When was the last time you saw a Diesel Engine with a coil?

[f-two-fiddy]

Diesel w/distibutor&coil.

I emailed the guy inquiring if it was, in fact, a diesel engine.

He responded,
"I am told that this IS a 300D. That it is in fact a diesel engine. I'm told that this is the original set up w/ injectors, that this is the way the factory intended."

 

[Exekiel69]

I never seen a diesel with spark plugs but maybe back then if you could not find a gas station with diesel then you just put gas on it and drive away for the next fuel option miles ahead .

 

[rancherman84]

its true a true IH engine man would know this. IH used this setup for many years on its ag and constrution equipment.
you had to engines in one instead of a pony motor like alot of other engines did,IH used a diesel block with a head that contained a set of diesel injectors and valves,but also used a set of spark plugs and starting valves for the gas side.
you pulled a lever back,which opened the starting vales,rotated a switch in the intake manifold to turn the spark on,dropped the float in the carb and started the engine on gasoline.when the engine was warmed up you simply throw the lever ahead and all the above does the oposite and it switches over to diesel.
pretty neat to see it work.i had a 450D for a few years.once it was warm you could start it on deisel.
oh yeah its a IDI also,uses precups but no gloplugs

 

[Mr_Roboto]

That's pretty wild.... and complex.

 

[dieseldummy]

its true a true IH engine man would know this. IH used this setup for many years on its ag and constrution equipment.
you had to engines in one instead of a pony motor like alot of other engines did,IH used a diesel block with a head that contained a set of diesel injectors and valves,but also used a set of spark plugs and starting valves for the gas side.
you pulled a lever back,which opened the starting vales,rotated a switch in the intake manifold to turn the spark on,dropped the float in the carb and started the engine on gasoline.when the engine was warmed up you simply throw the lever ahead and all the above does the oposite and it switches over to diesel.
pretty neat to see it work.i had a 450D for a few years.once it was warm you could start it on deisel.
oh yeah its a IDI also,uses precups but no gloplugs

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking this! I've got a WD-9 that is the same way.

 

[RLDSL]

I used to have an old John Deere A model that had the same setup. Start on gas with the spark plugs warm it up and switch to "tractor fuel" which originally could be anything from kerosene to diesel to whatever you could find laying around to pour in it and burn.
It had a little tank for gas and a real big tank for the tractor fuel.

-----------Robert

 

[The Warden]

That 300d (note the lower case "d") IS a gasoline engine. It is commonly believed that the letter "D" in any Mercedes nameplate always indicates a diesel; however, M-B tried a different naming scheme in the mid to late 1950's, so there is this exception to that rule. In this scheme, they identified chassis improvements with lower-case letters i.e. 300b, 300c, 300d, etc. So, it's common for someone to see a 300d (with a 3.0l gasoline engine; in fact, I think it's the same basic engine used in the 300SL gullwings bult in this same timeframe) and think it's a 300D (with a 3.0l diesel engine)...I'll bet that that's why the seller said that it's a diesel; certainly, it's an indication that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

The 300D (with a 5 cylinder diesel engine) was not built until 1976. Mercedes was selling diesel engines in the U.S. in 1956, but only the 180D and 180Db. Take a look here as well. And, while others have pointed out that diesels exist with spark-ignition for cold-starts, AFAIK Daimler-Benz never made an engine like this (certainly not after 1950).

Just FYI...

 

[Michael Fowler]

Warden,
Thanks for clearing this up.
Some people will believe anything. This 300d is, as you stated a gasoline motor. It is injected--the mechanical kugelfisher system.
I Agree, the seller does not know what he is talking about. If he doesn't know this very basic fact ( what kind of fuel do i put in it?) , what elese does he not know?
I would urge caution in dealing with sellers like this.

 

[geonc]

On a similiar note, there are some older military track transports that use the Detroit Diesel 8V-53 for power and directly in the middle/front of the eng,below the camshaft counter weight cover.......threaded into the air box is a long reach spark plug fired by a coil

Used as a combustion air warmer to aid starting

Sadly no pics as the last one I saw was in 1979

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Warden, I've got to thank you for that MB post. I've been trying to do some research on MB diesels. I learned more from that post, than I have from an hour of surfing MB forums.

Thanks!

When In the market for a used MB Diesel. Can you recomend a 'Best Buy"?