This is a 1976 15cwt Thwaites dumper. Just in case anyone is interested, it is powered by a single cylinder Petter PH1 diesel engine. We had quite a few problems getting it started, but finally succeeded by bump starting pushing it down a hill. We did manage to start it after this using the crank. We half filled it with stones before it finally conked out going up a slope in the bottom field. Now, it will not restart.
I am guessing that it is a problem with the fuel lines – the engine turns over and has no electrics, so it can’t be much else other than a lack of fuel. The tank is half full so I suspect that driving it up a slope caused dirt to get into the system somehow. This would also explain the lack of power when we started her up. Looks like the next job is to strip the fuel side of the engine and give it a quick clean. I will take the injectors off first, and crank the engine, to see if it is delivering any fuel.
Ho hum.
You are not going to win any races in one of these. In fact, you are not going to make any progress in one of these if there is the slightest incline. Admittedly, it does go downhill a lot faster than uphill, however, I put this down to the almost not existent brakes.
For some reason, it doesn’t quite capture the feeling of driving one of these! Maybe, it is the lack of the phut-phut-phut of a single cylinder diesel engine. The seat seems to be a replacement – the current one is a wooden seat from a child’s swing!
Going up this slope was the final straw and we haven’t been able to start it since. It sounded like it slowly ran out of fuel despite the fuel tank being half full. My guess is that there is dirt in the fuel system – there are any electrics and the engine still cranks over – so it can’t be much else. We’ll see.
