NURSE YOUR DIESEL Care is Cheaper than Spares

Lake County Mail, Issue 13, 20 August 1947, Page 11

NURSE YOUR DIESEL Care is Cheaper than Spares

In previous issues the writer has discussed a few of the essential points in obtaining satisfactory service from your fuel and injection systems. If you have a problem, forward it to “Ariel,” c/o P.O. Box 434, Dunedin. This Aveek avc shall consider air cleaners and easier starting. Most farm tractors are operated under very dusty conditions. It is therefore essential that you scrAnce your cleaner frequently to ensure that clean 1 air free from dust goes into the cylinders, as otherAvise rapid Avear will take place, as grit, plus lubricating oil, and unburnt fuel provides a very efficient grinding compound Avhicli will soon involve you in costly repairs, hard starting, etc.; but the air-cleaner, if dirty, has' another Avay of annoying you, for it Avill not alloAA r sufficient air to pass into the cylinders and as the compression pressure Avill be loAver the heat generated by compression Avill be less and probably insufficient to ignite the spray of fuel from the injectors. The writer, on his rounds one day found a quarry full of men nearly exhausted through trying to start a big Diesel by hand cranking. One of them volunteered the helpful information that he had held his hand over the inlet to the air cleaner to choke it after the manner of a petrol engine. Well this, coupled Avith the fact that the air cleaner Avas very dirty, had

effectively prevented a start. You must get as much compression as possible to ensure an easy start, so obtain access to each cylinder, and insert about 1-8 to i pint of lubricating oil, then try again. This oil serves two purposes; it replaces the film of oil which should be present at all times when starting if damage is to be averted, and secondly it seals the piston

rings and prevents loss of compression. In severe clijnates, its is advisable to rug your engine overnight over top and sides and below the crank-casfe level, and better still, keep a miner’s safety lamp or similar auto lamp, or electric light bulb burning below the nig covers to prevent engine water and oil from dropping to freezing point. Make sure also before starting that your fuel tank is full and all fuel line cocks open and fuel lines primed all the way to the injectors. Some Diesels are started by cranking with a petrol engine, the tricks of starting these are almost universally known nowadays, so we will not waste time 'on this, .except to warn against over choking or over priming as this will wash the valuable oil film from cylinders and pistons. The writer has seen a petrol-start kerosene tractor seized up through consistent over choking when merely cranked by hand and only the insertion of lubricating oil into each cylinder effected a remedy, although it could not repair the damage done to cylinder walls, pistons' and ring's • Under extreme conditions it may be necessary to drain the crankcase lubricating oil and the liquid in the cooling system at the end of a run. Heating them before starting will assist materially. When warming antifreeze solutions, keep away from naked flames, as many of these solutions are inflammable. Do not overheat; and pour in slowly to avoid damage from rapid expansion. If the engine seems locked, try warming the water snnp body to melt the ice. If the engine is to stand idle for a long period, place oil (about j pint) in each cylinder once a month or run the engine until thoroughly warm.