Hard starting Kohler splitter engine in the cold

[twd000]

I have a new Dirty Hand Tools 22-ton splitter. It has been a bit slow to start and today with the cold weather it took forever. It was 20 while I was working on it, and it's been 10 overnight lately.

The only way I got it going was to pull the spark plug and spray a few shots of carb cleaner straight into the cylinder.

Is there any way to avoid this routine all winter?

I noted that the hydraulic pump coupling is engaged even when the ram is at idle position, so in addition to trying to pull the starter cord against a few quarts of 10W-30 in the cylinder, the engine is also pulling against the resistance of several gallons of cold ATF fluid . Seems like it would be handy to disengage the coupling until I got the engine going....

 

[greg13]

First, change to a Synthetic oil, That will help on the engine side. Try a magnetic block heater on the Hydraulic tank to help warm the pump side, just plug it in for an hour or two before you start.

NO machine likes to start in the cold, you just have to find away around it.

 

[Montanalocal]

Sometime a little ether-based starting fluid sprayed into the air intake will get it to pop when nothing else will. I know some people are against them, but I have used them my whole life, and I can not see that I have ever damaged anything with them.

 

[brenndatomu]

First, change to a Synthetic oil, That will help on the engine side. Try a magnetic block heater on the Hydraulic tank to help warm the pump side, just plug it in for an hour or two before you start.

NO machine likes to start in the cold, you just have to find away around it.

This ^ ^ ^...not the ether.
The cold oil in the hydraulic pump is causing most of the trouble...you are correct in your assumption about disengaging the pump...dad used to have an old bobcat skidsteer that you could release the pump on...it made a huge difference getting that old Kohler fired up...

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I fined that putting the throttle about half way helps start it. As as atsted above, nothing really likes to start in the cold..

 

[VirginiaIron]

I have a new Dirty Hand Tools 22-ton splitter. It has been a bit slow to start and today with the cold weather it took forever. It was 20 while I was working on it, and it's been 10 overnight lately.

The only way I got it going was to pull the spark plug and spray a few shots of carb cleaner straight into the cylinder.

Is there any way to avoid this routine all winter?

I noted that the hydraulic pump coupling is engaged even when the ram is at idle position, so in addition to trying to pull the starter cord against a few quarts of 10W-30 in the cylinder, the engine is also pulling against the resistance of several gallons of cold ATF fluid . Seems like it would be handy to disengage the coupling until I got the engine going....

Use fresh gas and the 5w30. Be mindful that you may have a greater oil consumption with the lighter grade oil. ATF should not be affected at that temp. Plus, ethanol gets worse when temps get colder

 

[twd000]

thanks for the comments

yes I have 10W-30 Mobil synthetic in it already. Same stuff I use in my snowblower, lawn tractor, and leaf vacuum which all start on the 1st or second pull in all weather. I realize 5W-30 is thinner, but I also need to run my machines in the summer, and changing oil 2x a year ain't gonna happen in all honesty

What is the downside of the ether starting fluid? It was puking thick black smoke for 5 minutes so I assume it's not good for it! The starting fluid in the air intake didn't work; only spraying straight into the cylinder did the trick.

I would consider the electric heater but it's pretty inconvenient running an extension cord a couple hundred feet from the garage, and not an option when I am mobile scrounging firewood. Is it an option to retrofit a lever to disengage the pump? Once the motor is spinning on its own, I have no doubt that it can spin the cold ATF fluid.

 

[TJ1]

Simply the nature of cold weather. Like others said just buy a can of starting fluid and give it a squirt. No sense reinventing the wheel. Cheap, easy, and works great.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

When you say it wouldn't start, can you explain your process?

Usually my splitter with a Kohler XT starts in warm weather on the second pull at full choke. In weather around 10-30F it takes about 7 pulls at full choke and then I have to let it at half choke a few second and work down to choke off. It then takes a good 5-10 minutes to warm up fully with a few cylinder cycles under no load.

 

[Slocum]

When you pulled plug was plug wet? Make sure you turn you gas off after every use. It will save you a lot of problems


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[VirginiaIron]

Do you have electric start options?

 

[twd000]

No electric start option.

My procedure was to set switch on, fuel on, throttle high, choke closed. Pulled several times. It spit out a puff of exhaust but didn't turn over. Tried putting the throttle to midpoint as suggested in the manual. Several pulls, just smoke, but no burping sound.

Sprayed starting fluid in the air intake, pulled ...no luck. Pulled spark plug, tested good spark. Dried the plug, put it back in and pulled. No luck. Pulled the plug again, squirted in 4 shots of starting fluid....replaced the plug, started on the very next pull.

 

[xman23]

I've have a ATV that's hard to start. Well that's what I thought for years. The real issue was I didn't know how to start it. with a lot of trial and error I discovered it wanted the throttle pumped 6 times, full choke and throttle off. Starts right up and idles. Let it idle 5 min. Nothing else works.

So try something doing something new until you figure it out.

Be very careful with starting fluid. It drys up the cylinder lubrication. It can wreck an engine.

 

[Corey]

Use fresh gas ...

Not only 'fresh' gas, but be sure to use 'in season' gas, too. If you bought a 5 gallon a few months ago, it is likely 'summer' gas with a lower vapor pressure and less 'volatile' components. So even if stored in a sealed container and seemingly fresh, it may produce hard starting in the cold.

If you get gas 'now' it is likely a winter blend which will have higher volatiles / higher vapor pressure and easier starting in the cold.

 

[twd000]

Not only 'fresh' gas, but be sure to use 'in season' gas, too. If you bought a 5 gallon a few months ago, it is likely 'summer' gas with a lower vapor pressure and less 'volatile' components. So even if stored in a sealed container and seemingly fresh, it may produce hard starting in the cold.

If you get gas 'now' it is likely a winter blend which will have higher volatiles / higher vapor pressure and easier starting in the cold.

I understand in principle, but it's not realistic for me in practice. I have a 3-gallon gas can, and I use it for all my machines, in all seasons. I'm not going to keep separate cans for summer and winter, since old gas is even worse than out-of-season gas. Whatever needs fuel gets filled from that can as needed. Chainsaw, log splitter, lawn mower, 2 string trimmers, leaf vacuum, powerwagon, snow blower....

When I happen across some free firewood, I pick it up and split it. Could be January, could be July. When the tank runs dry, I fill it. I don't know how many gallons of gas it takes to split a cord of rounds, or a half dozen rounds that I came across. I don't know when the next time is that I will need to run the splitter...sometimes a friend will want to borrow it if I'm not using it. If it has "summer gas" in the tank in winter, am I supposed to siphon out the leftover gas, and put it in my car? Should I run it dry after every use, even if it takes hours at idle speed?

 

[brenndatomu]

I understand in principle, but it's not realistic for me in practice. I have a 3-gallon gas can, and I use it for all my machines, in all seasons. I'm not going to keep separate cans for summer and winter, since old gas is even worse than out-of-season gas. Whatever needs fuel gets filled from that can as needed. Chainsaw, log splitter, lawn mower, 2 string trimmers, leaf vacuum, powerwagon, snow blower....

When I happen across some free firewood, I pick it up and split it. Could be January, could be July. When the tank runs dry, I fill it. I don't know how many gallons of gas it takes to split a cord of rounds, or a half dozen rounds that I came across. I don't know when the next time is that I will need to run the splitter...sometimes a friend will want to borrow it if I'm not using it. If it has "summer gas" in the tank in winter, am I supposed to siphon out the leftover gas, and put it in my car? Should I run it dry after every use, even if it takes hours at idle speed?

I do the same thing, all small engines get fuel from the same cans. Whenever I fill up the 5 gallon can, it gets treated with fuel stabilizer...that way there's no guessing if it needs treated or not. Otherwise, you may plan on doing more cutting, but then the weather turns and things just sit for months with untreated fuel in it.
I think you'll gain more from this than summer/winter fuel...although it is different.

 

[Dobish]

what was the position of the detent valve? I couldn't quite tell if it was engaged or not. if it was at all engaged, the engine won't start. I will engage it then push it back when I go to start it. Check your levels too.

At one point, I had to replace the flywheel and starter on my DHT 22, but I called them up and it was under warranty. I often find that I have to start with the throttle about half way.

 

[twd000]

what was the position of the detent valve? I couldn't quite tell if it was engaged or not. if it was at all engaged, the engine won't start. I will engage it then push it back when I go to start it. Check your levels too.

At one point, I had to replace the flywheel and starter on my DHT 22, but I called them up and it was under warranty. I often find that I have to start with the throttle about half way.

Detent valve / handle was in neutral position. But even when the ram isn't moving, the coupling is engaged and the hydro pump is moving fluid, and dumping it back into the tank. This seems like a foolish design, as it requires the flywheel to overcome the load on the pump in addition to its own inertia. I'm kind of baffled that there's no lever to disengage the coupling during startup.

 

[blades]

Built to a price point, do not know of any of the splitters in that price range that have a dis-engagement system for the Hydro pump. you could switch to a multigrade hydro oil rather than motor oil . There is a world of difference.

 

[Medic21]

This is what ether will do to a small gas engine. It is designed for Diesel engines without glow plugs or preheaters.

I use brake clean or WD40 if I need to use anything.

Once it tries to fire take the choke off and then pull again. Or even go to half choke. Very easy to flood one. Do you store it inside?

 

[VirginiaIron]

... I'm kind of baffled that there's no lever to disengage the coupling during startup.

These units should not require disconnects. Check your compression and use the lighter engine oil. All modern engines require a minimum rpm to start.

 

[VirginiaIron]

An alternative would be to replace the engine with a unit that has an automatic compression release. If you go this route, get the one with electric start options.

 

[brenndatomu]

This is what ether will do to a small gas engine. It is designed for Diesel engines without glow plugs or preheaters.

Yes, and even then it should not be used frequently, and when used, used sparingly. It doesn't do diesels any favors either.
Generally, if an engine needs ether to start, there's another problem...that said, I keep some around. Mainly gets used as parts cleaner, and very occasionally, for diagnostics.

 

[salecker]

This is what ether will do to a small gas engine. It is designed for Diesel engines without glow plugs or preheaters.

View attachment 234397

I use brake clean or WD40 if I need to use anything.

Once it tries to fire take the choke off and then pull again. Or even go to half choke. Very easy to flood one. Do you store it inside?

Starting Fluid/Ether...
Great tool to use on any engin,i have been using it since i was a teenager in the Yukon where it gets very cold at times.I have use it on all of my equipment,diesel engines with and without glow plugs.Have used it on all gas engines at some time.
Just remember to use it sparingly and properly.
Mind you one drunken night my Yamaha ET250 ran out of gas on my way home,found the usual can of ether in the toolbox,so i drove the snow machine home on ether that night,wasn't that far i think the only reason it never hurt the engine was that it was one of the first snow machines with oil injection.
So in confessing to bad use of ether.... i have never had an issue or heard of anyone doing damage to an engine with ether that i know and could personally see that something was damaged by it.There are always lots of "stories" of the damage ether can do.I have never seen a validated situation where damage was actually done by ether/starting fluid.

 

[brenndatomu]

Sounds to me like you have been lucky