|
A few things: Technology did NOT exist to design a strong enough engine to make enough compression to start directly. Diesel engines ignite the fuel from the heat of compression, not a spark plug. IH start on gas diesels have very complex castings that had a few thin spots and were prone to crack if not shut down properly. You should switch back to gas before shutting down because the gasoline will burn cooler due to having less compression then when in the diesel mode. ALSO, switching to gas at shutdown burns out the diesel fuel and makes starting easier next time. As soon as the engine is shut down you need to switch the lever back to diesel or the decompression valves will warp. YES, the IH start on gas diesel is the only diesel engine you could ever hope to crank start. The reason is the compression that a diesel engine needs makes it very difficult to turn over the compression stroke fast enough to create enough heat to ignite. The start on gas diesel was the best starting diesel engine in colder climates in its day. Later came the glow plugs, which heated the combustion chamber so that ignition could occur. And the glow plugs had to be used winter AND summer because again there wasn't enough compression to ignite the mix until the engine was running. The IH engines with glow plugs also cracked and warped heads, probably just a flaw in the design. You never hear of an 806 or anything after that having a cracked head. Here is some food for though also: most of the H's and M's I've taken apart also have hairline cracks in the heads, nothing that would ever leak, but cracked nonetheless. Steven
| 
