This is one of the nicest pony starters I have seen. It is on an RD4 at Vista, I don't know whose it is. Notice the starter button on the handle that you use to tension the belt.

Any ideas what was used for the starter? It looks like a generator housing, if you power up a generator will it become a motor?





Please share your thoughts...

I've seen that done before with old gewnerators. I believe there was also a GM (old Chevrolet) straight shaft starter you could use also.

Don't ask me how to do it, I never have, just seen others do it. It works.

Any of the starters that had a seperate solenoid/relay and had a true Bendix starter drive will work. the look like a generator except the case is totally enclosed with a shaft sticking out with the Bendix drive hanging on the end. There was no bearing or housing on the end of the shaft. Some later starters had a nose housing but there was still a bearing in the end bell so you could saw off the housing and mount a pulley. My D-4 is provided with such a starter. Due to the blade hydraulic plumbing I get to balance the starter against the fire wall to tension the belt.

A lot of the old lawn tractors used a belt starter/generator combo that could be used for this purpose. They came on engines up to 18 hp or more and they could be made to look a lot better than this setup. Might be worth a try .

So I think I have found all the components to build a system like this, thanks for the help.

Would anyone be interested in a kit if I offered one?

Seems as though it would be a lot less mess to just refresh the mag and clean the carb and make the one pull of rope start. When properly tuned these engines start almos every time the first pull, just my 2cents worth.
Ron Meeder

Carl, After cudgeling my brain for a bit, it dawned on me where I'd seen a starter/generator setup on another diesel engine. It a marine application on a Volvo 2 cylinder engine in a sailboat. Belt drive to the front pulley, and made a "whine" noise when ya hit the starter button. As I recall, it just looked like an oversized generator, but with battery cables instead of the smaller wiring. Started that little diesel just fine. . . as long as the belt was kept tight.