Using Starting Fluid

On that electric ether system, the ether is released only when you let go of the button. The ether button only works when the starter button is engaged (if it's wired correctly). On a personal note, every 6000 series that I ever pre-delivered (40 or 50 of them) always had the ether injector nozzle relocated to the air tube above the air cleaner and ahead of the turbocharger. This allowed the ether to enter the engine with a lot less "bang", versus the intake manifold location. I would drill a hole in the air tube and braze/weld a 1/8" pipe thread coupler to the tube and move the ether nozzle. Worked very well and easier on the engine in my opinion.

Pretty much use the same method for starting my dad's F3 Gleaner.  However if we plug the block heater in even for just an hour or so before we know we'll start it, it starts just like it's July with no ether.

Why are you using starting fluid at all anyway? I have had one 6080 for 17 years so far the other for 11 or 12 so far so basically 28 to 30 years in that time I bet total I havnt used starting fluid 5 times on them may occasionally use the manifold heater but that's it.   Thinking about it the starting fluid option doesn't work on any of our tractors.

VictoryAllis....your tractors apparently are newer than the oldest 14 to 1 compression ratio tractors. They usually needed some sort of help on a cold start-up.

I think the starting fluid problem is being a little exaggerated here. It may not be the best, but it's been used on our farm for years with no issues. We still plug in block heaters when possible but it isn't always.
One old Detroit Diesel grain truck doesn't have a heater and won't start at 40 degrees.

One of the 4WD's on the grain cart won't start below 40 without a little ether. Where do you plug in the heater when out on a remote farm? Without a little ether I guess I'd have to drive it 30 minutes home each night or spend 10k to rebuild a tractor that otherwise runs well.

I spray a little in the intake. Don't hardly ever inject it anywhere.

Edited by Allis dave - 01 Dec 2016 at 9:36am

Allis dave wrote: I think the starting fluid problem is being a little exaggerated here.

Ya think???

Here and anywhere else the subject comes up,,,,

Not a thing wrong with keeping them warm. I mostly keep my D17D in the heated shop. Ether gets a bad rap because some people think if a little is good, a lot must be better. Before I had heat in the shop that 1/4-1/2 second whiff was just right to get it started unless it was like -10. It lights right off on the whiff, but usually die right away. another 1/4-1/2 second whiff and it would have enough heat built up to keep running.

I use ether all the time. No problems. It's like a lot of things, use a little common sense. Something a lot of people have a problem with. If ya don't know how to use it, probly better stay away from it. I'd say that's why so many like to bash it. They just need educated.

There is night-and-day difference between the 14 and 16 to 1 engines when it comes to cold-starts.