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Author Topic: chinese diesel won't start  (Read 18263 times)

KellyR

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chinese diesel won't start
« on: December 26, 2008, 12:06:58 AM »
Hey Everyone and Merry Christmas!  I was outside (until it really started snowing) trying to get my JD R180 started.  I don't have the battery hooked up, so I was trying it with the crank.  No dice.  A little smoke came out as I was cranking, but it didnt' want to even try to start.  I just adjusted the valves at.015 (both exhaust and intake, not sure if this is correct still) and the engine doesn't have all that many hours on it, so I wouldn't think it's the compression.  Does anyone have any ideas?

thanx
Kelly

Tom

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2008, 12:29:54 AM »
Since it sounds like you've had it running and assuming there is no air in the fuel system, take a propane torch and warm the intake manifold and/or have some hold the torch in the intake while you crank. How cold is it there.
Tom
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mobile_bob

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2008, 12:58:47 AM »
my changfa s195 IDI engine, starts very hard when it is below 45 degree's or so with the electric start
and i presume damn near impossible with the crank.

the reason being is all the driven components i have dragging it down, makes cold starts a bitch.

the propane torch idea works just fine, i don't have to get my manifold even hot enough to scorch the paint
and it is ready to fire.

i just heat around the outer bend of the intake manifold closest to the head, for about 20-30 seconds seems to be enough.

soon as i get time to get back to the project, a glowplug is on the list of things to do.

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

KellyR

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2008, 04:53:46 AM »
It's been 35 degrees most of the day today.  It's worth pointing out I haven't started the engine in over a year and had trouble starting on cooler days then too.  In the afternoon (this was summer), it cranked over just fine with the starter motor.  In the morning, when it's usually around 45 degrees, it just wouldn't go. 

I'll try the torch trick and also monkey around a little with valve clearances since I'm still not sure that they're quite right.  I had a devil of a time starting my new Listeroid until I got the valve clearances right.  If I had a base for the CS, I'd be using that, but I haven't gotten to that point yet.

Stan

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2008, 05:16:02 AM »
It seems to me that someone on the site drilled a small hole (1/8" ?) in the intake manifold tapped it to take the brass fitting from a small propane bottle.  They then attached the "air mixer" (can't think of the proper term) to a brass tube on the outside and attached a rubber propane proof hose and bottle to that.  They then had a permanent small flame heater for cold weather starting.

The other benefit from that sort of a setup, would be feeding a very small amount of propane into the intake manifold (unlit) during run time occasionally to cut down on carbonation.  Seems neater than using water mist for that purpose.  Less chance of rust, balanced by more chance of horrendous explosion if you forgot to turn it off.  ;D
Stan

addition.....as memory serves, someone on the site did the permanent propane input and hooked up a solenoid to it to cut off propane flow if the engine wasn't running.  Seems like a smart thing to do.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2008, 05:52:29 PM by Stan »

rcavictim

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2008, 05:45:35 PM »
Don't fuss about the valve tappet clearance if it is set to 0.015" as fatr as starting goes.  The hand crank will tell you if the valves are closing and sealing by the compression felt.  If you have good compression it is either air in the fuel line or cold preventing the start.  If it sat for a year the chance of air is high.  I just had that trouble on my Changfa 1115 after it sat almost a year.  I have a smaller JD175A and it is impossible to hand start when cold.  Even with electric start which I have added it needs to crank a lot before it fires if below about 40F.
-DIY 1.5L NA VW diesel genset - 9 kW 3-phase. Co-gen, dual  fuel
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KellyR

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2009, 10:37:16 PM »
Has anyone attempted to add a glow plug to a small chinese diesel?  It's still not been warm enough in my area for me to hand crank the engine and I haven't had a chance to do the rewiring I need to get the battery start.

KellyR

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2009, 03:08:26 AM »
Okay, so I've been mucking around with my JD R180 for a couple months now and still haven't been able to get the damn thing to start.  I spent today trying to get the electric starter back online, with no success.  I think maybe the solenoid is bad.  But never mind that.  I've been trying to handcrank it, also with no success.  The air temp around here is about 50 during the day and the engine is out in the sun at the moment, so it should be warm enough.  I've been monkeying around with the valve clearance, also with no success on the starting front.  I've got compression and I get smoke coming out of the tinpot muffler as I crank, but it won't catch.

Help!  Anyone have any other ideas?

Kelly

potter

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2009, 11:50:06 AM »
Heat is your buddy stick a hot air gun in the air intake(or the wifes hair dryer)  ???  ;D                                             

KellyR

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2009, 03:54:50 PM »
I've tried heating the injector and the intake, still no dice.

Billy Wood

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2009, 06:06:33 PM »
Did you bleed the air out of the injector lines as you crank it??

KellyR

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2009, 09:07:02 PM »
There's no air in the lines. I bled it out.

oliver90owner

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2009, 09:52:04 PM »
If you have bled the lines properly, followed all the advice from this and the previous thread, it should start if the engine is any good.

This is assuming you have changed the cooling for hot water (maybe a couple of times) are heating induction air with a torch or hot air gun, have appropriate fuel and are cranking fast enough, it should start.

Can you hear the injector 'creaking' as it passes the injection point?

Regards, RAB

AdeV73

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2009, 10:00:57 PM »
RAB posted about the injector just as I wrote this one: the only things left are injection timing, and the injector itself (is the spray pattern any good?), assuming the fuel is good, compression is good, and the inlet valve is working.

Billy Wood

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Re: chinese diesel won't start
« Reply #14 on: February 11, 2009, 05:22:09 AM »
Does it have the priming "bolt" that actuates a cam to pump the injector pump like the 1115 ??  If the primer "cam"  is not in a neutral position it could interfer with the amount of travel of the injector pump.