Neat vid. I remember as a kid nearly everything my grandfather owned had a pony engine to start it. D4, D6, D7,D8, D9, a few DW21's, and of course the old Cat 12 grader. I even remember an old TD 18 that started on gas and ran on Diesel. If it was all in tune and decent condition it would start easily in the coldest weather. Plus most could be hand cranked or rope started if the battery was dead, again if it was tuned good. Magneto points and sparkplugs were the key.
Always nice to see a pony start. I am fortunate enough to walk outside and listen to pony motors any time I get the urge. The fellow shut the gas off and run it dry to kill the pony just like your supposed to. It's nice to see it done right.
As cool as that is, I'm glad technology has evolved. I would hate to have to do all that at 30 below to be honest.
I don't know if that pony has the two speed function but the old 14A dozers I worked on had a low speed for cold weather where you started the warm up process and then shifted to high range when the oil got a little thinner as it warmed. One thing I noticed is the go juice to get the motor to fire quicker. I never had to use that for a pony starter. The pony would put enough heat into the diesel to make it pretty easy to catch. I suppose that engine might be a little worn. The other issue for us was that when the pony quit working we just pull started the machines with something else.
Usually starting fluid with a pony is just an impatient operator. me, I would just sit in the warm pickup enjoying a cup of coffee while the diesel warmed up for a bit, then open the diesel throttle to start it right up the first time.
Nice to hear those old grader running, thanks for the video
Or even 30 above with a stiff wind. First grader I ran had a pony motor. What an adventure to get it going in the Winter.
You had to be a smoker to start one at 30 below. That's how the old timers timed each step of the process. One cigarette for pony warm up, one for spinning the main with the compression released in low range, one for main under compression in low range, one for compression in high range on the pony transmission, then 4 slow ones back in the truck while the main warmed up. As a side note the stretch D8s in Antarctica had a 12 gallon pony gas tank.
Kinda like being awoken with a long slow massage as opposed to a jab with a cattle prod.
Geez, I don't miss those. Watching that video reminded me of the couple times I accidentally touched the mag wire when shutting those bi*ches off.
This looks like the way to go. At least till england bans starters on tractors, hee hee hee...
Very cool. "Necessity is the Mother of Invention"