Starting a Petter PH1 single cylinder Diesel engine

[topchippyles]

My lorry was an 8 cylinder so using a squirt to get it running was never an issue. Single cylinder it will glaze the bore so best to avoid.

[Baldbloke]

Can you ask the guy you bought it off? If he was able to start it and stop it with no issues and no easy start I'm sure that he can tell you how he did that?

Good point. He did offer to come around at the weekend,- although there’s been a deathly silence since I messaged him earlier to take him up on his offer, so I’m covering the odds by asking you chaps with your vast knowledge on this type of kit.

[Paddy1000111]

It sounds odd... I've got an old lister diesel (probably the same engine) that runs a big transformer the size of a beer keg that powers one 13A plug. I open the stop cock, crank it with the decompression lever up and then flip the lever down and it fires up. I also stop it using the decomp lever as I think the other way involves letting it naturally shut down from fuel starvation and it takes too long. 

 

If it makes you feel better. This kid can start his: 

 

[topchippyles]

Something about old machinery that we all relate to 

[agg221]

There are other ways of shutting them down that aren't too slow. The official way is to lift the priming lever to horizontal but an alternative is to manually push the throttle rod right in which drops the revs below what will run. Takes about 15-20seconds to stop from idle.

 

Alec

[Paddy1000111]

3 minutes ago, agg221 said:

There are other ways of shutting them down that aren't too slow. The official way is to lift the priming lever to horizontal but an alternative is to manually push the throttle rod right in which drops the revs below what will run. Takes about 15-20seconds to stop from idle.

 

Alec

Starting to make me wonder if I shut mine down with the priming lever... I haven't started it in about 3 years now as the alternator gave up and I never had much use for it anyway! It would probably look beautiful if it was dragged out and restored but it weighs about 900 tonnes so I never tried 

[Baldbloke]

It sounds odd... I've got an old lister diesel (probably the same engine) that runs a big transformer the size of a beer keg that powers one 13A plug. I open the stop cock, crank it with the decompression lever up and then flip the lever down and it fires up. I also stop it using the decomp lever as I think the other way involves letting it naturally shut down from fuel starvation and it takes too long. 
 
If it makes you feel better. This kid can start his: 
 

[emoji28] I know. Makes me feel a right plonker. I see he’s dribbling oil into the air intake and suggesting it’s to up the compression. His wreck was at least smoking enough to suggest it’s more promising than mine.

[agg221]

1 minute ago, Paddy1000111 said:

Starting to make me wonder if I shut mine down with the priming lever... I haven't started it in about 3 years now as the alternator gave up and I never had much use for it anyway! It would probably look beautiful if it was dragged out and restored but it weighs about 900 tonnes so I never tried 

Alternator? There is something wrong with it if it has an alternator. All proper dumpers have no electrics whatsoever and run on brute force and periodic application of string and weld 😁

 

Alec

[Paddy1000111]

6 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Alternator? There is something wrong with it if it has an alternator. All proper dumpers have no electrics whatsoever and run on brute force and periodic application of string and weld 😁

 

Alec

Ha! Mine is a stationary engine with a big belt driven 240v 13A generator on it! I'll post up a photo of it next time I am in that shed! 

[Baldbloke]

Alternator? There is something wrong with it if it has an alternator. All proper dumpers have no electrics whatsoever and run on brute force and periodic application of string and weld [emoji16]
 
Alec

It’s what attracted me to this basic thing too. No electrics, no hydraulics and totally mechanical, until I discovered its foibles🤣