So those of you who have been following the travails of my CL65 skid steer build know that the previous owner had replaced the engine with a 4 Cyl Mazda/Perkins diesel stolen from an 84 Ranger, and that the entire electrical system has been scrapped and replaced with a simple “ON” switch and a push button for the starter. I’m trying to get the whole electrical system rebuilt including the glow plugs, all the gauges, and a real ignition switch. I might even throw in a few extras like a tach, but that's another subject. So this engine has an injector pump solenoid that shuts the engine off as well as an electric fuel pump. One would think these should be wired to the ON position of the ignition switch, but that position is de-energized when the starter is engaged. Don’t you need the solenoid on and fuel pump running when you’re starting the engine?
Do you have an "IGN" terminal on your switch? Maybe your "ON" means the same as what is usually "ACC", I've never seen an ignition switch without "ACC", "IGN", and "ST" terminals.
Here's a picture of the whole schematic: https://imgur.com/hj8RjBE I bought the same ignition switch as is shown in this photo. Terminal 30 (marked Ignition for some reason) goes to the battery. When in the ON position, the ACC terminal is connected to 30. When you're cranking, terminal 50 is connected to the 30, but the ACC terminal is dropped. NOTE: Don't forget that my setup is different. This engine didn't have an injector solenoid or an electric fuel pump, hence you won't see them in the diagram. My setup has both
If you scrapped that electrical system, then forget that wiring diagram until you find something remaining on the skid steer that you need to understand, and/or hook up. Return that switch and get one that has bat, acc, ign, and st terminals.
OK, so am I correct in assuming that the ignition solenoid and fuel pump need to be energized when the starter is engaged? I'm pretty sure I can mimic that behavior with my current switch if I stick a diode between the start and ACC terminals
Maybe it was working by getting the engine up to speed with the starter, release the key to the run position and it [maybe] starts on the next compression stroke from inertia only? Or maybe the previous owner knew of some magic halfway key position that energized the solenoid and starter at the same time? Custom hillbilly electrical systems have no end of possible strangeness....
Yes, the fuel pump and injection pump need to be on to start. That's assuming this is an energize to run injection pump solenoid, which it should be on a Ranger, and easy to confirm with the existing wiring. Birken, the engine was cobbled in with a switch in a building style electric box, the wiring diagram doesn't matter because that stuff is all gone. I'd guess there were several safety systems built into that wiring diagram that I'm not understanding, and it doesn't matter because they're all gone, and I assume you're not going to rebuild them. That makes this a use it at your own risk machine, nothing wrong with that just don't forget it and get yourself killed.
The old system had a switch (on-off, NOT an ignition or key switch) that turned on the system, and a separate pushbutton for START. Therefore his worked because when he switched it on it was on even when he pushed the pushbutton. That said, he had no glow plug circuit, so every start was accompanied by a squirt of starting fluid into the intake. I figured I was doing well ordering the original ignition switch and wiring in the glow plug circuit, but it appears that this probably won't work because that keyswitch was designed with an engine that didn't need an injector solenoid or an electric fuel pump. Ugh.
I'm actually re-engaging some of the safety switches as part of this rebuild. Specifically the neutral safety switch that makes sure every control is dead center before allowing the starter to fire. The switch was surprisingly still there with nothing attached to it.
For what it is worth, my 3.0 Mazda machine here will start pretty easy without any glow plugs working, if it is not too cold.
One dangerous thing with skid steers is leaving the engine running and getting out of the machine, don't do it, too easy to catch the controls and get hurt. Also, hope you know, glow plugs and starting fluid are not to be used together, one or the other, never both.
Thanks. I'd love any other pointers you happen to have. The thing scared me about a week ago. This unit works with two vertical handles that control the left and right wheels. Push forward and that set goes forward. Pull back and they go back. There's a spring mechanism down underneath that returns them to the center when you're not holding them. The left side one had broken and the previous owner had jury rigged up a big long screen door spring attached to the cage and zip tied the arm to the middle of it. While i was in it, the zip tie broke and the damn left wheels started running without me touching anything. Scared the **** out of me. Spent yesterday after work rebuilding the REAL brackets in my machine shop so that's at least fixed now...
One thing on reconnecting the safety switches. Good idea, but you might test them before you wire them in. Most I've seen on older equipment were bypassed, I was going to rewire them in but found out they were bad, so I wasn't going to spend $$ on a new switch. If I had other people that I might be worried about using it, it might be a different story. But yes, you must be extra mindful of what you're doing as to avoid a catastrophe!
You could probably get around this by adding a small relay that is energized by key start position which then turns power on to fuel pump. When the key goes back to run position the relay would go off and the power would then be supplied directly from the run terminal to the fuel pump. This would isolate the 2 circuits from each other .
To answer your 1st question.. yes, they both have to be energized in the cranking/start position AND have to remain ON until u shut it off.. U can get a switch from another application like a Ford tractor that has a LEFT circuit for the glow plugs.. U turn the key to the LEFT to energise the glow circuit for a 10 count & turn it to the RIGHT to crank. Just look up "4-5 position key switch"