While exploring an abandoned mining camp in the Panamint Range of California, I came across this generator.



On one side of the engine it has a diesel injection pump with lines going to the injectors...



And on the other side, it has what appears to be a distributor and spark plugs! Weird.

 

Yup, some early diesels would start on gas to warm up, then switch over to the diesel system to work. There is also a carburetor there under the intake.

 

I found a 1953 IH with that system. Crappy video:


The IH had the IH logo cast into the injector pump. Yours has a big "A" on the pump. I see casting and tags, maybe those hold some clues.

 

and that is a magnito, not a distributor.

 

That is pretty NEAT!

 

WICO magneto trivia:
Wico Magneto Parts

There must be a billion variations on the "diesel generator" theme.

 

I was hoping the guy in the video would start that thing up!

Here's the data plate on the injection pump. The patent dates say 1942, 1943, and 1945.



Here's a better view of the intake.

 

Starts on gas at about 4:50


Another one with gas start to diesel, not sure it's the same system, looks like a pony engine maybe kinda..... I remember a D2 my dad and his friend used on our farm, what a chore it was to get that thing started with the pony engine starting with a rope pull!.

 

that second one had a pony motor hooked to the flywheel of the diesel.
i ran an old cat D6, and a 14D road grader, both had pony motors to start them.

 

I know this is old but that is wild... if that generated sat outside in Mass for that long it would look like this...