Lots of voodoo developing in this string. I'll try to help for what it is worth. I have a lot of experience with using starting fluid in big machinery.

Diesel engines get very balky to start in cold weather. They rely on the heat of the diesel motor's great compression to ignite the fuel that is sprayed into the combustion chamber at the moment of TDC, and at very cold temperatures the spray does not atomize as well and won't ignite. It just makes clouds of noxious fuel 'smoke' (Particularly two stroke 'Jimmy' deisels). As the motor ages and wears and compression goes down starting is that much more difficult. You can help it by heating the intake air with a torch on the intake manifold, glow plugs for the same effect or..Starting fluid.
Ethers' great volatility gives the diesel a kick start so that after a few frantic cracklings of ether sparked running, the combustion chamber has a bit of residual heat, enough to fire on the diesel spray and away you go.
The trouble with ether is that it also displaces the lubricant when it touches the cylinder walls. A mere breath is enough to send the oil film scurrying. That's why the makers say to get the engine cranking before spraying starting fluid in the intake, so that the cylinders have a fresh bit of oil on them and so that ideally the starting fluid combusts right away.
In any case the continued use of starting fluid accelerates wear in the cylinders of the motor it is used on and so if it was balky to start before and the fluid helped, now it will not fire at all unless starting fluid is employed. Hence the motor has gotten 'used' to starting fluid.
Doesn't mean the motor has taken on mammalian characteristics, just means this is a flowery way to describe a worn motor. And using ether wears the motor.

How can it bend a valve? Well although some diesels have a cannister starting fluid system whereby the push of a button delivers a measured dose directly into the intake tract, the common method is just to spray a slug of it at the air cleaner intake. If a long enough spray is used the air cleaner paper or medium saturates with ether and the motor sucks this long dose until it is gone. Even big motors with heavy cranks, flywheels and such can rev up to surprizing rpm's in this brief time. It's easy to see, therefore, that if too much starting fluid is sprayed onto a filter of a motorcycle with its light crank and parts it can rev to dangerous levels instantly and a bent valve is no trick at all.

I'd say that unless your bike won't start and an avalanch is barrelling down on you, don't use it on a gas engine. You might get away with using faint whiffs of it but the danger isn't worth the risk.

 

i would try useing some of that pro-long fluid in a white bottle at local auto parts store. it coats the cyclinder with a fluid(dump it in ure oil) and this will be much better for the engine than the starter fluid. i have used this stuff in my vinson since brand new 2mi, and now have 2700mi never need to choke to start it even in the 10s and negitive temps this past winter. no on the other hand my rubicon will barely start with the choke in the winter.

 

Over-rev on a diesel is dramatically different than on a 2-stroke gas engine. Notice the rev limit on your Cat or Detroit diesel is approx 2 grand? That's due to the much higher compression ratio and rotating mass. A 2-stroke rev limit may be 9 or 10K RPM before damage due to over-rev. Also, compression ratios are much lower. Talking about completely different animals here.
In my humble opinion, taking diesel engine 'lore' and 2-stroke engine 'lore' and comparing them is dangerously misleading.

 

The question was about a starting aid for diesel engines and how did it result in a bent valve in a four stroke gas engine. You are going on about a 2 stroke gas engine (never mentioned) No valves. Take it away, aksafari. I concede to your obvious superiority in matters of motors.

 

You wouldn't call a reed a valve?

Sorry I didn't make myself more clear. I thought you were alluding to a comparison between the two obviously different engine configs.

You gotta love the diplomacy in here, but I guess there's no law against being a dick.

 

I think if we go back to the 2nd response to this post, we get back to the real answer to this question.

 

Thank You

 

Now I'm totally lost. I thought we were talking about a LT230? Not a diesel.
You can over rev a diesel with just about anything flamable. Why? They are throttled with fuel, not air. I have seen Jimmies over ride the gov, and everybody in the shop run for the door like a fire drill in school. Pinch the fuel line off and they will start sucking oil out of the pan.

Let me make this perfectly clear. How can you bend valves with starting fluid in an LT230; or any gas engine?

 

Thank you Glenlivet for the more indept response to my statements on the "memory" and bent valve situation. I only tried to keep it short and simple were people could understand. I try to keep things simple and figured that most would have heard of such "occurances" or experienced them. but it seems not everyone can understand the slang language i use in such statements. To elaborate more on the vavle situation. I HAVE seen and experience times when TOO much pressure in a combustion chamber on 4 STROKE engines can make it difficult for a EXHAUST valve to open on the exhaust stroke of the engine, thus the pressure being applied to the valve can cause it to "possibly" bend if it is not a strong shaft. now do take into account that this isnt an everyday occurance but it has happened .. Aslo on engines that are not OHC that use connecting rods to actuate the valve by means of the cam lobes , such as most older auto engines, the most common problem is bent connecting rods. Engines can most certainly VAPOR LOCK also, and you cant get them to move, or it will be hard as hejj to. Also the added pressure from such fluids if the engine does fire over could cause serious problems if the amount of fluid was TOO much, such as if it wouldnt start so you keep spraying more and more , then BAM the engine comes apart when it does fire. AND to outake on the deisal engines, guys , have you ever used ether or gasoline to start one and maybe used TOO much, ITS NOT a nice picture, its called a run away engine that you cant turn off. it gets real ugly. And 2 strokes, well were not talkin bout 2 stroke like Glenlivet said, this is about a 230 which is a 4stroke. man weve got off on this one, sorry.

 

I, I, I,..........I'm speechless. I'm just totally speechless!!!