Bukh DV20 Cold Start - Any Suggestions?

[Jesse]

My DV20 was getting very hard to start and I was using the method described in post #12 because it wouldn't start any other way. When I replaced the battery cables to the starter the problem went away because the starter spun faster. High quality cables with good connections cured the hard starting problem. That was 17 years ago and with normal maintenance its still running fine.

[MrSwatchway]

Originally Posted by MrSwatchway

We have had the same problem with our old, very worn (low compression) 1973 Bukh DV20 this uses a dynastarter for starting so has to use the decompresser on the start panel. Once started though, she will run all day long.

In the original 1973 owners manual it says to use a drop of oil in the inlet manifold to aid cold starting. So now before starting I found that if I remove the air cleaner and use no more than one squirt of engine oil from a oil can into each cylinder. I then decompress and crank by hand for about 10 revoloutions to spread the oil, while doing this you should hear both the injectors click (mine may need a few more than 10 revs to get both injectors working after few weeks without use) . I then use the starter and decompresser to to get up to speed then release the decompresser and away she goes. Do not use to much oil or you could cause an hydraulic lock and may damage the engine.

I have used this procedure over the past few months and she always starts after a couple of revs after the decompresser is relased and then starts normaly until really cold.

The coldest start here was at -1 deg C air temp.

There are cold start devices online in the UK but not cheap.

Hope this may help.

We have now overhauled the head after i found the head gasket had failed.

I still use a drop of oil in each cylinder inserted through the inlet manifold in cold weather.

I have hand started the DV20 in cold weather using this method, hard work though.

Link to the rebuild https://youtu.be/PmTjwYOAT-8