Lastnight, was out bobcating/snowblowing driveway with our 773 Bobcat.

Ran out of fuel in my driveway (don't ask). So I immidately went and got some more before the motor cooled down, poured it in and attempted to restart the motor. Forgot to turn the throttle down and ended up flooding the beast.

As of lastnight, I wasn't able to get it started, so I plugged it in so that the motor would stay warm. This afternoon I have to hook up the battery charger cause I pert near drained the battery attempting to start it lastnight.

Anybody know how to start a flooded diesel motor?

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"The PRE10DR"
AIM: JeffSocha

Pull the spark plugs and turn it over to clear the cylinders.

How old is the loader?

you will need to bleed the injectors. Since you ran the egine dry there is now air in the injector lines, this is just like when you get air in a brake or clutch line in a Fiero. The line becomes airlocked. Bleeding the lines is a two man process. One guy disconnects the injector line at the injector and the other fellow cranks the engine unitl there is a steady stream of fuel out of hte line, then you quickly put the line back on the injector. This needs to be done for all each injector and line. This is a messy and time consuming process.

Note some newer diesels have self priming systems where the bleeding isn't necessary. check the owners manual. Typically on engines equipped with these systems it involved cycling the ignition one and off several times. The only diesels that have this that I have worked with are Yanmar engines. I bet the newer Cat's probably have a smiliar self bleeding system too.

Hank

I really don't want to pull the glo plugs as it is now outside (-9*F right now/-20*F to -35*F Windchills predicted for later today) and as they are a biatch to get to let alone get out.

Ugh.....this has nothing to do with the glo plugs. Injector lines and injectors is the issue here...sorry you will Frosty the snowman by the time you get it running

[This message has been edited by Hank is Here (edited 03-04-2003).]

Hank, its a used 1997 773 Bobcat (I believe F series).

After work, if I can't get it started, I may call my friend in Bismarck who works as a manager at Melroe/Bobcat and see if he has any suggestions.

According to my wife (as I was up until 3AM lastnight snowblowing and later trying to get it started), our driveway is starting to drift in again already and the wife needs to be able to take the horse trailer tomorrow morning.

quote Originally posted by Steve Normington: Pull the spark plugs and turn it over to clear the cylinders.

The last time i looked a diesel motor doesn't have spark plugs.

I used to use starting fluid (manual specifically said not recommended). I ran out of fuel twice with my diesel car, and each time I had to get the injectors fixed, they don't like running dry.

I remember a freind of mine had diesel that ran out of fuel. after putting more fuel in the tank.I remember him using a can of W-D-40 he was spraying it into the intake.After a few cranks it fired right up.I hope that would work for you .

You haven't flooded it. You CAN'T flood a diesel, it won't let you. What you did was airlock the system and you need to bleed it.

I can't tell you how because I don't know what motor you have. Different makes do it differently. On some, you just crank and crank and crank until it starts. On other's, you can crank till hell freezes over and unless you bleed the pump it ain't gonna run. Call your dealer and ask for bleeding instructions.

If you don't do that, do the universal bleeding trick. First, find the fuel filter(s). Crack the outlet line and either work the hand pump or turn on the electric pump until you get fuel out the line. Look on the injection pump for bleeders. Don't just disconnect things willy/nilly. The bleeder will look similar to a bold in the middle of a nut that has a tapered seat on the end like a brake bleeder. Loosen it a turn or two and work the hand pump or electric pump again until there is pure fuel and no bubbles.

If it still won't start, loosen the nut on one or two of the injector lines where they attach to the injectors. You will have to crank the engine to get fuel out of them, but once you do you'll know you have most of the air out of the lines.

Now, for a quick and dirty trick that might get you by. Never try this on a gasoline engine. Never try to use ether (starting fluid) on a glow plug equipped engine either.

You need to take the air hose off the intake manifold. Take a rag and soak it in gasoline. Hold a the gas soaked rag tight (just one layer, make believe you're using the rag for an air filter) over the inlet opening. Crank the engine and it WILL start on the gasoline fumes, but it will only run for a few seconds. The thing is, during those few seconds you will have spun the engine over maybe a couple hundred times, helping to get the air out of the system.

Now for the disclaimer. I have NEVER seen a diesel pop back through the manifold into the rag, but the chance does conceivably exist and remember, you're holding in your hands a gasoline soaked rag. If you turn yourself into a human torch, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!! You make your own decisions on the advisibility of this course of action, so you're on your own.

If you can tell me what engine you've got, I can give you better bleeding instructions.

John Stricker

Thanks guys. Finally got it started and limped it into the garage to warm up.

Fuel is "gelled" up pretty bad right now.

Cranked to beat heck on it until she started turning over and then modulated the throttle until she got going.

Jstricker's right you cant flood a diesel! Trust me I've tried to no end!

I'd imaging the air in the line would have caused the freezing and no fuel pressuse problem! Either that or some water was in the line and froze.

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02' 3800SC Poly, Koni, Enkei

I use #2 diesel year round as it is typically parked in our unattached, heated garage, and only goes outside after it has had sufficient time to warm up after being started.

I'm not out that long once it is outside during the winter months...1/2 hour to an hour at most, less if it is colder. Only use it to blow snow out of the driveways and/or move hay bales into the pasture's across the highway for our horses...than it's right back into the garage.

Its been in there since I limped it in after work lastnight and hooked it back up to the battery charger on low amps to recharge the battery. Did some major "boosting" lastnight to get it to crank fast enough to start it.

Will see what it does tonight after work after I've refilled the gas tank. Once started, I'm going to let it run for awhile to ensure it's idiling properly and bleed any additional air out of the lines.

Thanks again all, especially you jstricker!

you cant flood a diesel but you can kill the starter my friend has a 1986 Chevy Beauville Van 6.2L Diesel. he has killed the starter twice on that thing. O_o

Soaper

Do yourself a favor and go get a quart of PS (power service, I think) anti-gell additive. Put it in the tank per the directions. We run it in all our stuff in the winter and NEVER have a gelling problem. It doesn't hurt anything when it's warm either, in fact it helps the fuel to keep from developing the microbes that can cause filter plugging. Just get some and use it. Any good parts store that knows anything about diesels will have it.

You're welcome.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by The PRE10DR: I use #2 diesel year round as it is typically parked in our unattached, heated garage, and only goes outside after it has had sufficient time to warm up after being started. I'm not out that long once it is outside during the winter months...1/2 hour to an hour at most, less if it is colder. Only use it to blow snow out of the driveways and/or move hay bales into the pasture's across the highway for our horses...than it's right back into the garage. Its been in there since I limped it in after work lastnight and hooked it back up to the battery charger on low amps to recharge the battery. Did some major "boosting" lastnight to get it to crank fast enough to start it. Will see what it does tonight after work after I've refilled the gas tank. Once started, I'm going to let it run for awhile to ensure it's idiling properly and bleed any additional air out of the lines. Thanks again all, especially you jstricker!

In the winter, if I can get my hands on a large bottle of antigel if the truckers haven't already, as we have a 2001 3500 Dodge RAM with the Cummins Turbo Diesel, and if the weather is going to dip way down below -40*F with windchills, I typically will do a 50/50 ration of #2 and #1 fuel and/or 30/70 respectively (depending on the forecast) so that I get the burn power from the #2 fuel and yet the added protection of not gelling from the #1. If I do lay my hands on antigel, I will also add that as an additive even though I am mixing in the ratio's above for further protection.

I've had my one-ton gel up on me on more than one occassion as one day it would be warm, next day -50/-60 (or colder) below 0 windchills. Of course, that is when I lived out in the country and didn't have a heated garage.

As far as the bobcat...Monday was the only day this bobcat has seen and/or been exposed to these temperatures...as normally...its indoors and normally only needed when it is warmer outside. I didn't think the 20 minutes it took for me to get to the gas station and back to fill it would have made a difference. But then again, it also dipped down to -35 below that night with below -50 windchills after I couldn't get it restarted and let it sit for the night...so that didn't help either.

[This message has been edited by The PRE10DR (edited 03-06-2003).]