94 Cat backhoe, 3054 engine. I need to know how this unit works. There is a heater in the intake that don't seem to do anything. I bought this hoe two months ago and it's cold up here in Timmins, Ontario. From what I found, I am not suppose to use ether to assist the start?? Hope someone can enlighten me. Should this heater come on by itself?
There "should be" either a push button OR the key switch should turn to the left to activate the heating element. It runs on a simple 12v system. Worse comes to worse, just run a "hot wire" from the battery and add a "push button". You can see it working[if it does] by removing the air intake boot and holding a "hot wire' FROM THE BATTERY, to the connector on the heater post..It will get CHERRY RED and start to smoke with in seconds.. I have to drive 100 miles today to do the EXACT SAME THING!! Damn customers KNOW I was goin' fishin'!! I told them to wait another month and they wont need it..LOL..NO DICE..gotta pack the tools and ride..
Not to worry pump guy.... I'll take your place in the boat for ya!!!
Thanks thepumpguysc, I took the heater unit out and used a battery to power it up and sure enough it glows. It also has a # (054) on it that would indicate the orifice size I think because there is a fuel line connected to it and my analysis of it would be that fuel is atomized when you crank the engine to create a mist that would easily light to heat the air flowing through. Does that sound right? I have put air pressure at the entry but can't seem to get air out.. Plugged maybe? Also tested the switch and 12v does get to the connector. Let me know what you think.
most times the other end of fuel line connect into a tee in the return line from engine injector,, and should slop downward from the tee its really a gravity feed to heater
yes your theory on operation is right, the heater has a valve in it that opens when the the heater gets hot and closes when it cools after start
Thanks jimg984, is there a bench test that I can do to see if the valve actually opens? I have been an Electrician at a local mine forever (it seems) and now that I retired I'm playing with big yellow toys.
90% of the time they stick open giving tremenduse amount of smoke..I just replace them[cost effective] Seeing "MOST" the heaters are ABOVE the injection pump, they should be used WHILE CRANKING the engine. Fuel pressure from inside the inj. pump must PUSH fuel TO THE heater element. If you just "push the button" and wait, then crank the engine, your not doing much. I guess you could rig up a line[tube] to the heating element, apply 12v and blow air inside the tube[so you dont get burnt] and check that way..
I did the bench test with air and battery connected. The unit opened up with 2 seconds of having heat and air passed through. All good. The part that I was missing was to start cranking as I pushed the button. I can see how these are very different from glow plugs. The hoe also came with no block heater so I purchased an inline 1000 watt heater that I will install. It's never good to start an engine at -30. Just a little bit of history: I have operated backhoe, full size excavators and mini-excavators (rentals) but all were John Deere stick pattern so I am having trouble adapting to Cat sticks. It will come I hope. I live at a lake 20 minutes from town and people are asking for work to be done already. Again thanks a bunch guys