Intake air heater for my 450C

[kilohertz]

I have installed the new starter and she spins over quickly now, and starts fine when plugged in for a few hours, but it still has a hard time starting when it is above freezing but below 10C unless it's plugged in or I use ether, which I don't like to use, so I am going to install some form of air intake heat. My Dodge Cummins has a grid heater right on the intake manifold and I like that idea, but finding something to fit the JD engine is the trick. I have been searching the web and there are lots out there, and I also found Ford uses a Thermo-start heater which threads into the intake and I think it combines a hot element with Diesel dripping on it to create a small flame for preheat...oh coool.

So has anybody out there adapted an air intake heater on their 3-152, 3-164 type engines? Anyone know of other JD machines that have air intake heaters that may be adapted to the 350/450 machines?

I'll continue researching as well and keep you updated as I make progress.

Cheers

[kilohertz]

In the last 2 hours of research I have found that many JD machines use the heater unit RE29658 and similar, which has a 7/8"-14 thread. I entered that number to see what machines it is used in then tried to cross reference my intake manifold # T30201, no matches. I found that the 2 threaded holes on the intake elbow are 3/8" pipe thread, which has nominal OD of .675" and 7/8" is .875" so .100" larger radius, and to me that boss where the 2 plugs are looks like it would support the 7/8" thread. What do you think? The heater should fit as several of the machines that use this heater, also use the same elbow gasket T20159 as the 450C.

I am also going to continue looking for a "grid heater" that goes between the intake manifold and the elbow, that may be a harder thing to match.

It would be nice to have this hot air option for the shoulder season starts.

Cheers

[kilohertz]

Well I found an entire grid heater "kit" from JD, LVB25110, which should fit the intake elbow and bolt spacing etc.......HOWEVER I may just be wasting my time as I have been reading about IDI vs DI engines and the use of heaters seems to be only used on DI engines. I may still try something reversible just to test, unless someone here can tell me they have an intake air heater on these engines.

Cheers

[Lavoy]

450 is direct injection, 1010, 2010 were the last indirect injection Deere as far as I know. 1010/2010 used glow plugs, other than that, I have never seen a Deere with any kind of glow plug or intake air heater til into the 90's give or take. Doesn't mean there isn't, but not that I remember seeing.
Judicious use of ether won't hurt anything. My Dad's 4020 that came to our place in 1969 has had occasional ether use all of its life. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 hours and never been opened up. The factory ether injection port is right in the middle of the console, so it is not like Deere did not intend use of ether. Later 70's stuff had electric ether injection units on them. In cold weather we always tried to plug in engine heater, but not possible in the field miles away from home.
IF your crawler won't start at 50 degrees, you have injection or engine problems someplace. My 67 350 would start consistently in the teens F with no ether or other help, and not sure I have ever ethered any Deere engine till below freezing.
Lavoy

[kilohertz]

Thank you Lavoy, glad someone stepped in to help me with this and thank you for correcting me re: the engine.

So other issues, darn. Well I haven't really done anything to this since I bought it except for new starter and block heater. I need to go thru the whole machine and give it a full tune, including valves and timing, hopefully will find something out of adjustment and it will be fixed. It has a hard time starting really, anything below about 12-14C which is about 55F?, however that was with the old starter. I will find out once it warms up here, seems to be a slow spring this year, still -4-5C at night and only 8-10 during the days. My 350 starts very well right down to freezing, without ether, or maybe just a sniff.

I have done the research on the heaters so know what I need but I will park the idea on the back burner until it warms up and I do the tuneup.

Thanks again!

Cheers

[Lavoy]

I would have injectors tested first, then injector pump. Good starter makes a difference too. I have been hearing a lot about replacement gear reduction starters and good results.
Lavoy