Lots of white smoke when starting

[Rowan Mays]

I was listening closely to the video and it sounds like it's occasionally missing on one cylinder. Makes me wonder if you have a bad or funky injector... It also appeared to puff white smoke when it "missed".

Just a thought.

Judging by that observation, one glo-plug has left the building
FWIW, my D750 engine has the plugs in parallel, so if one if US, the other two will (just) start it. At low RPM, when just started, you'll get whitish smoke from the cold cylinder(s) until all is warmed up to reasonable temp. It would be very unusual indeed for a pre-combustion diesel to have series wired glo-plugs. Electrical contacts are prone to causing problems. Check and clean them if you can get at 'em. Umm, they're fragile at the end you can see. Star washers are you friend, too.
And to the posters mentioning B7x tractors - yes, B7100's aren't the most flash starters out there. Need at least 15-20 Seconds glo in the tropics to get a clean start out of my machine.

 

[motorhead]

It would be very unusual indeed for a pre-combustion diesel to have series wired glo-plugs.

Partial quote.
Actually the early Mercedes diesels up to about 1980 had series style glow plugs. I don't understand why but they did. My 1977 240D with the series, wire loop style glow plugs was getting hard to start in the cold. They were all working but hard to start. I pulled them out and put in a set of pencil style, parallel connected and it starts like a charm in the cold.

 

[eserv]

Hats off to eserv and Camrose Dynamic/Kubota Sales and Service in Camrose Alberta!

View attachment 6625

Retarding the timing doesn't correct the cold misfiring condition. advancing it beyond spec to 20 degrees or so might help but the problem really is a cold indirect-injection engine. They run just fine when warmed up. Kubota says it is normal and I agree with them. These are NOT gas engines with a sparkplug! they rely on heat of compression to fire the fuel. ( white smoke is unburned fuel) there just isn't enough heat there when the engine is cold. retarding the timing might reduce the midrange vibration people are experiencing though.

 

[Frank minarchi]

Ok boys its fixed! Dont retard the timing but advance it,Up to about 20 or so TDC.So when or if you take your injection pump out remove a shim that has 2 holes in it and try that it should advance it about 2 degrees or so.I did and no more white smoke on start up! Havent had time yet to play with it to see if the vibration came down but i will this weekend and let you guys know. Frank

 

[Bulldog]

That sounds good Frank, thanks for the update. Maybe it's completely fixed and all your trouble is behind you now.

 

[Frank minarchi]

Thanks I hope so!

 

[motorhead]

Thanks I hope so!

Frank...Thanks for the report. let us know about the 2100rpm vibration if that helped or made it worse.

By the way... I hooked up the Snap-on timing pickup on my B3200 yesterday to see if it would read the same as checking the timing the static, flow method.
Running the engine, the timing light flashes right on the TDC mark. I don't know what my static timing is. I don't have any cold start issues but am chasing the rpm vibration issues. I'll report when I dig into the issue.

 

[Frank minarchi]

Ya i would be curious to know what that timing is might already be close to 20tdc thats wye start up is fine.But i will definitley let you know after this weekend using it.

 

[Frank minarchi]

K boys that was it. I advanced the timing up to 19-20TDC tried it a little bit of vibration between 1800-2200 RPM with a little pulsing so brought it back in removed another shim left in the only one witch is 250mm (1hole) just to try, and my vibration is gone!!!No smoke on start up no pulsing Rev her up to full power no smoking it is completely perfect and it sits around 21-22TDC. Thanks for the help ED.

 

[kuboman]

K boys that was it. I advanced the timing up to 19-20TDC tried it a little bit of vibration between 1800-2200 RPM with a little pulsing so brought it back in removed another shim left in the only one witch is 250mm (1hole) just to try, and my vibration is gone!!!No smoke on start up no pulsing Rev her up to full power no smoking it is completely perfect and it sits around 21-22TDC. Thanks for the help ED.

Don't forget that you can do the same damage to a diesel as a gas with the timing too far advanced. 22* seems way up there from my experience.

 

[kuboman]

Frank...Thanks for the report. let us know about the 2100rpm vibration if that helped or made it worse.

By the way... I hooked up the Snap-on timing pickup on my B3200 yesterday to see if it would read the same as checking the timing the static, flow method.
Running the engine, the timing light flashes right on the TDC mark. I don't know what my static timing is. I don't have any cold start issues but am chasing the rpm vibration issues. I'll report when I dig into the issue.

How do you get to the timing marks on the flywheel?

 

[Frank minarchi]

Right side behind the hydulics outlets couplers there is a plug and with the spill test done im sitting just over the 20 degree mark

 

[motorhead]

How do you get to the timing marks on the flywheel?

And they are a real pain in the butt to see with the hyd line in the way. To make it easier to find the marks, I used a paint marker pen to mark the front crankshaft engine pulley and an adjoining align mark in the cam gear cover.

FRANK... Thanks for the report back on your timing.