[SEL] Match start and shot gun shell start engines.

[Curt]

Jim,
I have never had the pleasure of seeing a match start engine actually 
started. I did look over a large 25HP? Fairbanks in Georgia a few years 
ago that was match start. The owner explained the process exactly as you 
did. Hold the flywheel, hand pump the cylinder pressure up, and then 
light it off with the match.
Since you mentioned the shot gun shell starters, and questioned if they 
had enough uumph to bring it over, I have a question about those. When 
starting an engine or tractor with shotgun shell start, do you precharge 
the cylinder with a fuel charge? Does the shell actually provide the 
pressure to carry it all the way over, or is it only providing instant 
compression and firing a fuel charge in the cylinder to cary it thru?
Curt Holland
Gastonia, NC

Jim and Diane wrote:

>I Have seen one several match start engines both of which were 
>Fairbanks-Morse.  A father son team had one at the Carson Valley show 
>several years ago and were starting it every hour or so.  Here is how it 
>worked.  The flywheel was stopped slightly over TDC on the power stroke and 
>held there.  The other guy worked a hand pump on the side of the engine that 
>drew the air over a shallow pan of gas and then into the cylinder through a 
>check valve.  When the pump was getting really hard to pump and the flywheel 
>holder was beginning to strain.  The match holder was pushed in with a whack 
>and the engine went chuff and began to run.  This engine was about 10 HP or 
>so and was a early engine although I can't remember the date.
>
>The entire match assemble unscrewed from the side of the head and was 
>cleaned before start up.  Most of the match is cut off leaving a very short 
>piece that goes in the match holder which looked like a piece of slotted 
>tube.
>
>I talked with one of them and he said they also had trouble getting matches 
>as he didn't think they were still being made.
>
>I saw another FM match start at the Vista show which was being started the 
>hard way by pulling the flywheel through.  The match start was missing and 
>he had made a shotgun adapter that held a blank 410 shotgun shell.  I assume 
>that the blast from the shotgun shell is enough to push it through a 
>complete cycle.  Maybe next time it will be done this way and I can see how 
>it works.
>
>  
>