Hard starting Kohler splitter engine in the cold

[Medic21]

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.

I have blown intakes off Diesel engines with a preheated.

 

[salecker]

I have blown intakes off Diesel engines with a preheated.

Wow...
Never in my life have i actually seen or heard that happen.
But i have seen pictures of a broken anvil so i guess anything is possible.
Got any pictures?

 

[salecker]

Sounds to me like you have been lucky

Not lucky just know how to use the" tool"

 

[brenndatomu]

Riding your ET250 home on "ether injection" without blowing it up is not know how to use the tool...its dumb luck.
And I have not personally blown anything up using ether (because I use it sparingly...know how to use the tool and all) but I have worked on stuff that was roached from others using it.
Back in school one of my ag mechanics instructors had pictures of a briggs or a kohler (don't recall which now) that he had worked on years earlier that looked a lot like the pic Medic1 posted...had been ether'd to death

 

[Medic21]

Wow...
Never in my life have i actually seen or heard that happen.
But i have seen pictures of a broken anvil so i guess anything is possible.
Got any pictures?

Nope, it was a 3 cal Kubota in a light set.

The only thing I’ll use ether in the the pro stock pulling tractor. Need a can to get warmed up lol.

 

[rox3406]

Ok friends let’s wrangle in this ether issue. All of us experienced mechanics have an ether horror story under our belt. But the truth is when used properly it won’t hurt anything. In a gas engine a snort or two in the intake is just fine. It has an upper cylinder lubricant to prevent washing of the cyl. Use it as a replacement for gasoline you will have a problem.
In a Diesel engine spray to much and it will vapor lock. If it has an intake air preheater this should be disconnected before spraying any staring aid into the intake. Most vehicles equipped with one have warnings right on the air cleaner stating this. If it has glow plugs just wait till the light goes out then spray.

Long story short when used correctly it’s a great tool to have.
To the op. When it’s realy cold out and the splitter needs a little help just give her a snort down the intake with the choke open and enjoy your day of splitting.

 

[brenndatomu]

But the truth is when used properly it won’t hurt anything.

Agreed...more or less...the key is "when used properly".

In a gas engine a snort or two in the intake is just fine.

Here is where the problems start...how much is "a snort or two"? You and I may give it just a wisp, since its a small engine, but Joe homeowner might give it a "snort" that would start a 12L Cat!
And then there is the whole issue of knowing how much to use based on ambient air temp...a little bit goes a long ways in the summertime...less so at 0*.
And I never shoot it down the intake, especially on a small single cylinder engine...chances are high that you will at the very least get the pull cord ripped out of your hands on that first compression stroke. I mist the air filter instead...that way it gets a little bit over several intake strokes. The risk there is burning the air filter down if it backfires out the intake.

I just don't like to encourage people to use ether (or "starting fluid") on small engines, especially gasoline...just a bad habit to get into.
I'm just gonna drop this though...I think my point has been made, and people are gonna do what they want anyways, so if you choose to start your OPE with ether and get away with it, good for you...if you blow it up...hey, you were warned.

One last suggestion/idea to the OP...I have never tried it, but I have a friend that starts his splitter in cold weather with a large gear reduction drill...he pops the recoil starter off and then there is something there that a socket fits on (I hope its not the flywheel nut, kind of a high risk of twisting that off IMO) then he puts the drill on it and cranks away. He said its usually running in 10-15 seconds. Once the engine fires for just a bit...builds some temperature in the cylinder, it will pull the drag of the hydraulic pump on its own. (this is in really cold weather) Like I said, I've never tried it.

 

[salecker]

Riding your ET250 home on "ether injection" without blowing it up is not know how to use the tool...its dumb luck.
And I have not personally blown anything up using ether (because I use it sparingly...know how to use the tool and all) but I have worked on stuff that was roached from others using it.
Back in school one of my ag mechanics instructors had pictures of a briggs or a kohler (don't recall which now) that he had worked on years earlier that looked a lot like the pic Medic1 posted...had been ether'd to death

Never said driving the ET250 was using a tool,i was drunk and it was cold,i was the tool then
it's like a Sasquatch,i hear about people doing damage but never see it.And i have never seen a Sasquatch either.