Author Topic: LPA3 iffy starting  (Read 2023 times)

Ferry Dave

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LPA3 iffy starting
« on: April 02, 2018, 04:07:18 PM »
Hi all,
The LPA3 runs our Ferry (an ex-Ship's lifeboat) on the Norfolk Broads.
Hopefully, it will get us through this season and then will be in need of some TLC  (a rebore etc)

The only way (it seems) to start it is to give 5-10 seconds of glowplug and then start it on full throttle and keep the revs up for half a minute or so and then it will be fine. If we try and start it on part throttle opening (still using heater plug), it will start for a couple of seconds and then die and then it's a nightmare. eventually, using easystart, it will go and once warmed up, be ok for the rest of the day. I did wonder if it was air in the fuel system, but bleeding it first didn't make much difference.
Any thoughts??
Dave

dieselgman

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Re: LPA3 iffy starting
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2018, 11:06:28 PM »
If compression is down on that model, (either leaky rings or valves), starting can get extremely temperamental. If injectors are not top notch, you can also have starting and running issues. A look inside the manifolds will tell you quite a bit about what is going on.

dieselgman
ALL Things Lister/Petter - Americas
Lyons Kansas warehousing and rebuild operations

Ferry Dave

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Re: LPA3 iffy starting
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2018, 03:50:19 PM »
Lovely!!
Thanks for that. We do have an issue with bore wear (exhaust gasses in the crankcase) and are working on doing a rebore and overhaul at the end of this season.

Dave

dieselspanner

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Re: LPA3 iffy starting
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2018, 10:19:26 PM »
Fast and dirty temp fixes.........

Easy Start is brutal, it can knock the stuffing out of an engine in no time. make sure the inlet and exhaust are not fouled up and then use WD 40 or 3 in 1 oil aerosol spray, or similar.

Easy start works by lowering the compression ignition point but strips the oil from the bore, and reduces the compression, an aerosol spray oil helps the seal thus and raises the temperature in the chamber, at TDC, allowing the diesel to light off as it should, as well as providing extra fuel.

A 'Camping Gaz' type blow lamp (Lit. obviuosly!) directed down the air inlet, whilst cranking, will warm the charge air, and the compression will have less work to do to get the temperature in the chamber up to point where the diesel will ignite.

Using decent quality road diesel, rather than 'Red' will help too.

Ask me how I know how much wear 'Angels Breath' can occasion to the bottom end of a well knackered diesel!

None of this is better than a proper overhaul, but it might help get you through the season, with enough of a motor left to rebuild!

Cheers Stef

Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

dieselgman

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Re: LPA3 iffy starting
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2018, 02:40:26 PM »
Best starting aid that will not destruct what is left of your rings is a bit of oil injection on cold-start plus some added heat. Many of the cold-weather equipped versions of this engine used electric pre-heat plugs in the inlet manifold. Additional heat also speeds up the starting process and can be added in a wide number of ways. A little oil injection in the intake will also temporarily bring up the compression enough to get ignition happening.

dieselgman
ALL Things Lister/Petter - Americas
Lyons Kansas warehousing and rebuild operations