cold weather starting Caterpillar 51 horse diesel

[Dave Shepard]

When it's cold, you will have to manually hold the throttle open. RPMs will surge when it starts, you have to feather it a bit to keep it running.

[Chris Burchfield]

GeorgeK, I have the 51 hp cateperk on my 2005 Super.  Good battery and I prop the throttle open about 1/8" with a stick or what ever is available.  Seems if you don't prop her open for an increase in rpm, she'll kinda lope then die out till pressure is built up in the fuel line.  By increasing the rpm a little she'll keep running then balance out.  I did get a retro fit kit from Woodmizer a few years back that would limit the glow plugs to a 17 second warm up.  This was to prevent early failure of the glow plugs by overheating.

[irvi00]

Of the 6 perkins engines we have, only one cranks good below 40 degrees. All the others require some type of heat. Best solution we have found is block heaters you put in place of a freeze plug on the block. We have also used heaters with magnets attached to the oil pan to help get the fluid moving. Our three cummins crank no matter what temp with no help.

[thecfarm]

I use a magnet heater on my gas wood splitter. I cover it up with an old blanket to keep the heat on the engine. Starts great. I like to plug in my tractors when it's cold. I just feel it is better for them. Easier on the motor to start it a little bit warm than a lot cold,IMO.

[jueston]

These are all "old army tricks," or "old Russian tricks," or as we would say in Maine, "old indian tricks," though I'm not sure if the old indians had diesel engines. . . .  just sayin'

when i was in the army we dealt with the cold winters by sending out privates every 4 hours to start the engines and let them run for about 20 minutes, they did this every 4 hours for weeks when it was really cold.

but life is simpler when you have a limitless supply of free labor and free fuel....

[Al_Smith]

I think it was '84-'85 I worked on a short 42 miles section of 20" gas pipe line .Even at 10 below those pipe liners got out in but at night it could hit 20 below .Those big Cat 945 excavators and side boom crawlers the size of a D8 ran for weeks and never shut off .

Ha one small pipline contractor had an old antique 3T series D7 sideboom .It started at 15 below but it blew smoke rings for 45 minutes before the diesel caught .Poor old pony motor just a cranking away for all it had .

[wwsjr]

I ordered a block heater for my 2006 Super with 51 hp Perkapillar from WM a couple of years ago. When below 40*, I plug up for about 30 min, open the throttle with a sliver of wood, let it idle for 5 min to 10 min before sawing. Cold shouldered engine for sure. My 3930 Ford/New Holland tractor is same, below 40*, same procedure as mill.

[Peter Drouin]

When it's cold, you will have to manually hold the throttle open. RPMs will surge when it starts, you have to feather it a bit to keep it running.

[ladylake]

 The best starting diesel I've ever had was a DT466 Int in a truck, one time started at -25 with  no glow plugs, no either  and no heat but had too hook up the booster cables.   Steve

[Solomon]

I have just recently bought a useLT 40 with 51 horse Cat diesel any tricks on getting it to start when cold. Thanks, George

George, I have that exact motor on my mill.   It has glow plugs that operate manually.   It doesn't get cold here often but it does now and then.   I use that Star Tron diesel fuel treatment.  Have no trouble starting but it does take about an hour of sawing to get the hydraulic fluid warmed up and get the cylinders moving like they should.
  And if you look at that motor closely you will see Perkins tags and numbers on it.   I think Cat bought Perkins.

[jdonovan]

  And if you look at that motor closely you will see Perkins tags and numbers on it.   I think Cat bought Perkins.

Correct. Cat really didn't have anything in the small diesel market, and the fastest way in to that space was to buy a engine builder who was already there.

[GeorgeK]

Thank you all. I gut my first log since the owner showed me how to run the mill. This is going to be fun!

[eastberkshirecustoms]

I installed heated fuel filter housings on my diesels to help in the cold weather. The heater element automatically turns on at about 40°F. Of course, I'm running a veggie oil blend that tends to gel a little faster. On my air-cooled Slanzi diesel, (without glow plugs) I installed a thermo heater in the intake manifold that 'builds' a small fire in the manifold prior to cranking. I've only had to use that a couple of times.
I agree on the electrical system comments -connections, wires, battery, and also the condition of the starter (needing brushes, dry bushings, etc.) can have a huge impact on starting a diesel in the cold. I also don't use ether. 

[Al_Smith]

There's all kinds of tricks to starting old diesels but I'm not sure most would try it on a newer engine .

If the thing will turn over just holding a torch over the intake will give you enough heat to get them going .

We used that method on an old triple nickle (555) Ford backhoe and it always started no matter how cold it was .

Newer high compression direct injected engines start  fairly easy but the real old  duffers like Cat or John Deere early pony start engines can be a challange .These were lower compression pre combustion chamber style engines .

On those sometimes you're better off to roll them over for maybe 5-10 minutes ,compression on ,fuel off which warms the cylinders enough they usually fire once you cut the fuel in if the rings aren't shot on the engine .

[ladylake]

 It's +3 this morning, going to have to glow plug a little longer , about 12 to 15 seconds I'd guess.  Steve

[bandmiller2]

Glad ether wasen't mentioned,thats like crack for engines,and has the potential for damage.If you have 110v or 220 available use a block heater.A small radiant propane heater near the head works if your not in a great hurry.Mommy's hair dryer helps.When its a cold spell a little gasoline 5 to 10% gives the diesel fuel some teeth for starting,don't overdue it.As I mentioned synthetic oil will give you a little edge with your cranking speed.Never tried it but probibly an old electric blanket wrapped around an engine at night wouldn't hurt. Frank C.

[bandmiller2]

Anouther old time trick is to take your battery in the house at night to keep it warm,cold greatly reduces a batterys cranking power. Frank C.

[Satamax]

Frank C ether has been mentioned, kindof.  MEK!  ;D

[Okrafarmer]

Frank C ether has been mentioned, kindof.  MEK!  ;D

One farm I worked for had an Allis Chalmers 8050 tractor (one of their last models, they were making it when they went out of business in 1985). That tractor had the ether can actually mounted on a factory mounting inside the cab and the standard procedure was to push the ether button while starting! I can't remember what engine that machine had, but even at the time (I was 22), I knew that was some bad engineering.

[Satamax]

Well, in the chairlift company, we had a cat D6 generator engine which was the same, and two backup RVI engines for this very lift and another one, which are the same and still in place. Well, that's engines which get started once a month for testing, and used properly once every three or four yeard when there's power outages.

[gmmills]

    There is a 120 Volt block heater for this engine. Made by the Phillips & Temro Co. part # 3100049. Your local auto parts store should be able to get it for you with this info. Wm also has this block heater. The same model is used for the Cat 51 and also the Cat 62.  Installs in the front freeze plug port.

    You first need to make sure the glow plugs are getting power. Take the cover off the black relay box mounted on the engine. Find the two terminals with the heavy black wires facing directly foward. These are the power wires from the relay to the glow plugs. They have a fusible link connecting them between the terminals. Check to make sure the link is intact. If link is fine, while cycling the key on use a test light on the terminals to see if they have power. If the wire has power then you need to check the glow plugs. Remove the buss bar that connects all four glow plug together. Then take a test light and connect the ground clamp to the big terminal on the starter. This terminal always has 12 volt battery power. Take the prob end of the light and touch the small threaded post of each indivdual glow plug. The light will come on if the glow plug is good. No light indicates a failed glow plug.

    I have also seen a number of glow plug system issues related directly to the relay socket. The terminals inside the socket get sprung from vibration and make intermittent contact with the relay terminals. Wm offers a replacement socket assemby with wire pig tails. It does require spilcing some wires.       

[hackberry jake]

We had a 80hp Hesston with a Perkins diesel and it had a place for a can of either and a button next to the steering wheel for it. I don't know why, I think that tractor would start under load in a block of dry ice. I get to rebuild my little kubota this winter. She won't start under about 50 unless you put a battery charger on it on "crank" mode. She has enough blowby you don't have to worry about bugs in the summertime as well. Shoulda kept the Hesston  >:(

[Magicman]

it had a place for a can of either and a button next to the steering wheel for it. 

My old John Deere is also factory "plumbed" for ether, but maybe it should be mentioned that ether should never be used to start an engine that has glow plugs.

[Al_Smith]

I used to give the old D4 Cat  shot of ether .Not much though .That pot licker had funky injecters which I rebuilt at a hundred a pop and a reringed  engine but it still liked a little starting fluid .It would go if you rolled it over twenty minutes without ether  but that got a little old .

[Solomon]

Frank C ether has been mentioned, kindof.  MEK!  ;D

One farm I worked for had an Allis Chalmers 8050 tractor (one of their last models, they were making it when they went out of business in 1985). That tractor had the ether can actually mounted on a factory mounting inside the cab and the standard procedure was to push the ether button while starting! I can't remember what engine that machine had, but even at the time (I was 22), I knew that was some bad engineering.

Back in the eighties I worked for Fiat Allis.  We were located right beside the marine terminal.  The longshoremen drove them off the Ro Ro ships right in our back door. That's how I became a Longshoreman myself. We would prep them to the dealers order, paint and decal them, and ship them out.   Anyway my point being,  They all had huge cans of either built right in from the factory in Italy.  Like Okrafarmer said,  "You just push a button" and away you go!    Anyone need any Fiat Allis keys?   I still have a slew of them!