Starting a Petter PH1 single cylinder Diesel engine

[Baldbloke]

 

 

Bought this 1973 era dumper yesterday, which of course was running on arrival[emoji849]

Sweet running and idling thing with bags of compression.

I’m not some weakling but I’m buggered if I can start it from cold. There’s zero smoke exiting the exhaust after breaking out in a sweat so I’m assuming there’s zero fuel getting into the pot.

On gravity there’s fuel to the pump, and fuel dribbling out of a loosened injector nut on hand cranking with the decompressor engaged.

I suspect there’s a way of setting up the throttle and enrichening her to encourage a start but am unable to figure it out.

Im sure there’s a few older people on here familiar with this type of machine and wonder if you could give me some tips to be able to start her?

[topchippyles]

Was it sounding like this when it was running ?  It might help with the tuning 🤙

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by topchippyles

[Baldbloke]

Yup🤣 issue is it isn’t now running

[topchippyles]

Give it a squirt of easy start but not to much 

[Khriss]

There is a fine online manual for this. Will find link. Or it may be on my tablets as i have just this  engine in garage. K

Edited May 5, 2021 by Khriss
They were cracking little movers and used one with a rack fro t to handball 2.2m logs abt ☺️

[agg221]

Try to avoid the easy start - they develop a habit for it.

 

I have an earlier version (1956 Benford) with a Petter AVA1 engine in. The procedure on mine is very basic - decompression lever up, swing it up to speed, drop the lever, away it goes.

 

Is yours very similar in principle?

 

When you swing it over, are you getting even white vapour and a smell of diesel out? If not, I suspect you have not got enough fuel coming through. If it was running, did it run out of fuel? It takes an enormous amount of cranking to pull enough through again. It could be blocked somewhere in the line?

 

I've got the manual for it and will have a look - I do vaguely recall a procedure for starting which involves a throttle setting but mine has never needed it (to be fair, the accelerator on mine hasn't worked for years so you just stick your hand in the relevant part of the engine and pull the rod out - Health & Safety....!)

Alec

[agg221]

OK, found it and unhelpfully it says under 'starting procedure' to 'refer to engine manufacturer's handbook'. However, on the stopping procedure it says to lift the priming lever to horizontal, which may be a useful indicator. This is for the DB and DC series Benford which may just be late enough to have used a PH1 engine rather than the AVA1.

 

The AVA1 has a priming lever halfway down the crank case on the lhs looking from the back. Prime by pumping until it squeaks is the instruction. There is then an overload stop on the back of the injector (opposite end to the spring) which you lift up, give half a dozen more priming strokes, spin up and drop the decompressor. If my camera worked I would send a photo from the manual - I think this is very similar to the PH1.

 

Alec

Edited May 5, 2021 by agg221

[Everishgreen]

If above advice fails, wrap a strap round it and pull strap with another vehicle. Be careful, good guide video on YouTube. 

[Khriss]

There... 

http://www.davidcornwallis.com

 

Pdf fr the PH1 and other manuals. K

[Deafhead]

As I think others have said, there should be a lift aside catch on the pump slide to enable the pump to over fuel to help start-up. Looking at your pic its the bit with the bolt on it.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Deafhead