manifold heater vs. ether start

Which is a better system, manifold heater or ether start, and why? Advantages, pros vs. cons.

When did they start putting ether start on the Multi-fuel?

The reason I ask is because I've only had trucks with a manifold heater. But my new parts truck is equiped with a complete ether start system on it. Is it even worth the effort to switch over.

thanks....

Manifold heater will not work with WO.

I drove a Deuce in the Army about 40 years ago. They all had manifold heaters. I now have a Deuce with ether. Ether works much better in my opinion, but others may disagree.

The ether start system, does not use nearly as much battery power, as the manifold flame heater does. Cranking power in the cold is important.

As mentioned, flame heaters do not work well with alternate fuels.

Flame heaters are "free" to operate and never run out of fuel.



I prefer ether for simplicity and performance. I also keep a few hand spray cans around, but I also live where it gets plenty cold and have grown up knowing ether is a necessity, sometimes.

I think the Military and aftermarket ether kits are well designed and function well, with little or no long term issues. (only with Direct injection diesels)

Ether is more effective. Both are trouble prone, the flame heater when it doesn't work and the ether when it does work. Obviously either system is worth having if it works and you need it, but given how easily these trucks start, I can't say I'm going to spend much time or effort getting mine to work again. The orange can looks like it should hanging there, that's all I'll ever ask of it even if it did work...

I prefer the flame heater. I don't like the idea of injecting ether into a diesel engine. Others have had success with coolant heaters.

I think batteries are the most important to cold startup's

Both work. My preference is a can of ether spray I handle myself. That way, I am in full control of dosing; I have seen what ether can do to a Diesel when applied liberally.

The ether setup is "simpler" than the flame heater, but it is harder for a moronic soldier A to cause damage with the flame heater than with the ether bottle.

The plus side to the ether start system is you're not likely to over do it on ether (a common problem when using the spray cans). The down side is the replacement canisters are so expensive.

I've got a flame manifold heater on my truck that doesn't work. Awhile back the fuel supply line to it developed a leak so I just completely disabled it. IMO starting aides are really not needed in the south because the multi starts so easily.

I installed two Optima deep cycle batteries and My starter never worked so good! Water pump heater and it starts right up!

Either one of these two systems are only good for modest temperatures. When it gets cold, you need to put real heat on the engine to start it without damage!

Lee in Alaska

OK, maybe a dumb question.....can you have both on the same engine? The ports on the manifold are there for both systems.

That way you still have the manifold heater, as a back up, if the ether bottle is empty.

Because the ether system only works when you have a full bottle, and how do you know when the bottle is getting near empty?

Ridgerunner said:

Because the ether system only works when you have a full bottle, and how do you know when the bottle is getting near empty?

Click to expand...

If used correctly, you can get a large number of uses out of an ether bottle. The cost per shot is not that great. In addition, ether should only be used if needed. I have used ether twice in the past year, and only one shot was needed the first time and two shots the second time. As others have mentioned, multifuels tend to start very easily due to the high compression, if you have good batteries. I keep a spare bottle of ether clamped in the engine compartment. You know when the ether bottle is empty when you don't get any results. Replacement is very simple and quick.

Ridgerunner said:

OK, maybe a dumb question.....can you have both on the same engine? The ports on the manifold are there for both systems.

That way you still have the manifold heater, as a back up, if the ether bottle is empty.

Because the ether system only works when you have a full bottle, and how do you know when the bottle is getting near empty?

Click to expand...

You could have both systems on the same engine but you'd never want to use both at the same time. I'm not sure what would happen but it couldn't be good injecting ether into a manifold that has a flame already in it. I'd say at worst an explosion and at best a fire.

m16ty said:

You could have both systems on the same engine but you'd never want to use both at the same time. I'm not sure what would happen but it couldn't be good injecting ether into a manifold that has a flame already in it. I'd say at worst an explosion and at best a fire.

Click to expand...

I think that would be the "Super Manifold Heater" . I did notice on a few of the last GL trucks that they had the either setup and still had the flame heater parts installed.

I can't really say only having used the flame-start heater.

A quick question from a Southren boy... how do you use just a spray-can of ether to start a deuce when you're by yourself? (NOT the orange-bottle system)

A very small amount of ether vapor is all it takes. You can open the right windshield and spay a shot in the intake from inside the cab or you can spray a direct shot in the intake and have plenty of time to go around and get in and hit the start button.

If ether must be manually applied to something, my preference is to "shoot" the air filter for half a second to one second. (Some of the new "safer" cans spray a lot less than they used to...) It really does not take much, only a "whiff". The idea is that you need only enough ether to "help" the regular fuel light on that first time around. If you need more, you've got a lack of fuel problem that needs fixing, not spraying.
Anyhow, using the air filter as a "storage area" gives a lone individual more than adequate time to walk around the vehicle and start the vehicle without rushing, as well as forcing the ether to evaporate, greatly reducing the opportunity to get too high of a concentration in one cylinder. and the subsequent damage that is possible when that happen.
Lots of folks insist that you have to open up some intake plumbing to get the ether "close to the engine". I disagree. Ether does evaporate but it does not go away. The intake is a closed system. You WANT AND NEED it to be fully evaporated when it hits the engine. In a closed space, evaporation is way different than dissipation, which happens in an open space.

The factory kit injects ether through a nozzle, in a carefully measured and remarkably small amount, and it does it in a positively metered fasion. (Pull the switch to "charge" and release the switch to inject, you can't vary the dose). Ether works or it doesn't. Just a whiff is all it needs and therefore all it releases.

I like the idea of spraying it out the passenger windshield as well. That is probably as good as you can get to guarantee "ingestion" of a bit of vapor, without allowing too much at once.

You should never spray ether into an engine, unless is is being cranked over.


To use a hand held spray can I open the passenger side window and door. I then, touch the red starter button with my left foot, and use my right hand to spray at the mushroom(between the stack and the windshield frame), while the engine is cranking over. Just a quick shot will do it.


I prefer to ask someone to help me. Much easier to crank and point at the second person, and have them give a quick shot into the intake mushroom.

As for the truck installed ether kits, I am still running on the same can for over 3 years, with at least one truck.

I rarely need ether, even in the extreme cold here.


As a generalized statement, I doubt you would ever need ether, if you live South of Maryland.(eastern side of the country)

I delivered LP gas to residental customers for 25 years. My trucks had to start at all times down to 40 below. The only thing that worked for me was a soft plug type block heater that you plugged into your 120 volt electrical service. The coil was always in the blocks water cavity and never air locked or plugged up with crap. They rarely burned out. They used to cost 35 bucks. Worked for me. If I want my Deuce to go in the winter, that's what I'll install. Much easier on your engine also. John

Thanks for the quick how-to. I doubt I'll need it, but now I know.