From: James Shanks (n1vbn@bit-net.com)
Date: Wed Nov 20 2002 - 17:10:57 PST
Hi Bjorn,
Ether if injected continuously will damage an old engine design or
a new one due to the fact (which is why ether is used) that ether burns
very hot. Much hotter than diesel fuel. SO hot in fact I watched a mechanic
start up a 318 Detroit 2 stroke engine (with less than 800 hours on it) and
ran it strictly on ether as the engine had run out of fuel and he didn't
have a manual pump to prime the engine fuel system with. He ran the engine
on ether for just over 20 seconds until it picked up fuel and took off on
it's own. Less than an hour later he shut it down when he noticed a serious
lack of power. I saw the next day when I drove by it the entire left
cylinder bank head, pistons, and liners WERE MELTED!!! When I have the need
to use ether for starting a diesel I use less than a half second of ether
with the engine cranking before I spray with the driver holding the
throttle down at least a inch have never needed more than two shots like I
described before to get em running. Remember folks, ether is not only
flammable it's explosive as well. The best way to remember how to use it is
the Brillcream moto. "A little dab will do ya!"
Jim
n1vbn@bit-net.com
1998 IMZ 8.103
At 05:55 PM 11/20/02 -0500, Bjorn Brandstedt wrote:
>Hi list,
>
>Being a glutton for punishment, I will continue on the subject of ether as
>a starting aid for diesel engines and let's not get hysterical about it.
>
>The new 2-1/2 tonners, the FMTV trucks, are equipped with ether canisters
>to aid starting in cold weather (as are many other trucks). The engine is
>the Caterpillar 3116. The injection of ether is still under manual control
>and the TM 9-2320-365-10 has the following precautions regarding the use
>of ether:
>
>Do not press ether switch unless engine is cranking. Failure to comply may
>result in damage to engine.
>
>Do not use ether after the engine has reached idle speed (750 rpm) and is
>no longer in danger of stalling. Failure to comply may result in damage to
>engine.
>
>Continue to inject ether if engine has started but will not run without ether.
>
>In a separate section, "Arctic start from -26F to -50F", one step in the
>procedure suggests the following: Depress ether start switch for three seconds.
>
>
>Three seconds is a lot, in my humble opinion.
>
>When the engine is cranking at 300 rpm, or 5 revolutions per second, it
>completes 2.5 cycles per second. A "small dose" of ether (a small dose for
>me is about one second from a normal aerosol can) may be enough to run the
>engine for one or two cycles and it should be under governor control after
>that. I do not see any danger of a run-away situation unless ether is
>injected continously. Please, correct me if this argument is faulty. How
>could this harm the old multifuel?
>
>Since injection of ether as a starting aid in cold weather is under manual
>control it must be used with caution. The "flame heater" is also under
>manual control and must also be used within specified limits: low rpm and
>at temperatures below 20 deg F.
>
>What happens when the flame heater is used at higher rpm's and/or at
>warmer temperatures?
>
>Does anybody know of a good test procedure for the flame heater that can
>be performed to evaluate the spark and the nozzle at warmer temperatures?
>Off the engine?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Bjorn
>
>
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
>http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
>
>
>===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
>To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
>To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
>To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Wed Apr 23 2003 - 13:37:53 PDT