# Springstarter



## ABEE (Sep 21, 2005)

Any of you gentlemen had any experience of the wind up type of springstarter for diesel engines? The reason I ask is I have a Lister, only single cylinder, but hard to start in any cold weather. As I am getting a little bit older I find it increasingly difficult to start, as it is hand start with no electrics. Laid up at the moment with a hernia, waiting to get it fixed next month and the Doctor reckons cranking the old Lister could have done it! It has the cold weather excess fuel start device on it, but even using that it is still hard work. Would appreciate any information on the springstarter. Thanks .


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

ABEE, have you tried a 12v hairdryer or gas torch (small chef's blowtorch also works) across the intake, it works for me. Presuming it's on a boat just make sure it's secure unless you have four arms.

I recall an old diesel that had a "glowplug"that you heated with a parrafin blowtorch that was screwed in through leather gloves. It was a classic, might have been a Kelvin.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Hernia these days a quick job, I had one recently in at 07.30 home at 3pm.
Good old NHS.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Providing theres a place to stick it.Most of the Listers I've been with were 4 cyl emergency generators with electric motor start and a spring loaded starter as emergancy start(first start) and fits in the same pocket as the electric starter.Alougth it can be a heavy piece of kit to fit,once its in there its easy to crank up and start.(can be left in permanently)


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## PAULD (Sep 6, 2006)

We had some tractors at the mine that where wind up starters, a real pain if they didn't fire first time. They where converted to electric start after many years for use on surface, but i think they had to fit a new fly wheel /ring gear for electric starters.


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## ABEE (Sep 21, 2005)

R58484956 said:


> Hernia these days a quick job, I had one recently in at 07.30 home at 3pm.
> Good old NHS.


Thats good news, hope to be in and out as quick as that. I could always try a small blowtorch device (not for me hernia!), as said by nav as long as it is secure! Thanks guys, Happy New Year.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Try "EASY START" spray in the air intake


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## vickentallen (Oct 12, 2007)

Once you go down the "easy start" route, thats the end, washes lube off the bore,looses compression and wears rings and bore,,, a small piece of smoldering diesely rag in inlet tract fires them up no bother..Lucas/CAV did the
spring starter (inertia starter) had one years ago on a P6 Perkins, worked well ..


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

Easystart has its uses, it will tell you if you have an ignition problem (petrol, paraffin or diesel) or a mechanical problem. If you do use it, be very, very, very sparing, it only takes a tiny amount to be effective. I always carry some onboard lest a leeshore in a gale type incident is apparent, at that point you might be very appreciative of it. I have been there twice.

vickentallen is absolutely right about continuous use and its effect on lubrication but there are two further issues. Over dose and you can get a sump explosion or backfire through the intake and/or exhaust system which, believe me, can be impressive. I once rescued a guy who I was certain was in the black and white minstrels. It is not recommended for hand starts as it can cause a prefire and break your wrist.

We have a workboat for the club that was a Norwegian purse rope retriever in the North Sea. It was dispatched into all sorts of weather with foam buoyancy fore and aft and a massive FO Perkins engine and caged variable pitch prop. The engine has two cold weather starting mechanism, one is a heated element in the air intake and the other is a liquid injection of "starter fluid" could it have been TVO?


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## vickentallen (Oct 12, 2007)

Probably Either (spelling) RN motorcutters had liquid Either capsuals for starting
there flat twin Enfield engines known as KiaGass. dont think it did them any good, they were always a sod to start..


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

vickentallen said:


> Probably Either (spelling) RN motorcutters had liquid Either capsuals for starting
> there flat twin Enfield engines known as KiaGass. dont think it did them any good, they were always a sod to start..


Ether = Easystart with all the protection taken out!

No, this was in a vented bottle with a tube direct into the air intake via a solenoid valve.


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

In my experience starting handles have a mind of their own and will always find a way to hurt you,even on a hot day with a warm engine they will go for you!


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## gordy (Apr 18, 2008)

Rather than spray 'easy start' in, I sprayed some on a rag and held it at the side of the air intake.

Are you using the valve lifter to crank it over a few times with the handle before going for a start? 
On oil platforms we used to get the new starts having a go at the lifeboat 3 cylinder Listers. Started it on one cylinder and then released the 'lifters' on the other two.


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## ABEE (Sep 21, 2005)

gordy said:


> Rather than spray 'easy start' in, I sprayed some on a rag and held it at the side of the air intake.
> 
> Are you using the valve lifter to crank it over a few times with the handle before going for a start?
> On oil platforms we used to get the new starts having a go at the lifeboat 3 cylinder Listers. Started it on one cylinder and then released the 'lifters' on the other two.


Do you mean the decompressor lever gordy? if so yes, use it all the time. If not, not sure what you mean by valve lifter, is that an engineering term for decompressor?


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## ABEE (Sep 21, 2005)

ABEE said:


> Do you mean the decompressor lever gordy? if so yes, use it all the time. If not, not sure what you mean by valve lifter, is that an engineering term for decompressor?


Showed my ignorance there then didn't I? Anyway priced aforementioned spring starter, just under £1,900. 12v hairdryer a lot cheaper...


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## cryan (Jan 8, 2007)

I had these (well twin cylinder) engines on the ex MoD Isobel. It ran the compressor for the start air bottle. It was an absolute nightmare in the winter and often would not go away with out Easy Start spray especially if it had been sitting for a week or more. if you can heat the engine, do it. either with a space heater, heat gun or torch. Sit for a few minutes slowly turning the engine fully decompressed this makes sure that everything is fully lubed up before you start cranking it. Then give it a reasonably fast crank and close the decompressor. this wont start(probably) but will give a bit of heat into the cylinder. At this point give the intake two or three squirts of the Easy Start, just quick squirts though don't flood it. Then crank it for real.
I was nearly killed by a wind up inertia starter when I was a cadet. We had one on the foc'sle emergency fire pump. I fired it to start the pump and instead of turning the engine it sheared its hold down bolts and flew off just missing my head!
Of course there is an alternative? Give me a call and I'll sell you a brand new engine. I'll even paint it Lister Green! lol...


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