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Installing a Thermostart plug

Anyone know about Thermostart plugs? (not thermostat!!!)

I want to install a Thermostart plug in my big Ford powered diesel generator as it has no glow plugs and although starts ok with the 'excess fuel' button pressed I'm trying to avoid the big black mushroom cloud currently produced. (urban situation!)

As I understand it the Thermoplug pokes into the inlet manifold, glows white hot, and has diesel sprayed on it to bust into flame and heat the inlet air. What is the sequence - does this all happen while cranking - or perhaps before. Is the diesel sourced at lowish pressure from the lift pump or at high pressure from the injector pump?

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson
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I'm sure I've got the original CAV documentation somewhere but it's not falling to hand tonight.

Two possible bits of reading:

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operation of the Thermostart is described on page 132
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beginning of Section C should give you an idea of how the electrical arrangements were made. The Thermostart has been used either with a gravity-fed fuel supply as mentioned in the Perkins 4.107 manual or with a feed at lift pump outlet pressure as mentioned in the Perkins 3000 blurb.

Reply to
Dougal

On or around Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:33:30 -0000, "Andrew Mawson" enlightened us thusly:

diesel feed from the leak-off of the injectors, IIRC on the perkins engines in massey-fergy tractors.

drill was crank the engine a bit, then preheat, wait for it to go "Pooom" and then crank engine again.

dead good when it's working right.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

I never had much luck getting Fords to start except with the excess fuel button (the thermostart equipped ones were often difficult to start), but I don't remember the cloud as being annoyingly huge. You're not turning into a tree-hugging, sandal-wearing, 4x4-hating, greenie type are you? ;-)

Reply to
EMB

On or around Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:34:33 +1300, EMB enlightened us thusly:

yeah, the excess button on the simms pump works wonders. I get the impression that when it says "excess fuel" it's not pissing around...

Mind, I've seen some that never needed it and others that always did.

Thermostart worked well on the perkins if you did it right, and got it to catch fire. made it start like nothing else other than aerostart.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

It's not - the fuel rack is locked wide open until the governor kicks it closed again.

Reply to
EMB

around...

kicks it

Many thanks for the various replies. Dougal those were excellent links - just what I wanted. EMB, no not particularly tree hugging, it's that this 100KW generator is only 15 - 20 foot from a neighbours kitchen window and I'm trying to avoid having an ASBO slapped on me Austin, interesting you mention fuel from the injector leak off - the other two links refer to lift pump source and a drip tank source, are you sure that's they way it was done on your tractor?

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson

On or around Fri, 15 Dec 2006 08:44:33 -0000, "Andrew Mawson" enlightened us thusly:

It's a while ago, but IIRC that's how it was done. Leak-off went to the tank as well, probably by some kind of T-piece.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

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