TL;DR
Get business pricing on garage and car supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
YouTuber Mr Hewes got a 1953 Mirrlees Blackstone JS8, a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel, running after its usual compressed-air starting method and a forklift attempt failed. A ratchet strap around the flywheel, pulled by a Ford F-150, started the engine. Hewes believes it may have powered a generator at an RAF base, but its exact service history is not confirmed.
YouTuber Mr Hewes started a 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 by having a Ford F-150 pull a ratchet strap around its flywheel, according to his restoration video and a report by The Drive. The vintage straight-eight turbodiesel had sat unused for years; attempts to start it with compressed air and a forklift had failed.
The engine was delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953 and has an indicated 720 hours of operating time, according to The Drive’s account. Hewes surmises that it may have been part of a generator set at a Royal Air Force base, based on its size and ownership. The report does not establish that proposed use as confirmed service history.
Before the start attempt, Hewes worked through problems associated with an engine left idle for a long period. The report describes stuck valves and injectors, along with a nonfunctioning oiling system. Water had filled the oil passageways and had to be pumped and vacuumed out. Although the engine could turn freely after work, its regular starting method—compressed air—did not work with the available supply.
A forklift was also used to try to rotate the flywheel with a handle, but that approach did not start the engine. Hewes then wrapped a ratchet strap around the flywheel and used the pickup to pull it. The engine started and ran, producing smoke in the video. The Drive describes the full video as nearly an hour long; the report does not provide a measured starting speed or a technical explanation of why the truck method succeeded.
A Pickup Becomes the Starter
The start is a striking demonstration of the scale involved in restoring a 102.4-liter engine: even after it had been made to turn by hand, the available starting equipment could not get it running. The Ford F-150 was not used as a conventional starter motor. It supplied pulling force through a strap to rotate the flywheel, making the truck part of an improvised starting setup.
For readers interested in machinery, the video also shows how restoration can involve more than getting an engine to rotate. The account describes water in oil passages and stuck components that had to be addressed before the start attempt. The footage documents a successful start, but it does not by itself establish the engine’s long-term condition, safe operating limits, or readiness for regular service.
Products Worth Considering
NOCO Boost GB70 2000A 12V Lithium Jump Starter
Milwaukee M12 Fuel 1/4 Hex Impact Driver Kit
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2-Inch High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring Kit
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A 1953 Stationary Diesel
The Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 is described in The Drive’s report as a straight-eight turbodiesel with 102.4 liters of displacement. It is a stationary-scale engine, rather than a vehicle engine: Hewes believes it may have been used in a generator set, or genset. Such equipment combines an engine, generator and related hardware to produce electricity, often as backup power for buildings or other sites.
Hewes has previously worked on vintage agricultural and military equipment. The Drive also notes his collaboration with YouTuber Scott Nothing To Do With You on modernizing a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine from a Centurion tank. That engine has 27.0 liters of displacement, considerably less than the JS8. The comparison gives a sense of the JS8’s size, though the two engines served different applications.
“Hewes surmises that the engine was used as part of a generator set on a Royal Air Force base.”
— Mr Hewes, as described by The Drive
Service History and Engine Condition
The engine’s exact role after delivery to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953 has not been confirmed in the supplied report. Its possible use at an RAF base is Hewes’ assessment, and the available information does not identify a specific site, generator installation or operating record.
The report also does not detail the full repair process, identify the cause of the water in the oil passages, or state whether the engine continued to run after the filmed start. It gives no update on whether the engine can now start using its intended compressed-air system or whether further mechanical work is planned. A successful start is evidence that it ran during the video, not proof that it is restored for dependable operation.
Further Restoration Details
The most direct next source of information is Hewes’ full restoration video, which The Drive says runs for nearly an hour and documents the attempt to bring the engine back to life. Any future account from Hewes could clarify the repairs, how the truck-and-strap setup was controlled and whether the engine ran beyond the initial start.
No further work schedule, operating plan or confirmed history is included in the report. Until more information is published, the confirmed development is limited to the engine starting in the video after several unsuccessful methods—not a completed restoration or a verified account of its original installation.
Key Questions
What engine did Mr Hewes start?
It was a Mirrlees Blackstone JS8, described by The Drive as a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953.
How did the Ford F-150 start it?
Hewes tied a ratchet strap around the flywheel and used the pickup to pull it, rotating the engine until it started. The truck was not acting as a standard electric starter.
Why did the usual starting method fail?
The engine is supposed to start with compressed air, but the available supply was not sufficient, according to The Drive’s report. The report does not give technical measurements explaining the shortfall.
Was the engine definitely used at an RAF base?
No. Hewes believes it may have powered a generator set at a Royal Air Force base, but the report does not confirm the engine’s exact service history.
Does the video prove the engine is fully restored?
No. The footage shows the engine starting and running, but the report does not establish that it is ready for regular operation or that all mechanical issues have been resolved.
Source: rss
