Caterpillar – D8 – Diesel – Cold Start – Cat – Tractor – WW2 – Normandy
Caterpillar D8-8R Built in Illinois USA in 1941 then shipped over to England to join 79th armoured Div 819 Dozer Squadron. This actual machine took part in Normandy and D-Day events. Filmed on 19th July 2008 at Barton under Needwood Steam Rally ( near Lichfield Staffs ) What you are watching is the start process needed before the Big Cats diesel engine can be started. The petrol driven starter motor ( donkey engine ) is fired up first. This generates heat which inturn is used to warm up the big diesel engine prior to starting. The action of the starter motor also builds up the oil pressure in the big diesel engine. When the required oil pressure has been reached you will see the guy activate the start mechanism on the diesel engine. Once she has fired up the primary petrol engine is shut down leaving the Big Cat Diesel engine purring away….Sweet
[affmage source="ebay" results="20"]mini excavator[/affmage]
rap that pony motor up
How many horse power dose the diesel motor have?
@RockinGuy1994 Sorry I have absolutely no idea.
Imagine doing that on the Western front at about 20-below zero F!!!
@JGMagoo No thanks :-))
@RockinGuy1994 Being from the 1940s between 132-148HP
Outstanding USA technology and engineering. Machines like this are why we won the war.
Even in the 40′s a cat still sounded like a CAT!!!
@c931D9 that and the germans were exhausted from the previous three years, aka our troops were fresh. and the jap’s bent over as soon as the a bombs were dropped
@Bevoin1970 i basically is a gasoiline powered starter, it just cranks the big engine over, and shares the same cooling system,so it helps warm up the coolant in the big diesel,and the pony exhust is routed through the diesel intake maifold to help warm it up too.
these are the unsung heros of WWII
small, 2 cylinder engines where called pony motors that did the starting.. at the time cat or john deere had no electric starters strong enough to start big engines in colder climate.. the little engines where hateful little things to keep running right.. a lot of the blame was put on them as they didnt run long enough when they where used… actually carbs where junk on them..
TAKE THAT annoying fair ground music!!! :D
Awesome machine too!
@dalekrueger … unlike all those people machine gunned to death lying on the beaches: They get WAY too much credit.. Hooray for the unsung D8 heros of D-Day!! (yes, this is sarcasm)
@hwoods01 what i ment, when someone talks bout WWII , they always mention the B-17,P-51,P-38,B-29,and all the other great machines of WWII,but something had to clear the land, knock down the hills,fill in the low spots,and level the land, so they could take off and land,and build the roads,and the bridges,so the shermans,and the jeeps and trucks could where they needed to
Not very good for getaways :) sweet diesel sound..
@RockinGuy1994 Powered by a 115 horsepower six-cylinder naturally aspirated Caterpillar model D13000 diesel engine they weighed approximately 16.5 tons (depending on equipment) and had a six-speed manual transmission.
@JGMagoo That would not be my 1st choice on my things to do list
I a’mmm the Great Mighty Poo…
Damn, didn’t think the pony motor was even gonna start lol!
@thetruckdoctor I think the owner of this CAT thought the same, when he was cranking it over with a crowd of people stood around him watching his every move… :-))
to bad its not owned by a American
does it have a little motor to start up the main engine? is that how they made diesels back then?
@the124Lscania I dont suppose they had electric starts in those days, with enough power to crank over a large diesel engine such as this. However saying that, the heat generated by the petrol engine is used to warm up the diesel engine before she fires into life. You couldn’t do that with an electric starter… Technology was very limited back in the 1940′s
@Bevoin1970 wow what a beast