Don - Actually, what is happening when you pull the engine through by hand, is to check for a "hydrostatic lock", a condition where so much oil has drained down into a lower cylinder that it "locks" the engine since the oil cannot be compressed. Many of those "round" engines were fitted with inertial starters and if one were to try and start an engine with a hydrostatic lock it is very likely that a rod would be bent or a piston damaged or worse. If a hydrostatic lock condition was found to exist while pulling it through, the mechanic would stop, and one of the spark plugs would be removed to drain away the excess oil before attempting to start it. You are correct that it was the excess oil in the exhaust headers that was burning and causing all that smoke. Oil was cheap in those days and pollution was not that big of a deal.
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of OK Don > Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 8:35 PM > To: Mercedes Discussion List > Subject: Re: [MBZ] radial before cranking > > > Yes - the hand cranking pumps the oil into the exhaust system, where > it burns out once the engine starts. > > On 1/19/07, R A Bennell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Is the oil collected in the bottom why they usually make some > smoke when they fire up? > > > > Randy >
