Long term effects of using ether regularly
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Long term effects of using ether regularly
I am just wonding if and what they are, assuming you have your brain stapped on and aren't being stupid with it. I have been told and am noticing that the truck forms a (ironically) mild addiction to to, so that it gets harder and harder to start without it. Any comments? Can ether do any white washing to the cyl walls or anything of the sort?
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From: South Western New Mexico
It depends on what you use it in. If it has glow plugs or an intake air heater, you do not want to use starting fluid. It will cause damage. In an older diesel without int air heaters or glow plugs, it is ok to use and using common sense, it will not hurt the eng.
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From: Montana
One of my older JD tractors has a push button either system on the dash, been using it for cold weather starting for 20+ years. If it does damage it's taking it's time.
Problem with using either on rigs with glow plugs or grid heaters is the either will light up around the heat source rather than in the cylinder.
Problem with using either on rigs with glow plugs or grid heaters is the either will light up around the heat source rather than in the cylinder.
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This is from the binder bulletin Scout forum on it:
http://www.binderbulletin.org/forums...ighlight=ether
http://www.binderbulletin.org/forums...ighlight=ether
As a Deisel mechanic in the army for the last four years I can tell you what we personally did with our line of humvees, Howitzers, 5 tons, deuces, ammo carriers, and FDC tracks. we were discouraged from using ether because of the obvious effects, blown up heads, or (crack babies), " the engines that now would only start with the use of ether". we found that a rag soaked in gasoline, and put over the air filter, worked rather well without making the engines dependant on it to start. we also had one person put their hand over the end of the exhaust pipe to block the exhaust from escaping as much as we could and sometimes that did the trick without even using the gasoline soaked rag. it seemed to be a pretty good alternative to using ether but now that I'm out of the army, I can't say as I will be able to know the long term effects of it.
Just a few tricks I've learned over the years
Joe chamberlin
1980 scoutII, 4 inch skyjacker, 33 inch mickey thompsons, custom autometer whiteface circular guages, dana 300, 345 W/ 4 barrel Q jet.
Just a few tricks I've learned over the years
Joe chamberlin
1980 scoutII, 4 inch skyjacker, 33 inch mickey thompsons, custom autometer whiteface circular guages, dana 300, 345 W/ 4 barrel Q jet.
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From: Cedar Grove, New Jersey
the gas rag trick works well, used it in the cold months on our heavy duty compressor, for jack hammers and such. way easier than ether, always a gasser around somewhere willing to donate enough to soak a rag. amazing what a 17 to 1 compresion ratio will do.
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If you use ether on an engine like the cummins that has the grid heaters in the intake, there is a very good chance you will blow the intake off the engine or worse. I know these other guys already briefly touched on that subject but I want to be sure to make it clear....
DO NOT USE ETHER on an engine with glow plugs or grid heaters!
I have no answer to the longevity issue.
DO NOT USE ETHER on an engine with glow plugs or grid heaters!
I have no answer to the longevity issue.
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From: Montana
Originally posted by 1st gen Hobie
Is it just ether or all starting fluids? I was told that wd-40 worked on diesels buy a few people at the dealer.
Is it just ether or all starting fluids? I was told that wd-40 worked on diesels buy a few people at the dealer.
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From: League City, TX
Think of it this way, you are trying to use a chemical that burns at a very low temperature. Put said chemical in a confined area and it can explode. In the intake tract are our grid heaters pull about 190 amp of juice. They can get really hot. When ether gets in contact with the grid heater the ether (or other starting aid) can start combusting on contact. Usually when that happens it can get quite destructive. Like Lary said you can blow the intake off the engine.
Engines with glow plug I would assume would suffer cylinder damage.
Engines with glow plug I would assume would suffer cylinder damage.
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For what its worth this engine doesn't have glow plugs or a heater grid, factory manual says use ether for cold starting. Only thing is that it has become a crack baby, it can only start with it 
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From: New Holland, PA
Haven't you been having some diveability and power issues? I think whatever is causing your other problems is causing the engine to need ether to fire. I'm assuming, of course, that it's only needing ether on cold starts. At work we have several older trucks that need a snort of ether on cold mornings, but they start fine in warmer temps.
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Originally posted by wannadiesel
Haven't you been having some diveability and power issues? I think whatever is causing your other problems is causing the engine to need ether to fire. I'm assuming, of course, that it's only needing ether on cold starts. At work we have several older trucks that need a snort of ether on cold mornings, but they start fine in warmer temps.
Haven't you been having some diveability and power issues? I think whatever is causing your other problems is causing the engine to need ether to fire. I'm assuming, of course, that it's only needing ether on cold starts. At work we have several older trucks that need a snort of ether on cold mornings, but they start fine in warmer temps.
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Probably your compression is getting a tick low. With good batteries I have seen 5.9 mechanical industrial engine that have no starting grids start at like 5 degrees F without ether.
Does it burn any oil??
Does it burn any oil??
