Easy start

[JulianGullsway]

Hi all, we were heading into port after engine failure and having once changed the fuel filters once on route the engine stopped I re bless the system and used a good dose of easy start in the air intake to get her going and thankfully we got into port, but since then she's making a strange ssst ssst noise coming from top of the engine, any ideas we are in Sicily and heading to Sardinia in the morning
Thanks in advance Julian

[Pete7]

You said you had engine failure before using the easy start to get the engine going again, so I don't think the easy start is the cause of the problem, but something else. One squirt into a warm engine won't have caused anything untoward.

Pete

[danielamartindm]

I would postpone the trip to Sardinia and have a mechanic look at your engine. (There was a problem before the Easy Start, and next time the Easy Start might not revive your engine). Many bad outcomes build sequentially from not recognizing problems. Be safe. Sardinia will still be there after your engine is fixed.

[JulianGullsway]

Thanks guys, the reason she stopped was we had blocked filters, bad bit of bug we changed the filters but there was still air in the system so bled it and used the easy start to fire here up, it's a process we have used in the past, I have now emptied the tank it was infested not badly but enough, the noise only occurred when we entered port !-)

[boatpoker]

Something is wrong if you need that stuff to start a diesel, even worse if that engine has glow plugs.

[JulianGullsway]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Something is wrong if you need that stuff to start a diesel, even worse if that engine has glow plugs.

All wellband good when your just 2 nm from port in the dark in a busy entrance more for speed and safety than convenience

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by JulianGullsway

All wellband good when your just 2 nm from port in the dark in a busy entrance more for speed and safety than convenience

Just suggesting that further investigation would be wise prior to a long trip. If you over use that stuff on an engine with low compression you could cause a runaway...... much bigger problem than an engine that won't start and definitley a safety concern.

[Pete7]

I would exactly the same especially if the filters have just been changed and there is a possibility of air in the system. Easy tied up in a harbour, completely different at sea at night time near the shore.

As to the noise, is it because a filter or joint is allowing air in? Very difficult to identify if a leak is sucking or blowing if its air.


Pete

[DeepFrz]

Sound is most likely blow by from a cylinder. Probably the reason you need to use easy start. It seems you have had to use it in prior starts so engine likely needs some mechanical TLC.

[JulianGullsway]

Just to give you all an update, firstly read the post prior to making comment, secondly the problem of the hissing/ airsound was actually coming from 2 places, the first being the injectors they were actually very heavily carbonated which I believe was a result of the easy start blowing the hell out of the cylinder heads giving them a damn good clean but kicking the pants out of the copper washer on which the injectors sit, secondly it I think the pressure of the east start also damaged the exhaust manifold gasket. So question remains is it good or bad, well it got us out of the **** but I would only ever use it in dire situation.... thank you all for your suggestions.. We postponed our trip to Sardinia and as one of you mentioned it isn't going anywhere, so we will try again next spring

[donradcliffe]

Maybe you have not found all the damage caused by the easystart. I'd try WD40 first.

Easystart; is it really evil?

[a64pilot]

I assume easy start is ether?
Ether if used correctly will not damage an engine, however people
who have not grown up with Diesels often don’t know how to use it correctly.
First do not ever use it on an engine with glow plugs, or disable them, or if you have the option do not use them. Reason is the ether may ignite when it hits the plug, regardless of where the piston is, you want compression to ignite the fuel, not the plug.
Second when the engine is turning over, give a small shot of ether into the intake manifold, a small shot. It will most likely start, a second or even a third small shot may be necessary if it’s really cold to keep it going and to smooth it out.
You do not want to give a big shot into the manifold and then turn the engine over, you may get too much ether into a cylinder that way, small shots when it’s turning over will ensure only small amounts into the cylinders.

Ether used to be installed on almost all farm and construction Diesels, it was usually a small tube into the intake manifold with the can of ether and a solenoid, you cranked the engine and pushed the ether button for a second or two when the engine was cranking, some manufacturers were smart enough so that the ether solenoid only had power when the starter was engaged making it impossible to inject ether without the engine turning over.

[Arthur Garfield]

Ok-engine stopped-changed filters-engine runs with ether shot-now?
Ether doesn't make injector TIPS (carbonized) bad fuel,always running at low RPMs does.Depending hours on tips I suggest an injector/tips cleaning additive to fuel tank.Smells horrible.Run that through if no improvement perhaps change injector Tips/nozzles.All this assuming tank/fuel/filters/lines clean all the way through.
How many hours/cylinders engine?
And Oh-copper washer has nothing to do with this unless injectors not tight or marred pre-install


All The Best

[charliehows]

Nothing wrong with your approach – you had an engine problem in difficult circumstances, you used whatever worked to get out of trouble, you've identified that there is a problem with the engine, you're looking at it, thinking about it, seeking advice from others. Seems a few posters have misinterpreted your reference to 'easy-start' as some kind of solution; doesnt sound that way to me from your posts. I inherited an old and quite neglected engine in my current boat, it's taken a few years to iron out all the problems. For what its worth – airleaks and blockages of one sort or another in the fuel supply system cause most diesel engine problems – your starting point in this post was a fuel blockage, I'd advise a very thorough inspection of the fuel supply system from the tank filter, taps etc right through to the injectors (which you may have already done...). I pulled my exhaust manifold recently just to check it and give it a clean up – first thing I noticed was the last dickhead who assembled it put washers in between the manifold and head rather than re-align the exhaust pipe – one of those WTF?! moments when you come across startling stupidity...so you might as well have a good look at your exhaust.

[Cherod]

( seems that some people can't / won't read ) so now you replace the copper washer/s and the exh gasket and hopefully that will sort your issues ( as you intimate ) good luck , should not take you too long .