[1999 1.9D DW8] I know idling a diesel is bad for it, but how bad?

[Michel]

I can remember in the '50s the drivers lighting a fire under the engines to get them to start in very cold weather.

Yes, now you say I remember dad telling they did the same and even lit fires under the fuel tanks as the diesel would begin to gel in the cold...

My dad had a LWB diesel Landie when he worked at Dinorwig Hydro station which used to get a fire lit under it in winter. I remember it from being a kid.
The landie met it's fate when he forgot to put the handbrake on one day up Snowdon..

[moizeau]

With a Landy, never use the hand brake, just leave it in 1st, it'll go nowhere

[doctle]

This can be a problem on small single cylinder air cooled diesels but it shouldn't be a problem on your van. The small engines run cool unless they're under a load of maybe 60% this can cause excessive carbon build up and wet stacking. The 1200 rpm is a good idea.

[myglaren]

I did wonder briefly if a dedicated diesel genny might fit the bill but the bill would probably be too big - they 'aint cheap

[Rosanbo]

Hi,

Can someone please explain the mechanism for using a shot cartridge to start the tractor?

Does the shot cartridge have actual shot in it? Where does the shot go?

or are they special blank cartridges?

Thanks

[doctle]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffman_engine_starter

[doctle]

I did wonder briefly if a dedicated diesel genny might fit the bill but the bill would probably be too big - they 'aint cheap

Diesel generators are like women, good ones arent cheap and cheap ones arent good

[Rosanbo]

Ah yes, like in flight of the phoenix (1965), thanks

[Zelandeth]

Those Field Marshall tractors are something else...single cylinder two stroke diesel of something around six litres in capacity. They tend to make the ground shake at idle...

[Peter.N.]

One of our local farmers has a 'Field Marshall' tractor and we can hear it running from two farms away!

A friend of ours who lives over the border in Devon has a wonderful collection of tractors and old stationary engines of the 'hot bulb' type, you have to heat up the bulb with a blowlamp until its pretty well red hot and then swing the engine, if its hot enough it will start. He also has a tractor that you start by unscrewing a holder from the cylinder and inserting a rolled up piece of saltpeter impregnated paper, this continues glowing after you have refitted it and if you are lucky it fires up when you turn it over.

This is the same chap that dug out our 300 year old well and reinstated it, what he doesn't know about country crafts is not worth knowing, mind you he is the same age as me so not quite so active now, also has a broad Devon accent.

Peter

[doctle]

I think the Field Marshall is similar to the Lanz Bulldog they were hot bulb engines too but semi diesel, they run on any kind of oil. Great sounds at vintage shows

[Paul-R]

Semi diesel? Is that like being a bit pregnant?

[doctle]

They'd run on straight used engine oil too, maybe I'll convert the streak (307) but there may be some health and safety concerns.

[lexi]

Another interesting start method.

[Peter.N.]

Yes Iv'e seen a few of those 'engine start' engines on you tube, mostly Caterpillar but another engine that Iv'e never seen but read about was the 'Hessleman' engine, a low compression direct injection engine with spark plugs, I wouldn't think it was very efficient but you could run it on practically anything that burns.

Peter