Cold Start Pictures anyone?

[ian2000t]

I think there is something missing from my cold start, or I'm putting it back together incorrectly.

Basically I've changed the waxstat for used one that the diesel shop said should be ok (cost me nothing). When I've put it back together how I think it should be and tested it, it doesn't do what I think it should.

When it's cold the wire coming out of cold start can be moved in/out about 2mm (like easily moveable under no tension). When it gets warm (in a tub of hot water) it's not moveable in/out at all. So... it is like the wax stat is trying to push the wire out when warm (back to normal non-advanced position).


Can anyone post any pics of theirs in expoded form so I can see if there is anything missing from mine? I've searched all over to try and find an exploded diagram, but can't find one anwywhere!

[ngoma]

Sorry no cutaway photos, hope the description helps.

Cold start device works counterintuitively. Narrow silver piston faces to the rear. It retracts (forward) into the brass housing when cold. The strong springs in the metal (aluminum?) housing will pull the cable forward (further into the housing) which pulls the lever forward into advance position. So if the wax stat fails (fails to extend with sufficient heat), the strong springs will keep the cable tensioned and lever in advance position.

Circulating hot coolant heats up the brass cylinder which makes the piston extend, overcoming the strong spring tension, allowing the cable to extend rearward which allows the advance lever to move rearward into non-advance position.

Replacing the wax stat is HARD! Those springs are fighting you the whole time. DIFFICULT to get the two halves of the housing together; the springs force them apart with great force. I don't see how there could be any play in the cable at that end.

There CAN be some slack at the advance lever end, only when hot. The wax stat can extend far enough so that enough cable gets extended in excess of movement range of the advance lever to its stop.

This is undesirable because engine vibration makes the heavy cable end (the clamp barrel on the end of the cable) vibrate freely which can eventually cause individual cable strands to break. Best to get the engine well hot, verify the advance lever is at its stop, and quickly take up the slack so that the cable end can't flop around. IOW, the cable is SLIGHTLY under slight tension when hot.

How do you know the wax stat is good? Did you test it? Easy in a small pot of hot water and cooking thermometer.

[ian2000t]

Ok, so this is what I have - can anyone tell me if i have all of the pieces here, and if so, what order they go back together? Fed up with this stupid device now, its been off the car 8 months and if it doesn't go.back on soon its going in the bin! I even tried running a cable into the car as a manually operated cold start but didn't have the leverage for it!

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m144/ian2000t/Volvo/IMAG0140-1.jpg

[ian2000t]

Has anyone taken one of these apart and tell me if mine if missing something, and what order it goes back together in? Or anyone got a working one they could sell to me? Please? :)

[ngoma]

There should be an accordion rubber seal where the cable exits the housing shown in the right side of your photo. Can't really see if it is there because of the busy countertop pattern but it looks like it is missing.

Thread the cable end thru the metal washer, next thru the two springs (one inside the other, like valve springs), then thru the inside of the housing, and out the small hole to the right.

The hard part is clamping both sides of the housing together, with the IP bracket sandwiched in the middle. Some use longer bolts. I have had success clamping the housing (spring side housing) in a vise and compressing the springs to the max by pulling the cable with considerable force, and clamping a vise grips around the metal rigid part of the cable now extending out the housing, keeping it from retracting it back in.

Take good care of the cable.

To help pull the cable against the strong spring pressure I had attached the IP cold start lever, with the barrel clamps, to the end of the cable. Of course after scribing matchmark lines on the lever and its shaft before removing it from the IP to do this. This gave me something that approximated a handle to pull the cable with. And didn't beat up the cable too badly.

When removing it the next time, while still all mounted on the IP, pull the cold start lever and clamp the visegrips on the metal sleeve part of the cable at the end of the housing, then it will be easier to reconnect.

When you tried a manual cable, did you try to pull the lever before starting? It should be easier while the IP rotor is turning. So the better method would be to pull the lever just after starting cranking.