Does anyone have a copy of the data plate that shows the correct glow plug time for various outside air temperatures (In deg F would be the best but I'll take the deg C version). I'd really appreciate it if someone had something to post until I get an operators manual.

I'd like a copy of the ether starting system if you could post one, please.

Thanks again.

i have scanned this from my operator instrutions,its for a d4c but should be the same
i heat mine for the times given and it starts ok,i have good batterys ,two 154 ah

Thanks allot D4c24a. This is what I was looking for. I did not want to overkill on the preheating and was doing what was needed on a trial and error basis. If I was smart, I'd have written down the temp and preheat times and plotted them.
At least I know I was doing the right thing by just seeing what worked.

Hi there bill,can I just throw in a few items , the compression ratio of the P.C. engine is a lot higher than the D.I. engine, F.Perkins was a leader in the design of the oil engine, but he could not stop the excessive smoke that was caused using the D.I. system untill the advance/retard problems were resolved with the introdution of the hydraulic governer built onto the injector pump, often the compression ratio on a P.C. engine would be upto 23/1 as in the L/Rover early Diesel engine, the stroke was long and the rev's were low , the D.I. system is all about the ability to adjust the injection point across the rev range giving a clean burn , the Cummins engine I was working on last week had a compression ratio of 13/1, this being a standard P/T (pressure time system) , Cat have always fitted Ether starting aids to there tractors, on both the P.C. & the D.I. systems, I was working on a D7R tractor only a few weeks ago, that was fitted with an ether system , it was only a few years old, the gear driving the pump on this engine (3306TAC) is fitted with an advance/retard gizmo, CAT and Cummins it seems are not scared to use the Ether starting aid,
tctractors

TC, some good info. you posted there. Also the nozzle breaking pressure is a big difference between the two. The old PC engines with new nozzles were about 700 lbs. & then after the PCs the DIs in some earlier version Cats were around 2500 lbs. breaking pressure & then the last ones in the bigger engines ran in the area of 14,000 lbs.inj. pressure with the unit injectors.I found some specs. for the 3500 engine from a service school I attended & it listed the engine as a 13 to 1 Comp. ratio.

Hi Tony, SJ and The Rest Of The Experts!
I appreciate all of the insights and history related to the precombustion and DI engines. I did not realize that there are this many variables involved that make up the differences between these engines. The compression ratio, fuel pressure, fuel advance/retard, and use of glow plugs differences all play a role in terms of the makeup for these engines.

Hey Tony, Jim K. finally made it to my parish to pick up the D2 I sold him over 18 months ago. Well, it was not really sold as he had not paid for it until last week but he had committed to buy it.

Thanks again to all for making me more informed!!