CaveCreekRay
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Bob,
Lots of experience posted here already.
Diesels are funny animals. Sound like they are going to explode right after you start them up. Ever notice how cold the exhaust is after start? Stick your hand down there, hardly a whisper of heat. That tells you how slow your motor will heat up in idle.
I live in Arizona so, you'd think my weather is totally different than yours. To a point, that's true. I still hit my GPs, even in the summer here on first start of the day if I haven't started it in a week or two. Seems to help with a faster and cleaner start (less smoke). Diesels don't like to sit too long without use. Try to start yours at least every two or three weeks. In the winter, GP is a must even at my "toasty" 40F. Once warmed, it's no longer needed. (If you need more than one crank over, you need GP)
In summer, I'll start up and in 30 seconds, I'll gently raise the FEL and box and tip-toe outside to warm up. If you think about it, warming up in winter to get the tranny to 50F or so is really not necessary when it's already 60F or warmer. The key is lubrication: You want to make sure the engine is well "wet" with oil and the transmission has had time to power up the hydraulics (HST) to pressure. In summer on repeated starts throughout the day, they'll start right up when only slightly warm, just like a car.
Additives are like sports teams: Everyone has their favorite. One thing I will endorse is additives to the fuel which enhance "lubricity" because the fuel pump on a diesel runs at a higher pressure than a car and suffers from wear with these low sulfur fuels today. I use some Stanadyne additives (Amazon) to help keep the fuel pump and injectors as clean as I can. Wally Mart sells a fuel additive that woks on diesels and gas engines that is also a stabilizer to keep the fuel fresher longer.
One additive I haven't seen mentioned is a biocide. Diesel will grow fungi in summer if it gets contaminated while warm. I always treat stored gas with a tad of biocide to keep that from happening and I treat the tractor to a good dose once a year to keep the innards from gunking up with cooties. Those will stop you dead in your tracks if it gets into your system.
Have fun!
Lots of experience posted here already.
Diesels are funny animals. Sound like they are going to explode right after you start them up. Ever notice how cold the exhaust is after start? Stick your hand down there, hardly a whisper of heat. That tells you how slow your motor will heat up in idle.
I live in Arizona so, you'd think my weather is totally different than yours. To a point, that's true. I still hit my GPs, even in the summer here on first start of the day if I haven't started it in a week or two. Seems to help with a faster and cleaner start (less smoke). Diesels don't like to sit too long without use. Try to start yours at least every two or three weeks. In the winter, GP is a must even at my "toasty" 40F. Once warmed, it's no longer needed. (If you need more than one crank over, you need GP)
In summer, I'll start up and in 30 seconds, I'll gently raise the FEL and box and tip-toe outside to warm up. If you think about it, warming up in winter to get the tranny to 50F or so is really not necessary when it's already 60F or warmer. The key is lubrication: You want to make sure the engine is well "wet" with oil and the transmission has had time to power up the hydraulics (HST) to pressure. In summer on repeated starts throughout the day, they'll start right up when only slightly warm, just like a car.
Additives are like sports teams: Everyone has their favorite. One thing I will endorse is additives to the fuel which enhance "lubricity" because the fuel pump on a diesel runs at a higher pressure than a car and suffers from wear with these low sulfur fuels today. I use some Stanadyne additives (Amazon) to help keep the fuel pump and injectors as clean as I can. Wally Mart sells a fuel additive that woks on diesels and gas engines that is also a stabilizer to keep the fuel fresher longer.
One additive I haven't seen mentioned is a biocide. Diesel will grow fungi in summer if it gets contaminated while warm. I always treat stored gas with a tad of biocide to keep that from happening and I treat the tractor to a good dose once a year to keep the innards from gunking up with cooties. Those will stop you dead in your tracks if it gets into your system.
Have fun!
