Does 3.9 cummins have glow plugs ?

[jimmynoshow]

I was wondering I was told it doesn’t have glow plugs. It’s an 83, 580e
It does not have a block heater , it doesn’t want to start in cold weather and I was told by the person I purchased it from that he could not start it in the cold weather. It also does not have the ether bottle option.
I’m probably going to head up past Syracuse in a week or so try to get it started no power to plug-in. I was gonna bring the generator with me and a bullet heater 125,000 BTU. I figured I’d heat it up for like 20 minutes throw a battery in it and hopefully I can get it to start. I might need to give it a shot to ether, I would try of course I would try to use minimal either

 

[Dave Neubert]

they use a intake heater that is electric don't know if yours is equipped with it

 

[skyking1]

I suppose you have not done any work on it yet. It may need a fuel filter.
It has gravity fuel so it is less likely to have a prime problem which is a bonus.
It still may benefit from hand priming.
Have you tried that before cranking?
Dave is correct about grid heaters in the B series Cummins and no glow plugs. I have not used them in a case backhoe.

 

[jimmynoshow]

Not really done any work to it yet , i sent someone there to get it out with a dozer , I don’t think he’s too bright. Property is like 5hrs away . He said he could get it out . I figured by the time I get up there I spent 200 in fuel to get there in the day driving it would’ve been cheaper to throw him a few hundred bucks to get her out. NOT ! When he went there he said he couldn’t get it started and we left it at that . No more paying people to get a job done that they never get done. I’ll have to go up there myself and get it running. I’ll bring what I need to get it running then I’ll get it stuck out of the mud. Thank you. on the good side at least he didn’t break anything. I told him to be gentle she’s an old girl.

 

[jimmynoshow]

they use a intake heater that is electric don't know if yours is equipped with it

I don’t believe so , my 97 ram 2500 has those grid heaters I remember doing some work on the grid heater wires or shall I say cables a couple years ago?

 

[Birken Vogt]

If you can do it easily without setting something on fire, a propane torch down the intake while cranking has worked great for me. Just needs hot air in there to get it to fire. Hair dryer might work also.

 

[MG84]

None of the 3.9L cummins that I have been around in Case equipment had a grid heater, and they definitely don’t have glow plugs. If everything is in good working order they reliably start down to about 15* F provided you have a stout battery. Below that they don’t like to start without a block heater or ether. Installing a block heater is an easy 30min job and I’d highly recommend one. They install in the freeze plug hole on the right side of the block so you will have to drain and refill the cooling system. I bought an OEM Case/Cummins one last year and it was $125. Plug it in to your generator for 30-40min and it will make a big difference.

 

[doghead]

I’m curious from your comment about the location. I may be in the area of your hoe. If I am, I might be able to help you out. Send me a message or post here if you want to. I’d be glad to try to help if I’m close to it.

 

[uptight excavating]

Owned a few of these myself and MG84 is spot on.

 

[jimmynoshow]

I’m curious from your comment about the location. I may be in the area of your hoe. If I am, I might be able to help you out. Send me a message or post here if you want to. I’d be glad to try to help if I’m close to it.

Its in pulaski new york , richland

 

[1693TA]

All of those engines are very easy starting if allowed to warm with an immersion, or block heater. I keep mine plugged in and if going to be cold, or snowy, I run the cord through a timer to turn the immersion heater on a couple of hours prior to need.

 

[willie59]

Two of the best cold start engines I've ever known are the B series Cummins and the Deutz 912. And both of those engines are damn near bullet proof, and I've yet to see either worn slap out, they're just that damn good. I know, with enough lack of maintenance it can happen, just saying I haven't seen it, even on severely neglected B series and 912's. If you got a Cummins 3.9 that won't cold start you need to first verify it's cranking fast enough. Weak starter or weak batteries, slow cranking, that won't fly on those engines, they like to be spinning to start. And yes, a coolant/block heater helps with that.

 

[Birken Vogt]

John Deere 4.5/6.8 can be added to that list. They just start when you crank them. They seem rather similar in character and temperament to the Cummins engines.

 

[1693TA]

John Deere 4.5/6.8 can be added to that list. They just start when you crank them. They seem rather similar in character and temperament to the Cummins engines.

Had a plethora of them in service on standby generator duty we've spoken about in years gone past. Very sound and good performing engines being almost dead reliable in that application.

 

[HarleyHappy]

My 580 SE has a block heater that works very well.
Below 30 degrees it’s a must and it has 2 great 12 v batteries.
Just won’t start cold, never used either as in the past, whatever I’ve used it on they seem to become addicted to it.
Seems if I try it without heater at 30 degree, I could get it to go , just have to crank for a while.
My Kubota L series has glow plugs that work awesome.
I had a Cat 420 that started, no matter what the temperature.

 

[Willie B]

I've had 2 Case backhoes with it, & a Dresser bulldozer. All start well until very cold weather. Dozer has ether injection, but I feel it sprays too much of the stuff. I use a sniff ever so briefly in the air intake.
Another trick is a hair dryer or heat gun down the air intake to warm the air coming in.

Loggers have long used a hoses & valve system to pump hot truck engine coolant through the tractor engine. Ford diesel owners had problems with cold coolant cracking the block on their hot truck engine.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Just get a grid heater.. it’s an “option” from Cummins..
It’s as simple as: 1) hooking it to a momentary toggle switch, that’s spring loaded to “off”..
THAT WAY u don’t hafta worry about leaving it on..
And: 2) running battery power to it..
Good luck

 

[rickw]

We added the Cummins freeze plug block heater to our Super L. About an hour plugged in you can warm your hands on the head. Easy to install. I watched the videos on installation and did it my self.

 

[Swetz]

Just get a grid heater.. it’s an “option” from Cummins..
It’s as simple as: 1) hooking it to a momentary toggle switch, that’s spring loaded to “off”..
THAT WAY u don’t hafta worry about leaving it on..
And: 2) running battery power to it..

And 3. Install circuit breaker protection in the battery wire

 

[Willie B]

Just get a grid heater.. it’s an “option” from Cummins..
It’s as simple as: 1) hooking it to a momentary toggle switch, that’s spring loaded to “off”..
THAT WAY u don’t hafta worry about leaving it on..
And: 2) running battery power to it..
Good luck

Any source for this you know of? It seems a great idea. I still have a Dresser 'dozer with the 3900 Cummins. At present I use a small inverter generator to power a battery booster & heat gun. It is out of reach for a block heater & I hate the ether injection system. It seems to lock up when I use it. I presume the ether fires too far before TDC & prevents forward rotation. A very small sniff of hand held starting fluid seems better.