diesel duelly for 6yrs after the glow plugs started acting up. Did this in -10 degree weather a week ago....started right up. May get some flack from others...but it works for me....especially by myself....LOL....

 

[Jimma]

Cool idea pistonium. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

lol that reminds me of a few years ago, when we were trying to start a Navy backup diesel. It hadn't ran in years, and it was cold cold cold out that morning. An old Chief put a cantalope in the exhaust. (why he had it, I don't know) When it finally fired up, it blew the melon onto the ship moored abreast of us. SPLAT!

 

[mistaken1]

lol that reminds me of a few years ago, when we were trying to start a Navy backup diesel. It hadn't ran in years, and it was cold cold cold out that morning. An old Chief put a cantalope in the exhaust. (why he had it, I don't know) When it finally fired up, it blew the melon onto the ship moored abreast of us. SPLAT!

A new form of Punkin Chunkin!

LOL thanks for that visual.

 

[zout]

WM use to use potato's and chuck them up the pipe - then when it fired he had to hurry back and yank it out.

 

[mudguppy]

this is the only reason that i ever saw a -10 manual in the HMMWV.

 

[Trailboss]

Might not be good for the GM products...but have been using ether shots for my 7.3 Ford diesel duelly for 6yrs after the glow plugs started acting up. Did this in -10 degree weather a week ago....started right up. May get some flack from others...but it works for me....especially by myself....LOL....

Ether works in the CUCV engines, also. Small shots straight in the carb got some GL vehicles that sat a long time with dead batteries running (along with a 24v jump). Not all started without other fussing around the engine, though.

 

[wreckerman893]

An old Chief put a cantalope in the exhaust. (why he had it, I don't know) When it finally fired up, it blew the melon onto the ship moored abreast of us. SPLAT!

What a meloncoly story.

 

[FMJ]

What a meloncoly story.

Ok....

You're in a timeout....

 

[Amer-team]

This seems like a variation of the old, crank for a few seconds and let it sit for about 10 seconds and crank again. This allows heat to build up in the cylinder and if you have decent compression it will usually start. We used to start an old Cat this way when I was young.

When I got my 5T, it did not want to start by the TM method, so tried this and it started right up. Not sure that my neighbor would want me blowing cantaloupe into his driveway though.

No one ever told me about plugging the exaust.

 

[ryan77]

You also can stick a hair dryer in the inlet for a couple minutes then try to fire her up!!!

 

[cranetruck]

Something that can be done with the exhaust brake also. Will heat the engine a little quicker too...

 

[Jump Start]

I have been working on my son’s cumv trying to get it running so I can take it to him next week. I have been trying to start it with no luck. It does not appear that the glow plugs are working at all. I read your post about putting your hand over one of the exhaust pipes to start it without glow plugs. GREAT post it worked!!! Now my son will have a vehicle to drive when he gets back from Afghanistan around the first of June.

Thanks again for your post

 

[cjtroutt]

I droped some rubbing achol down in the air intake on cucv and it fire up ok with out damage to the engine.

 

[Gripy]

neat.

 

[GREENMV]

This Is not going to go over very well with the wife when needed, but honey I read It In Steel Soldiers, sure you did, really I did, some guy said you just have to put your hand over that hole while I crank the motor. I see this conversation in my future.

 

[Adrian A]

Great info!