Holy *&$@! that was FUN!!!

[Phssthpok]

I fired up my China Diesel for the first time today. I had a little problem with air in the fuel line to start, but once that was resolved she fired right up!

I'm amazed at how easy this thing is to kick off by hand. I was thinking I was going to have to crank till I was blue in the face to get enough momentum up, but it's actually quite easy. Maybe about 15 cranks to get up to speed, then release the compression relief lever and away she goes!

LOUD though.....I need to shim the injector to change the timing... it's popping too soon and creating a hellacious knock. From inside the house, it sounds like a Semi-truck is idleing in the street.  Fortunately the owners manual specifically addresses this issue....kinda like tuning a carb for different elevations. If I were, say, another 1500-2000 feet in elevation, the thinner air would probbably solve the knock issue. As it is, I'm only about 150 ft above sea level.

I wish I had a viedo camera so I could post a vid I could link to.

[stephent]

Ain't you glad you don't have to do that to start the family car though?

Good to see it fired off quickly.

Keep us informed how the Chinese Diesels do/hold up.

[Phssthpok]

You know... I'm with George at Utterpower on that one. I'd personally LIKE to have the added option of starting the car that way....particularly if I drove an automatic. At least with a stick you can 'pop' start it. Auto-tranny? You're screwed.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

That's cause they build 'em cheap.

Autotrannies always have a pump on the engine shaft, to provide hydraulic pressure for the actuators and fluid logic and to circulate the tranny fluid through the radiator for cooling.  But if the engine isn't turning you have no pressure and can't engage.  (And if the rear shaft IS turning it thrashes the fluid and heats it, which is why you have to tow an auto-tranny car REALLY SLOWLY to keep it from wrecking the tranny with excess heat.)

Some of the older models also included a "rear pump", driven by the drive shaft, plus suitable one-way valves so things would work if either shaft was turning.  Those you COULD drop into gear when rolling to start a dead engine.