Cartridge Start?!?

"Busslayer" (Busslayer) 06/14/2016 at 00:11 • Filed to: None

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I came across this video of an adorable little antique tractor. They use a shotgun shell to start the diesel engine. I hadn’t seen that before. They also lit a wick of some sort. Anybody know what the fire is all about?

lone_liberal > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 00:19

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You should watch the original Flight of the Phoenix for some excellent cartridge starter action.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 00:21

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Large aircraft engines used to use them.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > lone_liberal 06/14/2016 at 00:24

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I knew I remembered this from somewhere!

TooLazyToNotBurner > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 00:25

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Here’s what I found:

A cartridge starting system is also fitted to the tractor. A shot-gun type cartridge is loaded into a breech on the engine’s intake system. The smouldering paper is placed in the cylinder head, and the cartridge is fired by tapping the protrusion pin with a hammer. This puts a charge into the bore, sending the piston through its stroke, bursting into life. This method, however, deposits carbon which often causes jamming of the decompression valve if cartridges are regularly used. It also puts significantly more strain on the engine.
Later versions of the Field-Marshall had more sophisticated starting systems available - electric starters were optional on the Series 3As.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 00:25

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I’ve seen those starters on Unimogs and other trucks in Africa and Australia. They can start a diesel with no battery and diesels don’t need anything else since it’s basically a chain reaction once it’s going.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 01:11

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Fun fact: some B-52's can still be stared by cartridges.

Cartridge starters were also popular on airplanes because of their simplicity and the fact that older starting motors weren’t very good.

Alfalfa > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 01:17

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Oh yes, they were definitely a thing. A wonderful, glorious thing. Mainly on aircraft, as others have pointed out. Although I’ve always wanted to try and fabricate one for a more modern engine. (As in more modern than ones equipped with shotgun start. So like, 80's or earlier when engines were still relatively simple.)

Sam > Flyboy is FAA certified insane 06/14/2016 at 01:46

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And it you couldn't use a starter to shoot Nazis.

samssun > Busslayer 06/14/2016 at 02:49

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Similar to a Coffman Starter for planes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffman_e…

PartyPooper2012 > lone_liberal 06/14/2016 at 08:11

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They remade that movie in 2004. Also used shotgun shells or cartridges they called them.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > lone_liberal 06/14/2016 at 10:05

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Yep. Although that’s a Coffman starter, so it’s not a direct “shove” to the intake in the same way. Coffmans drive a screw piston thingy.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > Sam 06/14/2016 at 11:35

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That’s true, but you’ll rarely find somebody lugging the appropriate 4 gauge shotgun around...