Thread: Red Hill clearing sale

Originally Posted by roversmith

Can imagine that it would be pretty frustrating to go through the 20 minute starting ritual that these things required on a cold day, just to use it for 5 minutes to lift something. This one was one of the last of the bulldogs, had a starter fitted. They were also a 2 stoke diesel, didn't scare the birds from the sky like a Detroit though.

Cheers Greg

Warm up the hot bulb with a preheater tip on the oxy-acetylene set for the first step. I have seen them on stations with a gidgee fire lit under them on a frosty morning.

If we knew we would be using it again that day we would turn it down to slow idle, about 120 rpm, and let it chug away in the back yard. Distillate was around 20 cents per gallon then. A transport depot and truck workshop, it was used most days several times. Sometimes it would be left on slow idle overnight in mid-winter if it was required early next morning.