Engine start question

[TomC]

Barn Owl- Once you remove the injectors, the injection rack has to be re-calibrated since you have to set the height, rocker gap and rack adjustment.  Good Luck, TomC

[Chaz]

A couple "bills" isn't too bad for the starter, I guess. I would have suspected more. I may take you up on that, NJT. But before I do, I want to get someone to listen to it start to see if it is draggin. Thanx a bunch for the offer!!!
  Ok, I'm not sure what an "R" engine is? (right hand rotation?? Jack says left hand.) And what is "clocking the starter to the engine"? I have a manual, I guess I can look it up.
  Yeah, I got a 4108. (my baby)

[Dallas]

A couple "bills" isn't too bad for the starter, I guess. I would have suspected more. I may take you up on that, NJT. But before I do, I want to get someone to listen to it start to see if it is draggin. Thanx a bunch for the offer!!!
  Ok, I'm not sure what an "R" engine is? (right hand rotation?? Jack says left hand.) And what is "clocking the starter to the engine"? I have a manual, I guess I can look it up.
  Yeah, I got a 4108. (my baby)

Chaz,
an "R" engine is a right hand rotation engine. as opposed to a left hand rotation.
Clocking the starter is setting the brushes in the proper configuration to make it rotate clockwise or counter clockwise.

What I want to know is that if your engine or starter is a dragon, how did you get it into the engine room? And how do you cool it? I thought dragons were pretty darn big critters that put out a whole bunch of heat and other emmisions! 

[JackConrad]

   Gee, we all learn something new everyday.  I thought "clocking the starter" was adjusting the nose piece to put the solenoid in the right position when the starter was installed. 
   R and L refer to engine rotation.  All bus engines are right hand rotation except the GM buses that have an angle drive setup. Most of these are left hand rotation except a few that have been modified, usually to use a differnet engine such as a Cummings, series 50, etc. Is that as clear as mud? All regular trucks use right hand rotation engines.  Jack

[buswarrior]

Hello.

Using Ether is doing a deal with the devil. You need it to start, but if improperly used, the compression suffers.

It sounds like the previous owner has been over-dosing.

For happiest results, it should be a little sniff into an already turning engine.

Excessive ether has a bad habit of firing off at the wrong moment as the piston is still upward bound and putting great strain on the compression rings. Reports of bent connecting rods have also been received.

As for what to do...

Depends on what you want to spend your time and money on.

Since you are able to get it to run, just forgetting about it and carry on with your current methods is a viable choice.

For curiosity's sake, it is relatively easy to get the cranking speed measured, and then you'll know that, which doubles as a check on the starter, since if it is slow, it won't be getting better, and a new one would be good.

Major engine work, well, that isn't much fun in either the time or spending department.

See option #1....?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[NJT 5573]

Dupont makes the best either. Don't buy it. Get the weaker stuff. I have heard of either damage. I have also emptied 2 cans of either, one in each hand spraying at the same time into many Detroit 2 stroke engines. I have never seen any proof that this way of priming a 2 stroke has broken any rings or damaged any of these engines. They will only turn about 1000 rpm on 1 can of either spraying continuously but 2 at the same time with someone holding the throttle wide open will prime the system as soon as you hit the governor. Sure beats changing fuel filters on the RR X. Use either if you need a start aid, thats what its made for. A 3 count of either spray into the intake is usually enough to fire them off, it doesn't hurt anything and your starter will last a lot longer.

[lostagain]

WD40 works good too.

[Chaz]

I heard about WD40. I heard the lubrication quality was better for the engine than ether. Is this true??

[lostagain]

Chaz, I don't really know. I suspect that it may be the case. I think that WD40 does not explode as viollently as ether and is therefore easier on your engine. I use WD40 as a starter fluid and it works. Maybe someone else has more scientific evidence than me.

[pvcces]

Hot air is much better for the engine if you can use it without hurting anything else.

Tom Caffrey

[Chaz]

Hot air is much better for the engine if you can use it without hurting anything else.

  Any members on this board you can reccomend me getting that from??? lololol

[Lee Bradley]

WD-40 used to work as starting fluid when it's propellant was propane but they switched to CO2 a number of years ago. It may help starting just because it helps seal the rings and ups the compressions.