Volvo MD5 pre-heat?

[HunterSonata]

I now have a Pegasus 800 with a Volvo MD5 7.5 HP diesel which can be reluctant to start from cold (e.g. if unused for a month)
No black smoke from exhaust or other signs of injector problems so I wonder if a good winter project would be to fit a pre-heater plug in the inlet manifold (seems necessary to have them on my Volvo diesel car!!)
Has anyone experience of doing this on an MD5 and any tips to offer?

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[Johnjo]

If this is the same model that I use to have many years ago, they have a cold start button on the back end just above the gearbox, small brass button which is pressed down to aid starting.
Some owners are not aware its there or what its for, you probably are, but you never know !..

All the best with it.

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[scottie]

if you do not have black smoke when the engine is slow to start then I would check the fuel supply
next time you start it after a break in use
try priming the lift pump with lever on it check and check that fuel is reaching the injector by disconnecting the supply pipe at the injector and turning the engine over by hand


I do not think that the md5 had a cold start other than full throttle

the brass button refers to the md1/2 family

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[Johnjo]

Ah well, "worth a try" !

Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that !/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[philwebb]

I have an MD5 in my boat and it generally starts well from cold if the battery is
well charged. How good is your battery? You can get them checked for free at
shops that sell car spares. When I had a smaller battery I found that we had to
turn over the engine by hand first before trying to start it on the battery when it was cold
or after it had not been used for a time. Our control panel has a pull handle for cold
start but I`m not sure where the cable is connected-will have a look when I`m next
down at the boat.
Besides the fuel problems other people have mentioned have a look round the
injector-are there any sticky black deposits? This may indicate a leak on the injector
sleeve- a copper insert. This is not difficult to fit but needs the head off. I took off the head to fit a new sleeve and had the head skimmed , fitted new valve guides and
had the seats recut. This made a big difference to performance and starting.
Regarding DIY pre-heat I have heard that a 12volt hairdryer stuck in the air
intake works wonders.
One last thing have you had the injector out for a check? Try a commercial
diesel place the guy at my local place checked mine and cleaned it up for free!
Regards, Phil

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[scottie]

sorry md5 should have cold start as previous post
3 levers at govenor assembly
throttle
stop
cold start

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[HunterSonata]

Thanks everyone for replies so far.
It does have a cold start device (connected like the engine stop to a pull grip in the cockpit) .
Have doubled-up the battery capacity last season but no difference.
I haven't tried checking the fuel flow or hairdryer-up-the-intake however.
I'll also look for leaks around the injector sleeve when I winterise the engine this weekend.
My thinking on a pre-heater was triggered by the memory of having read an article somewhere which suggested this as being an answer.
Thanks again
Rob

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[robind]

sounds very much like the fuel is draining back into the tank! due to an air leak in the fuel pipe or fittings check all fittings and pipes for any signs of leakage (bearing in mind that the leakage would be inwards not outwards as it were). You could try fully priming the system before you start as previously mentioned and note any difference that may confirm problem?
Hope this helps
Rob

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