EzeeStart

OK. You wouldn't have a can of 'easystart' on board under any circumstances because it is wicked stuff that will kill your engine.

So what exactly do the rest of you do on an icy morning at anchor; an engine with no glow-plugs or pre-heat; and sluggish batteries? Call out SeaStart??

Used judiciously it has never harmed my BUKH.
 
I used Eezee Start every day for two weeks on a BMC Commander because we were on holiday and the glowplugs had packed up. It didn't appear to do any long term harm.
 
WD40 every time, ezee start is **** at loosening rusted bolts, and never put either near the intake of a diesel.
Hot air will do the job, and if you re expecting touble then drain the water cooling and refill with hot water.
 
When I bought my previous boat it came complete with 3 cans of Eezestart, engine was a Perkins 4108. It had been used on all cold starts over the previous 15 years, when boat was demonstrated to me by owner he gave it a good squirt of the stuff. All done because the thermostart did not work. I repaired the wiring to the thermostart and always used that. Engine was always a first time starter on either Eezestart or thermostart, engine hrs when I sold boat was 3500, so my practical experience was if engine was not addicted after 15 years it was never going to be. This may upset the purists but it's practical experience.
 
Agree engines become addicted, but in diesels the main reason might be loss of cold compression. Ezee start will fire at lower compression, WD40 will seal the worn valves or rings and improve cold compression. My Farymann genny engine became 'addicted' until I replaced the exhaust valve and its seat.
 
Humm, using Ezzee start eh? well right or wrong I used to use Essee Start on a small outboard that always difficult to start after being left a'while as I found the Ezzee stuff fired up the outboard readily and she then ran ok, but if I tried starting her in orthodox way she took quite a while to fire up, then she always seemed to run rough for the day. Do not know why, but she did.
 
If you expect trouble enough to buy EZ then why not use a plumber's gas torch, very effective, and useful elsewhere.
We had a recalcitrant BMC Sherpa truck, only one chance to start it, had to be glow plugs then if no go bump down the hill. Sold it to an engineer, a while later we hinted at our start problems, he said we just weren't spinning it fast enough, pointing to the huge battery he'd installed.
 
Well confession time. I have owned a 1954 Perkins diesel engine, in a tractor, for over 35 years. Was advised Eezy Start helped things along when starting. Have been doing so ever since, started and used about twice a week. Just a gentle squirt in the vicinity of the air intake, not too much. Still going strong, starts first time. One day, maybe, I will do rings, bore, valves etc, but then maybe not. 35 not out.
 
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A garage close to me persuades reluctant deisels to start with blast of very cheap and cheerful ...brake fluid cleaner !
 
VicS said:
There are two reasons for not using easy start in diesel engines. Firstly is lack of lubrication but the main reason is that you have no control over when ignition occurs. With a petrol engine it occurs when the spark ignites it but with a diesel it will ignite when it gets hot enough.. This could be well in advance of normal and cause mechanical damage.

WD40 is mostly Naphtha, Hydroesulphurised Heavy .. same as white spirit. The propellant may be butane .. it was for a while but is now I think CO2


dont forget engines become addicted to Easy Start etc.............. Now watch the responses to that statement!
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Granted. There are reasons for not using Easystart but there is reasons to it's use also as long as it used in moderation. For an emergency start aid and a quick squirt, in this case I cannot fault it's use.
Most diesels that require it's use at some point of the engines life are old and have indirect injection, rotary injection pumps, poor compression and slow cranking speed.
Basically a diesel needs a good compression, atomised fuel with a good cranking speed and failing this the engine won't start. Easystart, WD or Duckoil or whatever you poison you wish to use will improve the start conditions. If your engine has a slow cranking speed, either because of battery power or a poor starter, under these conditions Easystart will just compression lock your engine and there will be added strain to the battery and starter.
For me Rotary pumps and indirect injection where a piss poor design but suited the manufacturer as in smaller designs and cost.
In line pumps and direct injected engines rarely suffer the same problems as they would give good injection at a slower crank speed and did not have to go through a primary injection chambers.
As for " become addicted to Easystart etc" Over use can will heat the ignition, it raises compression, washes the bores of oil and decokes the carbons. but basically the engine or ancillaries are already very tied if you need to use it all the time.
So under these circumstances it may be back to basics. If the engine compression is good, recon injectors to make sure atomisation is at it's best, check out pre-heat and make sure that all the glow plugs or the thermostart plug are/is performing as should be, batteries and circuit connections are tight and clean.
One big improvement over the years have been the introduction of gear reduction starters either as standard or retrofit. These do increase the cranking speed with less power consumption and tend not to balk with compression, this for some may be the way to go.
 
Niffler said:
How do you use the gas torch?
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Warm air in makes combustion much easier so heat the air intake and get the intake to suck in the flame. Obviously you need to be careful not to set light to it.
Heating the whole engine block helps too,many old trucks and tractors had an oil soaked rag set alight under the engine on cold mornings. During winter a farmer I know drains the cooling system every night and refils in the morning with hot water.
 
Dougal Tolan said:
Warm air in makes combustion much easier so heat the air intake and get the intake to suck in the flame. Obviously you need to be careful not to set light to it.
Heating the whole engine block helps too,many old trucks and tractors had an oil soaked rag set alight under the engine on cold mornings. During winter a farmer I know drains the cooling system every night and refils in the morning with hot water.
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He must have a lot of time on his hands. EzeeStart is quicker.
 
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