Ether okay with bad plugs?

[The Warden]

Hello!

I just found out that all of my glow plugs are dead. However, I'm not 100% certain that the bad plugs are the sole cause of my truck not wanting to start.

I know this is generally frowned upon, but is there a major issue with using a small amount of ether to fire off an IDI with dead plugs?

Thanks!

Also, can water injested in the engine kill plugs? While playing in the desert, I went through a mud hole that, I think, sucked up enough water into the engine (or at least to the air filter) to make her run really roughly for a couple of minutes, but she sounded fine on the 300 mile trip home (so I don't think I bent anything *knock on wood*)...and this morning's the first problem I've had starting her up, implying that the plugs died yesterday...

Thanks!

 

[yARIC008]

Hm, i'd say it's probably not a problem. Just don't use too much. Use as little as possible. It sounds so terrible with even a little though. VROOOOMMM!!!!!!

But first off, how can you go drive though a mud hole after you just did all that work to the engine. I don't plan on driving anywhere but a road for a long while. Can't afford another engine, or anything else for that matter

 

[The Warden]

Originally posted by yaric008
But first off, how can you go drive though a mud hole after you just did all that work to the engine.

The mud hole was a semi-accident. If I had realized how deep it was, I wouldn't have gone near it.

That said, when the desert calls, sometimes you just gotta answer. Did you ever see what I did with my old Scout?

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

Originally posted by The Warden
Hello!

I just found out that all of my glow plugs are dead. However, I'm not 100% certain that the bad plugs are the sole cause of my truck not wanting to start.

I know this is generally frowned upon, but is there a major issue with using a small amount of ether to fire off an IDI with dead plugs?

Thanks!

Also, can water injested in the engine kill plugs? While playing in the desert, I went through a mud hole that, I think, sucked up enough water into the engine (or at least to the air filter) to make her run really roughly for a couple of minutes, but she sounded fine on the 300 mile trip home (so I don't think I bent anything *knock on wood*)...and this morning's the first problem I've had starting her up, implying that the plugs died yesterday...

Thanks!

I wouldnt use it myself...........once an etheraholic............always an etheraholic!
In other words if you use it once you better get used to using it for ever because diesels seem to become addicted to ether...........dont ask me why they just do!

 

[hoodshauler]

I have heard bad things about ether and these motors I would be leary.

 

[argve]

Tim,

You will be fine just be gentle with it. Sort of like boating if it feels like slow motion then it's the right speed - apply that to snorting the ether = If you think it's not enough then it's just the right amount.

A small 1/2 second shot will be plenty. Just shoot a little in the intake snorkle and hit the starter, she will fire right up - might complain a little after wards until the temp in the cylinders gets warm enough to sustain smooth idling but you will be fine. Now if you hose it down then you will break/bend a rod, so just don't be stupid with it and enjoy. I've used it many a time.

The main problem comes in because we have glow plugs and they will ignite the ether before it's time.

 

[budtoh3zo]

i used it with no ill affects. We just about use it daily on one tractor, Block heater is not big enough for -25*C weather

 

[Mike]

To be on the safe side I would disable the GP system even though it (you think) isnt functional. If one of those glow plugs decides to get a hair and work youll find a hole in a piston or a valve puked out someplace it isnt supposed to be.

 

[towcat]

warden-
you know how I run my trucks and it NEVER had any ill effects whatsoever. I have proof that it has not swelled the plugs, cracked cylinder tops, or any other old wive's lore. Just a quick sniff is all it needs. anything more it will sound like it is coming apart.

 

[Agnem]

At this point I'm more worried about your drinking habits, then your drug use. If you went through a puddle, and then it ran rough that scares the **** out of me!

 

[The Warden]

Originally posted by Agnem
At this point I'm more worried about your drinking habits, then your drug use. If you went through a puddle, and then it ran rough that scares the **** out of me!

You and me both; I'm not giving up off-roading altogether, but I'm either putting a snorkel on or not getting into mud again. As mentioned, we did not know how deep the puddle was (optical illusion fooled us), and if I had had any idea, I would have known better than to try it. If he's willing to let me borrow the setup again, as soon as towcat gets back stateside, I want to run a compression check and make sure that the engine didn't see any damage. This is also why I want to see if she'll run cold with ether...if I still can't get her lit off, that implies a compression problem in top of the bad GP's.

That said, when I went through the puddle. although she ran rough at first, she started running better immediately after I shut her down and restarted her, and she did just fine on the 300 mile drive home that evening...no unusual knocking or power loss that I could hear or feel. I also pulled my air cleaner, and it looks like it did its job...could it be possible that the water clogged up the air cleaner (but didn't get any further) until I shut the engine down, then the water drained down to the point where I wasn't starving the engine for air? That mght explain the smoke as well as the rough running...

My other thought was that I may have gotten water on the IP that may have damaged it...not exactly great news, but I'd rather replace the IP than re-do the bottom end of engine after going through the top end so recently.

Believe me, I'm in a state of near-panic at the moment...

 

[dave85]

Tim,
You can borrow my compression tester. I been starting on starting fluid for a month now. Just a whiff.
dave

 

[The Warden]

Originally posted by daveshanks
Tim,
You can borrow my compression tester.

Dave, good to see you made the transition. I'll take you up on that offer in the next few days...have to see how school's going to be first (start back up tomorrow; at least it should be better than last semester was).

I been starting on starting fluid for a month now. Just a whiff.

Just wondering, did your plugs go south, or what happened?

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

NOTICE how everyone above who says they use ether, also say that they use it all the time! Addicted just like i said in my previous post. I'm not saying it hurts the engine as long as the glowplugs arent used, I'm simply saying that once you use it may as well plan on using it forever!

 

[jdkline]

Tim if I rememeber you have real strong compression, what happens if you just crank and crank on it for like 20 or 30 seconds? Mine will light off without GPs within 10-20 secs if temp is above 65-70 degrees and eevrything else is right. I used ether to start the truck once and only once at the CAT diesel shop when it was 40 degrees and my GP controller had just died. Didn't hurt anything. One little half dollar sized squirt while somebody else cranks the engine over is best. Disconnect the purple wire on your power relay if you want to satrt on ether, since you may still have one or 2 good glow plugs. Too easy not to do. Are you getting any white smoke out the tailpipe when you are cranking? I wouldn't use the ether unless I knew there was fuel there to sustain the start.