Is it OK to use starter fluid on a diesel truck engine?

We put a 353 Detroit in a '79 Ford, and put ether injection on it. Had a pump in the cab that looked like a button for a choke. Pull, push, fire it up.

6.5's were completely mechanical for one year, in '93. In '94 - '99, they were drive by wire throttle, and had a pump driver module to control the injection pump. Still all mechanical injection, though. Didn't switch to commonrail until the Duramax. As long as you didn't let the glow plugs cycle, they could take ether.

 

I’m always out of ether when I need it. What I do is hold a spray paint can upside down and spray till the paint has left the pickup tube. Then just give the breather a shot of that. It’s rare that I need any starting aid for any of my machines but hey it works. One shot fires right up. Probably faster than ether. And no, one shot isn’t gonna ruin anything