BigJon: You can start a diesel in both directions. If you'd do this on our cummins it would run- get the air from the exhaust and let it out through the inlet. Lot's of big diesels in ships were built that way because of the weight and losses you'd encounter in a gearbox for a 16 cyl diesel with about 8 feet bore and 15 feet stroke. ( Talk about torque numbers)<br>These big diesels are started by compressed air being blown into a cyl on the right position.Preheating is done by igniting a small amount of fuel ( about 1 quart with an electric arc within the cylinder. <br> <br>AlpineRAM

 

Alpine Ram,<br><br>The largest marine diesels I have seen had a 1050mm bore and used to make about 4,000hp per cylinder. The Sulzer 8RND105 engine made 32,000hp at 112rpm. Bore was 1050mm (about 38 inches) and stroke about 2500mm (8ft). One of these engines would power a 155,000 tonne ship through the water at around 19knots.<br><br>The newer marine diesel engines develop powers in the order of<br>40,000kW or 60,000hp.<br><br>Makes our 235hp Cummins look liittle doesn't it!!!!<br><br>Mariner.

 

Man, I'd hate to pull in and say Filler up with that baby.

 

Of a much smaller nature, but in the 80's I moved several loads for a marine supply from New Orleans to Baltimore. The warehouse was facinating. The stools at the parts counter were 24&quot; diameter Detroit pistons. The wharehouse was full of large diesel engines one and two stories high. I was amazed by the 2 cycle detroits that looked just like a 238 in larger format. Most of it was tug boat stuff.

 

Well these big diesels I saw was when I had the opportunity to visit a tanker. <br>Won't disclose ship's name and date to keep the engineer out of trouble. The engine has 3 galleries for maintenance work. I forgot about the actual HP numbers but remember that the engine has it's peak torque at 24 rpm. Direct drive to the prop.<br><br>AlpineRAM

 

24 RPM! WOW <br><br>That's spinnin' eh?<br><br>and I thought an old two cylinder John deere turned slow!!!<br>Any idea how fast it revved out at WOT?<br><br>anyone ever see a SLOW tractor race at their county fair?? They are pretty funny sometimes

 

<br> Roadway Express, 100% of there trucks use air starters . Ingersoll Rand builds them.<br><br> Where I work we have an old ford farm tractor (gas) that we use to pull start trucks with. Last place I worked at we used a Cat forklift to pull start em`. That was always fun ;D.

 

tool- as far as I remember it was about 30 rpm critical ( redline), not only for the engine, but also for the prop. (cavitation and then some harmonics that could break the prop) <br>AlpineRAM

 

Has anyone ever used one of those Hydrostarters on Detroit Diesel engines? They show one in a Detroit Diesel service manual I have, and though I've never seen one I like the idea... No electrical system ;D, no computer! ;D ;D Just a Hydraulic accumulator to spin a Hydraulic motor/starter and once the engine is running it recharges the accumulator. In case the charge leaks down, they provided a hand pump to get enough pressure (I think 1500PSI) to get the engine going...

 

LOL, I once saw a guy take a 12 gauge to his ford power stroke because it wouldnt start.

 

Viva La VINDICATION!!!

And ya'll thought I was crazy, didn't you?

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...hlight=coffman

 

Air and Hydraulic starters are still very much in use in industry. I've got 4 Cat 3612 that have 4 electric starters and 2 Hydraulic starters on each unit. The electric starters are used 2 at a time with each set having it's own bank of batteries. Then the 2 hydraulic starters are operated with a manual ball valve. These units are used as firewater pumps and msut be able to start no matter what. If you lose all the hydraulic pressure you can pump the pressure cylinders up by hand but it is a long slow process.
I've also got a 3516 essential generator that has air starters on it. They will start off of plant air. But if the plant is down and we are completely in the dark we can hand crank a little Lister diesel which drives an air compressor which charges up 3 volume bottles that when fully charged up to 200 PSI will crank the generator.
Yes, Turbine engines are diesels or can be. 3 of our generators are dual fuels. They will run equally well on diesel or natural gas. Our 2 compressors are the same engines but only run on natural gas.
The Lister Engine is my favorite. It is simple as an engine can get. No PLC's, no electronic's. Not a single wire hooked to it. You turn the handle to the on position. It has a compression release that you engage to got the engine spinning with a hand crank, just like an old Model A. You then flip the compression release to start the motor. The fuel is gravity feed out of a tank. It then uses a hand clutch to engage the belt drive for the air compressor.

 

BigJon,
There are still a few direct reversible boat engines in use.
They have 2 camshafts so the engine will run in both directions.
You need to switch the cam when going from forward to reverse, it's quite a process, if you are in forward and want reverse you stop the engine, reverse the cam and restart engine, then reverse the procedure again for forward.
I think it is actually one camshaft but with 2 sets of lobes.
Many rammings occured when the engine would not restart, docks and other boats smaashed into