Hard starting in cold Cummins NHC250

[CMSGT]

I have a 5 Ton with a Cummins NHC 250 engine in it and it has a few issues starting when it gets cold. I keep it up in the high mountains of WY so it can get pretty cold up there. I did purchase a block heater that I will install this fall when I bring it back down for the winter. The question I have about getting it started in the cold is how/when could ether be used?
This engine also requires that the fuel be pumped up to 80psi after the glow plugs have been run for 30 seconds, what temperature requires that to be used vs. just cranking the engine?
I just got this truck so I haven't figured out all its quirks yet, and the ones I drove while in the desert never had a problem starting as it was always VERY warm there. Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[jason@snakeriver]

I live on the other side of Yellowstone from you. I run 5 - 800 series 5 tons.
My 2 M-812 bridge trucks have always been harder to start then my matching pair of M-813's.
Anyway - after you have had the glowplug switch on for the recommended period of time and after you have hand pumped up the fuel pressure, we always give them a whiff of ether.
Now the amount of ether just depends on what it takes to get it started, and you may have to give another whiff after it starts to run just to give it a boost.

Then you may have to keep up hand pumping a little to get the darn thing up to a warm idle.

The block heater is the best idea to help the whole process. I only have one on my M-819 wrecker. Tom @ Snake River

 

[CMSGT]

Thanks!

I take it the glow plugs shold be OFF before you give it the whiff of ether. Also. when I pump up the pressure it only seems to gtet to 60 before it starts to go down, I can never get it to stay at 80 where the instructions recommend.

 

[jwaller]

Thanks!

I take it the glow plugs shold be OFF before you give it the whiff of ether. Also. when I pump up the pressure it only seems to gtet to 60 before it starts to go down, I can never get it to stay at 80 where the instructions recommend.

just keep pumping. you only have 1 glow plug and it sits in the intake manifold. your basically shooting raw fuel across a spark plug. I would bet that if you didn't have any fuel leaks in the system you wouldn't need the ether. how does it start in warm weather?

 

[CMSGT]

It starts fine in warm weather....never had a problem. I was worried about the ether because of all the cautions about the glow plugs. Once I get it going I will take it out of the mountains where I can go through the fuel lines and install a block heater. I just need to get it started without doing any damage.

 

[ROCKWELL-C60]

What are these guys talking about glow plug on a nhc250 in 5 ton

 

[ROCKWELL-C60]

Nevermind guess I never knew

 

[162tcat]

M809 series has a glow plug. M939 series doesn’t because they added the ether system.


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[Bill Nutting]

I run my block heater for about a half hour when it’s real cold. Fires up like a summer day.

 

[reset2]

All right I have to tell on my self. I have a IDI Ford 7.3. It won't start unless it has at least 6 working glows. How does my 5 ton start so fast without glows? I'm guessing the combustion chamber is a miracle worker. Teach me something.

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[simp5782]

All right I have to tell on my self. I have a IDI Ford 7.3. It won't start unless it has at least 6 working glows. How does my 5 ton start so fast without glows? I'm guessing the combustion chamber is a miracle worker. Teach me something.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Good fuel system with no air leaks is the first step.

Secondly an IDI is nothing like a cummins PT system. Pt system maintains fuel in the rail unlike the IDI that puts it into the bowl above the cylinder.

The IDI return line system is know suck air even new.

I lived in the 40 below temps with an IDI. I actually went over to a wrapped heater pad fuel filter element and I had a heater pad on the IP itself. It would crank all the time without any glow plugs working Along with the block heater each battery had a heating pad under it as well.

 

[Ajax MD]

Granted I'm not in -40F temps, but on days well below freezing, my M813 starts easily with the cold start system.

If I'm not mistaken, shooting fuel across that glow plug ignites the fuel to pre-warm the combustion chambers (or at least warm the air in the intake).
Tighten up your fuel system, avoid ether when possible. Obey the Lube Order directives for crank case oil in extreme low temps and you'll be fine.

 

[Bill Nutting]

I'm confused about the use of ether. I seldom use it but I'm not above it. My M934 has an ether injection system so how bad can it be? Perhaps the ether system is for emergency starts like when someone is shooting at you and causing damage to the engine isn't even on the radar. This morning I was in a hurry to get my truck started. The temps were in the low 40's. So I cranked it a bit with no fire. I gave it a short shot of ether in the intake stack and it fired right up. So my question is, am I hurting the engine when I do this?

 

[simp5782]

No

 

[Bill Nutting]

No

Thanks Simp... I feel better about myself!