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68 Ford 5000 hard to start in cold weather.

R

Robert Williams

New User
Hi All,

I am new to this forum and to diesel engines. My problem is starting the tractor on cold mornings. i have a 68 ford 5000. I do not know if it has a glo plug yet as it is at my farm. i will check this this weekend. also with the key switch, i am unsure where the glo plug position is? i have heard of this tractor maybe having a thermostart resevoir to heat the fuel and maybe having a cold weather start start button.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Robert
 
My 1967 5000D has a thermostart unit in the intake manifold. You turn the key to the left from the OFF position to activate it.
My injector pump (Simms) has a cold start button on the side of it. You push this button in to deliver extra fuel during start. Once the engine has started the button pops out.
There was an engine change in the 5000 about April of 1968 so you will need to check your tractor to see if you have these features.
 
Just to add to awhtx's comment on the simms pump with the excess fuel button. With my 5000 with the same pump, you must advance your throttle half way before pushing in the excess fuel button, then engaging the starter. Once started, return the throttle to ideling speed.
 
I believe the Thermostart was optional on all 5000's, regardless of year, and the excess fuel button should be on any of them that have the inline injection pump. (I've never seen a 5000 with a rotary pump, but have heard that some have them.)
 

In general, diesels like to be warm to start. A freeze plug heater, lower radiator heater or even a magnet heater on the oil pan will greatly help. They are in order of effectiveness and opposite order of installation ease.


Unlike gasoline engines, diesels are fired by the heat of compression only. The cold cylinders, pistons, head and air suck the heat up making starting harder. The tractor being 40 years old means it probably is down a bit on compression too, making it harder to start. And the starter may not be spinning as fast as needed with the weaker cold battery and thicker oil. Getting a new battery of the largest size that will physically fit may also solve many of the issues.

A caution is to not use ether. Ether can easily be misused and blow out piston ring lands. I have a piston that is a pencil holder now with 2 broken ring lands due to the prior owner going ether happy in the winter. (Idiot). At 8500 hours the cylinder bores were still in spec, except for the gouges from the broken ring lands! grrrr.

jb
 
Thanks,

i have looked on line at what the injection pump looks like. So i do know my tractor has it. I take it this button is on top of this pump and easy to find?
 
Robert,
Another helpful suggestion to add to other ideas:

Install a good 1500 watt tank heater and you will start in the coldest weather after plugging in for only an hour or two. Tank heaters pump warm coolant throughout the block.

The key to a good installation is to tap into the lowest point that coolant sits in the block (usually a block drain or frost plug) for your lower hose connection. For your upper hose connection tap into the highest point coolant gets to on the engine. This will be somewhere on the head (upper part of water pump or by the thermostat).

This kind of installation will guarantee that warm coolant gets circulated through the entire block and head.
 
(quoted from post at 16:35:41 11/18/08) Robert,
Another helpful suggestion to add to other ideas:

Install a good 1500 watt tank heater and you will start in the coldest weather after plugging in for only an hour or two. Tank heaters pump warm coolant throughout the block.

The key to a good installation is to tap into the lowest point that coolant sits in the block (usually a block drain or frost plug) for your lower hose connection. For your upper hose connection tap into the highest point coolant gets to on the engine. This will be somewhere on the head (upper part of water pump or by the thermostat).

This kind of installation will guarantee that warm coolant gets circulated through the entire block and head.
Click to expand...

I would also like to add that if anyone uses ether and uses the thermostart feature they will cause an big explosion in the intake!

I have the 37$ block heater installed in my block and it works slick. an hour or two and she fires over nice! Look behind your starter in the freeze plug, you might have a block heater there.
 
Excess flow button is on the "pull to stop" lever on the simm pump. 1/2 throttle, and push the button in.

Thermo start; Turn key CCW, for a count of 20 or so, feel the intake manifold near the rubber connector, there will be a small steel tube/fuel line and an electrical wire threaded gizmo in the intake manifold. It should be warm/hot if it works.

We always plugged our water coolant heater in. The excess flow treatment can't be good for the engine, it takes off 1800-1900 rpm when it lights off. You be the judge.
 
I just want to thank everyone for their replies. i found out that the tractor did not have a thermostart feature. So i used a heater to warm up the engine and used the cold start button on the injector pump. Saturday i did not have any luck as i did not have the heater. on sunday, i used the heater for one hour and she cranked up just fine. I have to have repairs to the pto this winter, so i am going to get the thermostart feature added while they do the pto repairs.
Thanks,
Robert.
 
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