Which Starts Better?

Found out yesterday morning that my old Massey Super 90 Perkins diesel actually starts better than my 2090 Case at 24F degrees. Both sitting side by side in the
shed with doors open all night. I had to move the 2090 to get the Massey out. The Case cranked fast but took a bit of turning before it would keep running. The
smoke was just tremendous and it stumbled on several cylinders for a while before smoothing out. The old Perkins Massey turned two, maybe three turns on the
starter and fired right up. No smoke, or missing, just ran nice. Should have done a video but I was in a hurry to get the cattle fed and then get busy hauling to
the seed plant for wheat cleaning. I'm thinking the injectors need a little work on the 2090 after 8600 hours.
I shot a few minutes of video during the day of trucking but too busy and the weather too miserable for anything extra.



Wheat cleaning

At that many hours that 2090 is getting a bit tired. When it was new nothing would start better than the 70/90 series case. Those Perkins are good when they are in good shape too.

A neighbor had a Super 90 diesel. That was the tractor that was always used on the manure spreader and feed grinder all winter. I've got two 354 Perkins here. One is one of the best starting diesels I've ever owned, the other one needs to be heated up with the manifold heater and sputters for a while before the smoke and missing stops.

eRusty6,
Kind of comparing apples and pears. If the injectors have that many hours on it ,YES,
its time for a clean up and calibration now.

It is also time to adjust the valves, late valve timing will produce a lot of smoke at a cold start-up. You did not mention any engine heaters?

The cold starts put a strain on the starting system, block heaters will greatly extend their service life.

How about the fuel filters and air cleaner?

Guido.

I blame a lot of poor starting on winter diesel..

(quoted from post at 10:27:38 03/30/22) eRusty6,

The cold starts put a strain on the starting system, block heaters will greatly extend their service life.

How about the fuel filters and air cleaner?

Guido.

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Definitely have the block heaters in use for when it gets colder but I wasn't planning to start them that morning so no pre heating. New fuel filters on the 2090 last year. Not sure how many years the Massey has on it's fuel filters but its been a long time yet it starts great. And on just a single 12 volt battery as well. I agree the 2090 and also the JD 2140 both need injectors checked, cleaned, maybe replaced?
As far as winter/summer fuel, both tractors have the same fuel so that makes no difference far as I can see.

No two engines are identical even following each other off the assembly line. Get a load of new tractors by train or truck and one or two would always start better than another. Then, when they get used and worked on a few times differences really show up.

(quoted from post at 00:57:33 03/31/22) I blame a lot of poor starting on winter diesel..

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Winter fuel is BLENDED, so it has a LOWER flash point. That is the why the blend will help engine start in the winter,

Guido.

My neighbor had a 175 Massey diesel that would start hot or cold if the battery could growl it over a couple times. It didnt have to spin fast, just get a couple cylinders over center and off it went. I dont know if the 175 engine is close in relationship to the 90 engine or not.

(quoted from post at 15:58:58 03/30/22) My neighbor had a 175 Massey diesel that would start hot or cold if the battery could growl it over a couple times. It didnt have to spin fast, just get a couple cylinders over center and off it went. I dont know if the 175 engine is close in relationship to the 90 engine or not.

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I'm not sure what the Massey 175 had for engine size but this Super 90 has the big 300 cubic inch Perkins diesel. It does not have to turn fast on the starter to fire up.

A little smoke and video from today.
Case and Massey start

(quoted from post at 15:40:05 03/30/22)

(quoted from post at 00:57:33 03/31/22) I blame a lot of poor starting on winter diesel..

Click to expand...

Winter fuel is BLENDED, so it has a LOWER flash point. That is the why the blend will help engine start in the winter,

Click to expand...

Yabut, you're not looking at this SCIENTIFICALLY. Diesels start harder in winter, right? The "winter blend" fuel is the only difference, right? So it MUST be the fuel!

Now of course this logic is flawed in every way, and the conclusion drawn is WRONG, but that's how some people's minds work.

Maybe after 8900 hours its time to have a look at your compression.....since it generates the heat required to ignite the fuel mist.

(quoted from post at 07:34:44 03/31/22) Maybe after 8900 hours its time to have a look at your compression.....since it generates the heat required to ignite the fuel mist.

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Its only 8600 and my guess is still the injectors. The problem is finding a time when the tractor can be taken out of service for as long as it takes to do the injector job.