3208 Cold Starting

[Jeff Miller]

My first 3208/WLFC was an Na. I picked it up at the dealer early in
the AM before they opened, to have the engine surveyed/dynoed, it was
12*f out. Turned over a couple of times, ran rough, belched white
smoke, but started just fine.

I much preferred to start the genset on a cold morning, heat water
and coffee as I shower, and heat the engine. Won't make it hot, but
warmer than it started out. A warm start is always better for the
engine than a cold start. I've actually had better starts from the
Cat on cold mornings than the Perkins/Kohler genset. The surface to
volume ratio of a larger diesel such as the 3208 helps it to start
colder than a smaller diesel without glow-plugs, lots of heat is lost
to the cylinder walls on your little M-B and Perkins engines. BTW, on
your genset control box, there are two switches. One is the
start/stop, the other is the preheat. For the STOP switch to
preheat/glow-plug the engine, the preheat switch has to be up/on.

Don't use ether or other starting fluid on your perkins (or Mercedes)
without first disconnecting the glow-plugs. It can be used on the
3208, but most people with large-diesel experience use WD-40 or
another less-volitile spray, ether if overused will stretch head
bolts and of course it will wash oil from cylinder walls also. I've
never found any other good use for WD-40 anyway.

My '88 FC35 had the optional cold-start aid switch on the dash,
connected to a bottle of ether under the driver's floor. I replaced
it with new, because I could, but never used it. The big Detroits
also have this option, helps to start it when really cold, but it is
a metered spray so that you don't overdose the engine. I believe you
can buy the assembly, check with your local truck-parts supplier.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI