Starter fluid on reefer

Starting fluid should work fine. Just don’t spay a whole boat load. Look at the picture attached. Spray inside that little tube with rubber boot on it that I marked red

 

Better way to do it might be popping off that metal clip, removing air filter and spaying directly inside air intake tube. Shouldn’t be hard or time consuming to do.

 

I've seen reefer mechanics do that; use starter fluid. Worked just fine.

 

Most have a preheater for the intake air. If it’s working properly you may have fire shoot back at you unless you unhook it.
If you’re not stopping to refill the fuel filter every 40-50 pumps, then you may damage the engine with the amount of ether it will take to get it running.
If you have a air line and blow nozzle and some tools. The easiest way is to remove the bottom cover and look for a compression fitting on the big fuel line. Take one side off, then blow air back into the tank. It takes a couple seconds for the fuel to come back up the line,so don’t look into the line.
When the fuel comes out put the fitting back together and start pumping while trying to start.
Keep pumping until it’s running.

 

Everyone should run out of fuel once and have to prime it. Won't happen again.

 

Depending on the age of the reefer, if you lose the prime, you'll never get it running. What is needed, is to pressurize the fuel tank to get fuel up to the fuel pump. You can press that primer lever all day and it does nothing. I was told NEVER use ether with a diesel with glow plugs, or you'll blow the head off.

 

Takes a lot of pumping for a reefer. Seems like it'll never work, but it will

 

When you can't move either arm you're halfway done.

 

I presume you fixed it now but if it ever happens again pressurize the fuel tank through the vent on the top of tank and pump the hand pump several dozen times.Up and running in 5 minutes.