Someone stated that he has seen heads lift on diesels after using
starting fluid. This doesn’t surprise me since diesels are compression
ignition engines that require a slower igniting and burning fuel. Ether
is a very bad idea in a diesel. On the coldest days, we would use very
small amounts of gasoline to start our tractors after carefully (!)
heating the intake manifold and oil pan with a very large propane
torch.
On spark ignition engines, ether shouldn’t cause too much of a problem
as long as you don’t overdo it and the timing isn’t too advanced.
However, squirting the stuff down the cylinders was always a last resort
approach. Other than in the dead of winter, I have probably done it
twice in thirty years. On tired, cold farm equipment and Harleys,
however, it is de rigour unless you want to spend all day
cranking/pulling/kicking.
Regards,
Bill Eastman
Who, at one time, counted over 70 fuel-powered transportation devices
in the family managerie but, for now, is wife-limited to two old cars
and no bikes or tractors 
Bill
Sorry to disagree with you on the point of ether or starting fluids
being bad for diesels . While I would agree that it should not be used as an
every day method to start a diesel it is a OEM practice by CAT & Cummins to
fit ether cold start systems to there engines of course there are all kinds
of warnings attached to the press button which operates this not least of
all do not use if glow plugs are fitted to the engine. Years ago the common
cold start for diesels was a small chamber that was filled from the injector
leak-off system and operated from a remote switch. When the switch was
turned a solenoid opened a valve which allowed the fuel to run over a pre
heated element which filled the inlet manifold with a warm smoky mist so
when the engine was cranked the mixture was drawn into the cylinders thus
helping to start the motor. I think that is more than enough about diesel
motors on this list as hopefully we will never come across one fitted to a
XK but I am afraid to say that some companies are advertising in UK to fit
diesel engines into XJ’s ugh!!!
Cheers Ian> -----Original Message-----
From: William Eastman [SMTP:william.eastman@medtronic.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 1:34 PM
To: xk-digest@jag-lovers.org
Subject: [xk] Starting fluid down the spark plugs
Someone stated that he has seen heads lift on diesels after using
starting fluid. This doesn’t surprise me since diesels are compression
ignition engines that require a slower igniting and burning fuel. Ether
is a very bad idea in a diesel. On the coldest days, we would use very
small amounts of gasoline to start our tractors after carefully (!)
heating the intake manifold and oil pan with a very large propane
torch.
On spark ignition engines, ether shouldn’t cause too much of a problem
as long as you don’t overdo it and the timing isn’t too advanced.
However, squirting the stuff down the cylinders was always a last resort
approach. Other than in the dead of winter, I have probably done it
twice in thirty years. On tired, cold farm equipment and Harleys,
however, it is de rigour unless you want to spend all day
cranking/pulling/kicking.
Regards,
Bill Eastman
Who, at one time, counted over 70 fuel-powered transportation devices
in the family managerie but, for now, is wife-limited to two old cars
and no bikes or tractors 