Diesel Place banner

Ether and the 6.5

8K views 50 replies 18 participants last post by  PrivatePilot 
#1 ·
i have a question hoping someone can clear up for me. i just read and watch the video on the tread Ether and the 6.5 is the 6.5 made the same? can i just use very small amounts of ether if i need it? or just not use the glow plugs? and use a little more? i am worried that i wont be able to start my truck this winter its get very cold here down to -40
 
#2 ·
if my thought are right 0c is 32f? so -40 should be -8f, my truck started no problem even when not pluged in at 5 to 7 degreesf so plugged in you should have no problems I am sure other Canadians will say the same,these trucks start better than Fords for sure.
 
#3 ·
Don't use Ether...

Make sure your glow plugs are good, injectors are good, batteries are good, battery cables/connections are good, starter is strong, grounds are good, and your block heater is working.
 
#4 ·
-40F and -40C are the same. I recommend plugging in your block heater. That should get you going if you have a healthy engine and glow plugs. If it won't start, then you have other issues to work. Ether is not the solution.

Jake
 
#5 ·
and if your block heater isnt working (like mine) you can either replace the frost plug or buy a magnetic heater and put it on the oil pan. cycle the glow plugs a couple times if you need and you will be able to start in a blizzard.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Ditto the NO ETHER! You'll blow out the pre-chamber inserts or worse.

In addition to strong glows and a block heater I strongly recommend Howe's Fuel Treatment for sub-zero ops. Since the advent of low sulphur fuel the refineries have added parafin (wax) to diesel to increase its density. If you walk through a truckstop parking lot on a cold night with all the big rigs idling you can smell it in the air. Has the odor of a snuffed out candle. Low sulphur diesel does not "gel" like the old high sulphur fuel used to. At temps close to 0*f the parafin comes out of solution, forms brown globules and plugs fuel filters. Howe's is the only additive specifically formulated to keep parafin in suspension at those temps. I spent a small fortune on Diesel Power additive that didn't work sub-zero but a quart of Howe's got me back on the road in -63*f (after I got towed and thawed out 3 times in 250 miles. Fuel tank heaters didn't help a bit). They even guarantee to pay your towing bill if you get a fuel condition related failure while using their product (I think you have to buy a whole case of it to get the guarantee card).

Yeah. I'm in Florida. So what do I know about cold weather diesel starts, right? LOL! I have almost 3 million OTR diesel powered miles embedded in my ass. And I still add Howe's to my 6.5's down here. ~FH
 
#7 · (Edited)
Correction! It's Howe's Diesel Treatment. I never read the label anymore. I know where it is on the shelf at Tractor Supply and just grab it. :p: ~FH
 
#8 ·
ok tha t is good to know i planned on if possable to put in two block heaters and maybe a oil heater if i still had problems but if these trucks start this well in the cold and better than fords :) i should not have a problem i notice that people seem to change there glow plugs and have something like 60g? what does that mean and where could i get a good set to replace mine? how do i know if they are all working?
 
#9 ·
the 60G is an AC delco glow plug they are pretty good that is what I use but others say that the Bosch Durtherms are even better.
 
#10 ·
++++ NO ETHER!

The 6.5 will NOT start at those temps unless every single glowplug is working AND you have 2 good batteries, a good block heater, and a good starter.

With all of that, you're golden. I started mine at <-30C last winter even without the block heater and it fired off fine thanks to my new glows.

If you have any problems with ANY of the above, start getting it up to snuff now, not when it becomes a problem, because it will at those temps.

An oil pan heater is nice, as well - it'll help the engine build oil pressure a lot faster.
 
#11 ·
checking glow plugs is easy. you can use a multi-meter or a test light. put the clip of the test light on the pos side battery and unplug the glow plugs. touch the light to the glow plugs and if it DOESNT light up it is dead.

note: it is best to remove the glow plugs that still light up and put 12v to them and make sure the tips completely "glow". sometimes a glowplug only glows in the middle and that doesnt work out well (and because it glows a little the test light method shows them as good).

the ac delcos are nice because they can be run longer without breaking. they take a little longer to get hot, but you dont have to worry about broken peices falling into your engine. if you have a manually glow-plug relay, this is the way to go. but if you are using the factory glowplug relay the duratherms get hotter faster and the relay prevents them from running too long to cause damage.
 
#13 ·
Ether is a NO-NO
 
#14 ·
In addition, if yours is a 94, make sure you have good OPS. OPS controls LP when engine is running. OPS may not be dead to be bad to control the LP.

Another solution to minimize OPS issue is to put a relay on the circuit or buy one from Kennady Diesel. The relay will energize the LP right before engine start.

I agree to add the fuel additive to reduce the gelling point of Diesel fuel.
 
#15 ·
ok that sounds good i tryed to unplug one last week for the hell of it and it kinda wanted to break the end off i'll give it a shot with the test light so just to make sure i under stand ether is a no no no matter what? even if i dont use the glow plugs? do these normally unscrew from the block with out trouble or breaking off?
 
#16 ·
NO ETHER. We can't be any more blunt. You will break and/or bend important parts of your engine.

There are lots of threads on glowplug replacement here in the 6.5 forum. Preparation is key - soaking them multiple times daily with penetrating oil before you attempt the job, how best to get at the passenger side ones, etc etc. The last thing you want to do is rush or go in unprepared and break a glowplug off in the cylinder head.
 
#18 ·
NO ETHER. We can't be any more blunt. You will break and/or bend important parts of your engine.

There are lots of threads on glowplug replacement here in the 6.5 forum. Preparation is key - soaking them multiple times daily with penetrating oil before you attempt the job, how best to get at the passenger side ones, etc etc. The last thing you want to do is rush or go in unprepared and break a glowplug off in the cylinder head.
ya thats exactly what i dont want to do is break one off dont need to break something when its not broke already but was thinking i might just change them that way it would help it to start i would think
 
#17 ·
as for the OPS ii'm not even on that circuit at all my LP is on its own seperate circuit with a relay getting its feed directly from the battery so it always has lots of power if the key is on the pump is on when it cranks the pump is on when its running the pump is on no trouble that way easy to blead it too when you run out of fuel or change filter
 
#19 ·
That is good that you already on a relayed control LP.

Another common problem is fuel leak. If you have air in fuel, it is difiicult to start no matter whether it is hot or cold weather. Common problems are o-ring at the bottom of fuel manage (fuel heater) and hoses that goes under the intake. Pay attention to those details. Something simple like fuel filter needs to be changed every so often.
 
#20 ·
this "fuel heater" you talk about does it actually heat the fuel? because i got two codes "dtc 42 fuel temperature high (low voltage)"
and
"dtc 53 volts high"

any clue to what these mean?the truck runs terrable when you first start it it shakes alot and puffs smoke for about 4-5 min till it warms it than its all good ses light comes on when on throttle and goes off when not on it any clue?
 
#21 ·
I love the way everybody in unison chimed in how bad ether is. It's good to see common sense. This was discussed somewhere else and some of the replies were down right retarded. Xwhatever # we are up to...NO ETHER. Should not use it on any diesel but especially these.
 
#22 ·
and dont let farmers talk you into using it either! had a couple farmers try and convince me that your "supposed to use it". they even make special holes in the air intake to use it... if you enjoy your diesel, don't do it. good glow plugs and you wont ever need it.
 
#23 ·
yeah on old 2 stroke Detroits they had holes. Some even had ether inj. Not on these though.
 
#24 ·
well i think i got it no ether if it dont start somethings wrong but does anyone have a clue about this

dtc 42 fuel temperature high (low voltage)"
and
"dtc 53 volts high"
 
#25 ·
Not sure if I missed it but have you checked and cleaned all the grounds ?
 
#26 ·
that would be a negative wouldent know where to start to check for all the grounds my batterys are cleaned and greased thought
 
#27 ·
some diesels work fine with ether. 6.2/6.5's lock up very easy with it. top end damage happens very quick when it tries to turn over
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top