Spring Starter

[twinpot]

Good morning.

Has anyone tried one of these, (www.springstarter.com/) i have been reading the bumf on these and they sound quite good,but i expect i will be told otherwise,does anyone know how much they cost,quite a bit i expect as they dont give you a price.

Ill try not to get upset by any answers given,and please feel free to go off topic at any time.

Kind Regards.

Twinpot.

Edited March 13, 2010 by DHutch
link made clickable

[WotEver]

Gee it's difficult to find a price online isn't it?

 

Ill try not to get upset by any answers given,and please feel free to go off topic at any time.

[ditchcrawler]

Good morning.

Has anyone tried one of these,(Springstarter.com)i have been reading the bumf on these and they sound quite good,but i expect i will be told otherwise,does anyone know how much they cost,quite a bit i expect as they dont give you a price.

Ill try not to get upset by any answers given,and please feel free to go off topic at any time.

Kind Regards.

Twinpot.

We use to use spring starts on the lifeboats, they are OK if you don't need extended engine cranking. I don't remember them being as easy to operate as the add makes out. We also used hydraulic starters where you pump an accumulator up to pressure and use that to operate a starter, a real pain to recharge.

[John Orentas]

Good morning.

Has anyone tried one of these,(Springstarter.com)i have been reading the bumf on these and they sound quite good,but i expect i will be told otherwise,does anyone know how much they cost,quite a bit i expect as they dont give you a price.

Ill try not to get upset by any answers given,and please feel free to go off topic at any time.

Kind Regards.

Twinpot.

 

 

Good grief I didn't think anyone else has ever heard of the things.. They were at one time made by Lucas Marine when they existed, I think you will struggle to find one now..

 

For those that have never come across such a contraption, it is a unit that looks very similar and has the same mounting as a starter motor, many true marine engines had two starter positions and many authorities insisted on two independent methods of engine starting..

 

The idea is that you insert what looks like an old fashioned starting handle into the unit and literally 'wind it up' like a toy train, at the appointed time you press a button on the casing, the spring releases and it's energy spins the engine through a Bendix drive..

 

They were I think only ever intended as an emergency stand by.

[david and julie]

Yes I've used them.

 

Many years ago I worked for the then Gas Board and spring starters were fitted to the diesel welding plants and compressors - there were no electrics at all on these machines (fire safety). The starters themselves worked OK but were a pain in the winter - mainly because no electrics also meant no pre-heaters too.

 

Needless to say these machines were well and truly addicted to sniff.

[ditchcrawler]

Good grief I didn't think anyone else has ever heard of the things.. They were at one time made by Lucas Marine when they existed, I think you will struggle to find one now..

 

snip

The OP quotes a site that sells them

[Sir Nibble]

The approved method of dealing with one that was wound up and would not release, was to put them in a bucket of concrete and bury it!

[twinpot]

The approved method of dealing with one that was wound up and would not release, was to put them in a bucket of concrete and bury it!

Surely they have moved with the times and improved the design over the years.They must sell quite a few or they would be out of business.

I still can't find how much they cost.

Twinpot.

[billh]

Yes I've used them.

 

Many years ago I worked for the then Gas Board and spring starters were fitted to the * diesel welding plants * and compressors - there were no electrics at all on these machines (fire safety).

 

No electrics on an arc welder??? Fire Safety?Maybe some other sort of diesel welder ?

I have one of these spring starters, in good order , fits Ruston 6YC . Apparently it can be lethal to attempt to dismantle the starter- the spring can unwind in an uncontrolled manner and take yer 'ead off.

Bill

[david and julie]

No electrics on an arc welder??? Fire Safety?Maybe some other sort of diesel welder ?

No electrics as in they didn't have any main engine electrics such as battery,alternator,starter or associated wiring, obviously they produced electricity when running.

 

That may seem odd, but to the safety people it made sense as it meant the risks associated with sparks (and gas) were kept to the minimum level they could sensibly be expected to achieve - they were simply doing their jobs.

[NBMike]

The approved method of dealing with one that was wound up and would not release, was to put them in a bucket of concrete and bury it!

[bag 'o' bones]

Sounds a bit like a compressed air starter. Have a bit of experience of those - a Ruston Hornsby diesel shunter. Waiting for what seemed an age to pump up the recievers with compressed air, and then a a few seconds of 'cranking' with the spin of a rathr large tap. All good fun.