| Author | Message | ||
| Terry Mac (199.120.113.103)
Rating: N/A |
Well this is a sad day.Made arrangements to sell my 72 MC7.Somethings in life you have to do.The new owner is flying up to Iowa next week to get her.I want to have her running and ready to go when he gets here.I know she is going to need a boost and some ether to start.Unfortunately I wont be at home when he comes as I will be working out of state so my wife is going to handle the sale.As neither one of has much bus exp I need to know how to jumpstart the bus and where to spray the ether.Thanks in advance Terry Mac | ||
| Ace (24.28.41.194) Rating: N/A |
WOW what a coincidence! My buyer is arriving Monday and I TOO have to be at work and I'm leaving everything up to Susan to do. We had somewhat of a class for her today and tomorrow will be a dry run for her! As for the Ether? Use VERY LITTLE and spray it in the air intake! If the batteries are low or dead, they may need replacing cause in cold weather it can take while to charge them up enough to crank the diesel! We don't have that problem since were in sunny, sometimes wet, Florida! Good luck to you and yours! Hope this helps Ace | ||
| Earl-8-Ky (207.162.163.19)
Rating: N/A |
Terry does your bus have a block heater. If so you should plug it in and warm the engine. I would also put a tricle charger on the batts. If you are going to try to jump start a MCI you will have a problem because of the 24 volt set up. You will nearly need to hook two batts in a series to get 24 volts to jump it with. Use the ether very sparingley. Hope this helps. | ||
| DaveD (64.235.206.78)
Rating: N/A |
Plug in the block heater well in advance (4 hours or more), to ensure it has time to work. Dave Dulmage (MC-8) | ||
| Terry Mac (199.120.113.103)
Rating: N/A |
How do you hook 2 batteries in a series | ||
| Peter Aduskevich (Slowslowpete) (67.75.106.8)
Rating: N/A |
Positive of one to the negative of the other . If your using two 12 volt batteries you will have 24 volts across the two remaining terminals . Magnetic oil pan heaters work well if you do not have a block heater . If you have a block heater use both. Better yet, can you get the bus inside a building. Good Luck | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.48.1) Rating: N/A |
Positive To Negitive is Series, & will Increse Voltage. Hint; Use heavy copper jumpers 00, or 000 with batery post termenal ends on each end to conect POSITIVE [12v.] of batery 1 to NEGITIVE [12v.] batery 2, This results in 24v. one post + & other post - @ 24 Volts...hence "series". [batrey 1 has the - 24v. post & batery 2 has the + 24v. post]in this config....12 + 12 =24... Also Good to know: Cold starting Tip With no Glow Plugs [for example], Step 1 crank 15 seconds,wait 90 sec. repeat 2 or 3 times, step 2 wait 3 to 5 min. than crank 40 sec. it [if it has not started yet] should now either finish batterys or start on next long cranking bought. | ||
| Rodger (64.70.24.209) Rating: N/A |
The best way, if you have 120VAC electrical power available to the bus is preheat the engine. If it has no block heater, a couple of heat lamps and a tarp for several hours will do fine. Overnight would be great. While the engine is being preheated, charge the batteries. If two 12V batts in series, you'll need either a 24V charger or two 12V. Put one 12V on each 12V battery, same as you would a single 12V. If a 24V charger, with the batts connected Pos to Neg, connect the charger to the remaining + & - posts. If the bus has a genset, use it to power the block heater, heat lamps, chargers. It will be good for the genset to run for a few hours anyway. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (65.130.11.240)
Rating: N/A |
I was told it is better to spray the starting fluid as the engine starts turning. Takes two people. Wait for the engine to start turning and spray. This prevents a big gulp of ether damaging a cylinder. Remove air filter and spray dircectly in filter housing. Replace air filter after engine starts. If you have to spray first then start it works well to wait a half a minute to let the ether equilibate so one cylinder doesn't get it all. Yes, preheat by some method. Portable electric heaters will work too. So will an electric Hibachi grill under the oil pan. Get those bus batteries fully charged. Put a 12 volt charger across each battery. No need to disconnect between batteries. Chargers do not need to be identical. Borrow an extra from a friend. Charge for a day or two at 5 to 10 amp setting if you have 8D batteries. This will avoid jumping which takes very heavy jumper cables. I would have them on the chargers the morning it has to be started untiil just before starting up. Old batteries may lose their charge in just a day or two. | ||
| John Feld (Deacon) (204.184.224.46)
Rating: N/A |
Save your wife all the trouble and locate a road service nearby to come and start the coach when needed. Be sure to tell them you have a 24 V system. Once started and run to warm-up you can shut it off for up to 4 hours at a time if below 20 degrees, 3 hours if below 10 degrees. If you need to warm it without driveing place a sheet of cardboard over the outside grill to the radiator, the pull of air when running will hold the cardboard in place. John 4104 & 4106 | ||
| Tim Brandt (Timb) (12.8.192.60)
Rating: N/A |
I'm not sure if any of you bus nuts have tried this or not. In the marine industry when we needed a kick rather than take a chance on damaging a motor with ether we used WD40 as a starting fluid. | ||
| CoryDane RTSII (66.155.188.208) Rating: N/A |
I've heard of using WD40 before, it appears to be a very light petro product, does it vapourize so fast that it can act similar to either with out the bad effects?? How does it work and is there any danger to the engine using the WD40? "Imagine Your Dreams" cdcdcd | ||
| Tim Brandt (Timb) (12.8.192.60)
Rating: N/A |
I would really like some of the same answers.....the diesel mechanics I worked with never went into detail just that it was a safe alternative to ether because it wasn't so volatile and compressed easier. I have used it with success and no ills on my twin 230HP perkins. It does vaporize nicely. The story I read on the history of it was that NASA developed it and coated the outside of the saturn V with it prior to launch to keep ice from sticking....not sure if I believe that or not. | ||
| Terrance A.Haag (Mrbus) (64.12.96.105)
Rating: N/A |
WD40 is about 80% fuel oil, consequently it is perfect as a starting aid. The big advantage is that it will not fire as quickly as ether causing a kick back, it also will not wash the oil from the cylinder walls. It is entering the combustion chamber as a vapor so it is easier to fire than the cold fuel from the injectors. We have used WD40 for many years to start our fleet of school buses, and only use ether as a last resort. Motor coaches were always kept inside, made it easier to warm the passenger compartment prior to pickups. Modern starting fluid is not purely ether as in day gone by when we used the little plastic pills that were punctured in the air intake. Most everything brought into the fleet in the past five years have been equipped with either Espar or Webasto heaters, such marvelous inventions.  Gus Haag Minnesota | ||
| BrianMCI96A3 (65.40.153.194) Rating: N/A |
Chevrolet does not recommend the use of ether for their 6.2 Diesel, aparently it has been known to cause blown head gaskets. As an alternative I have personally used WD-40 to start a number of cold 6.2's with dead bats over the years. Brian | ||
| BrianMCI96A3 (65.40.153.194) Rating: N/A |
With no ill effects, I might add... Brian | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.64.127)
Rating: N/A |
A weed burner held near the intake manifold so that heated but not oxygen depleted air enters the manifold or blower inlet works nicely too, without damaging the engine. I realize that this is hard to utilize in a coach that is already in service because you don't want to set an air filter on fire or scorch the paint on the plenum's air inlet. However, it works very well if you prepare for it, and it will start a very worn engine as well. We use the method on heavy equipment that is too cold to start on it's own. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher |