The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

My dexta has a problem starting after sitting a while. It takes about 8 to 12 hours for it to have a hard time starting. When it has sat I always have to bring my truck over and boost it because it takes a long time of turning it over for it to finaly start. Even when I use the pre heater it takes a long time.
The exhaust belches alot of white smoke but as soon as it starts up it switches to black smoke for about 2 seconds. After that it is fine, I use it all day without an issue. I can restart it any point very easily and it never smokes after the first start of the day. I would be guessing that the white smoke is coolant? The coolant level remains about the same, This is just a guess... Any Ideas???

Thanks

Andrew

Welcome to the board Andrew.

Your problem does not sound like a leaking head gasket. The white smoke on start up is most likely unburnt diesel that has been building up whilst you have been turning it over.

You say you use the pre heater but do not mention the primer pump built into the fuel tap. Unless you use this the pre heater does little to aid starting. The Dexta needs a flame in the inlet manifold to start. This is made by dropping diesel onto the heater element, if you are not doing this then she will be difficult.

Another problem may be that your starter is getting worn out and not spinning the engine fast enough or your battery is not powerful enough.

The final cause could be a worn engine. You do not mention the dreaded ether so that is good, but could a previouse owner have used it?

I do recognize the white smoke, I have the same and it is unburned diesel.

But now comming to the heater and fuel tap primer.

I have just newly bought this for my tractor that needs to be started with ether and I want to get away from it.

My dexta is now directly connected from the fueltank to the dieselpump. But how was the origenal system?

Was it direct from the fueltank to the dieselpump and seperate from the fuel tank a connection from the fuel tap primer too the heater or are the two connected.

The Dexta fuel tap has a built in primer that has a pipe running direct to the heater in the manifold as well as the normal fuel feed to the primer pump on the fuel pump.

Thanks alot for the info guys,
I checked a few things this morning and I have to completely agree that the white smoke is diesel. Before I just avoided breathing it but after some close inspection it is un-burnt diesel. I didn't realize that there is a primer at the shut off at the fuel tank. Mine has obviously been replaced by just a generic fuel tap shut off. I will try to hunt one down. As far as the starter it was rebuilt about 6 months ago now and it still runs at a very respectable speed.
I have no idea if a previous owner used either on the tractor, I have come close during a very cold Canadian winter day once but it started in time ( I think it knew what was coming )
So I will replace the fuel tap and try it from there, if no luck then what???

Thanks again for the help

Andrew

Hello Andrew,

I have ordered my stuff on the web with www.agrillineproducts.com

Now I have to admit I ordered it 3 weeks ago and it has not arrived, but hope to get it soon.

Will keep you informed about my progress, since I believe we have the same problem.

Good luck

Definetly keep me informed, and thanks for all the help everyone

Hi Andrew,

I can't comment on the Dexta through personal experience but I can say that the primer pump makes a huge difference to starting my P6.288 in my E27N Fordson. My P6 is completely rebuilt and will start on a single turn over compression when the temperature is over 23 Celsius. Under that temperature it was a completely different story, cranking for anything up to 5 minutes and enough white smoke to blank out a whole city block. I eventually got the primer pump fixed and what a difference, now no matter how cold, 30 seconds on the heater, turn the engine over and one squirt on the primer and she is running. Just take care some of the new primer pumps that are sold do not seem to work all that well. Stefan who just finished his Dexta has an excellent section on how he made a primer pump for his tractor on his web site. Good luck.

Regards, Frank.

would you know what the website might be?

Hi Andrew,

Here's the address to Stefan's site.>> http://www.fordson-dexta.de/

He also has a link under the topic "I finished my Dexta project"

Where in Canada are you located?

Cheers,
Les

Im located in Ontario a couple of hours north of Toronto