Re: Re: Hard starting propane engine

Posted by grabatire on December 23, 2005 at 14:04:52 from (216.95.83.69):

In Reply to: Re: Hard starting propane engine posted by Jon Hagen on December 22, 2005 at 20:51:14:

Jon; Thanks for the response. I will answer your questions and perhaps some you haven't asked yet by including what my diagnostic efforts were before I posted my question on the forum.

I disconnected the lock off from the converter and with the liquid service valve open on the tank, I cranked the engine to apply vacuum to open the lock off. A mixture of liquid and vapor came out of the lock off immeadiately, so I knew the lock off was working.

I reconnected the lock off to the converter and disconnected the 1" vapor line between it and the mixer. When I cranked the engine I did not get vapor coming out of the converter. Even after cranking for five to ten seconds, but when I crank the engine while holding the manual primer open, I do see a vapor mist.

It has an electric primer which I know is working because when the engine is at low idle and I activate the it, the engine almost dies.

I dismantled the converter to clean it and check the diaphrams for breaks. I couldn't find any but as you know it is nigh on impossible to see if there is a break near or between the metal plates. I carefully reassembled it, being extra carefull to orient and replace the valves exactly as they came out. After studying how propane flows through the converter, it looks like the electric primer relies on the converter to supply vapor to the low pressure side of the converter whereas the manual primer mechanically opens the final stage valve on the converter and allows whatever vapor may be in the converter to be released into the low pressure chamber.

This brings me to your suggested starting proceedures. I used the manual primer process this afternoon. The engine did start without having to use a booster, but only barely, which is still a heck of an improvement. I will try the electric primer process tomorrow an see what happens. I'll keep you posted on this forum. In the meantime if you have any ideas I'd be happy to have you share them. Thanks.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Re: Hard starting propane engine Jon Hagen 17:46:56 12/23/05 (0)

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