$350 IDIT complete - It's a runner!

Macrobb

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But, you are just trying to heat up a quantity of air, enough for a rev or two... once it fires at all, it doesn't need the extra heat.
Even so, with a 'cold blooded' IDI, I doubt it would work.

With a cummins grid heater, I'm not sure it's actually needed - I think it's just to try to reduce smoke/emissions on startup.

That being said, I think you might have a shot if you were using one of those propane shop heaters, you know, the 50,000 btu type.

Alternately, why not just heat the block/coolant? We know that works, and that you can get a diesel-powered coolant heater for when you have no electricity(webasto makes them).
 

snicklas

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Actually, a heat gun or even a good hair dryer (don't tell the boss) will help some. Remember, you don't need the air to be 900 degrees to help. On my IDI, if it's in the 70's or higher my IDI will start with no assistance (glow plugs or ether) with less that 10 seconds of cranking. No, it's not the revolution or 3 it will start with assistance, but it will start just fine. In single degree weather, with just the block heater, it will start in 5 seconds or less. The block just gets warm to the touch, so I would say 100 degrees F or less. It doesn't take much heat help.....

But, and this is a big but, it all depends on the health of your engine. I've not done a compression test, but I seem to have a fairly healthy engine. I have very little blow-by at idle, and just bump the throttle and it cleans up completely. I would say Gary @icanfixall would see something similar with his 500psi compression levels, his should start fairly easily with no glow plugs..... If you have a clapped out, 500,000 mile engine that has trouble starting with glow plugs on a 100 degree day, the heat gun probably won't do much....... with mine, mommas hair dryer would probably help.

Once you get each cylinder to fire a time or two, it retains enough heat to keep going, normally...
 

genscripter

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Alternately, why not just heat the block/coolant? We know that works, and that you can get a diesel-powered coolant heater for when you have no electricity(webasto makes them).

But who is running coolant with an engine on a stand? I'd be hesitant to plug in the block heater without coolant to distribute the heat.
 

kent01

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Lots of old school truck engines with mechanical fuel systems had a single glow plug in the intake manifold, and it worked to get a cold engine to fire up. So... Yes a heat gun will help it fire up. Put it in the intake and let it heat it for a few minutes.
My Idi fires up without GP on it's own
Infact I've got my go on a momentary
Toggle switch. Use as needed. Saves a lot of unnecessary use of gp's.
They last longer too.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
 

Figor

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A heat gun works good on my Witte MD12 diesel engine but it's a single cylinder. I bet it would help. I'd try it before I used ether. Made the mistake of using that on a Cummins once. WD40 works too. I always use that on motorcycle engines.
 

Macrobb

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But who is running coolant with an engine on a stand? I'd be hesitant to plug in the block heater without coolant to distribute the heat.
I've actually done this before - blocked off the lower rad hose, added water/coolant through one of the heater hoses and looped them together, then filled the last bit through the top hose.
It's good for testing and making sure you don't have head gasket leaks, and lets you run it longer on the stand. Also works as a flush...
 

Thewespaul

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Well you got me beat. I paid $400 for my last complete idit!

Just got one as a core from a customer I built an engine for, said it had a loud chuff and he assumed it dropped a valve, looks like bad lifters :D
 

kent01

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Well you got me beat. I paid $400 for my last complete idit!

Just got one as a core from a customer I built an engine for, said it had a loud chuff and he assumed it dropped a valve, looks like bad lifters :D
I wasn't trying to sell anything, and the cost I quoted was for new components not Craigslist used.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
 

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