# 102.4L Engine Needs Whole Truck to Start

> A 102.4-liter engine from 1953 requires a Ford F-150 to start after decades of inactivity.
- Title: 102.4L Engine Needs Whole Truck to Start · The Drive
- Summary: A 102.4-liter engine from 1953 requires a Ford F-150 to start after decades of inactivity. The Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 engine, used as a generator on a Royal…
- Keywords: mirrlees blackstone js8, royal air force, 1953, 102.4 liters, ford f-150, generator set, cars, technology, 102, Engine, Needs, Whole
- Source: The Drive — https://thedrive.com/news/gigantic-102-4l-engine-requires-an-entire-pickup-truck-to-start-it
- Author: Stephen Edelstein
- Published: 2026-10-10T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mirrlees blackstone js8, royal air force, 1953, 102.4 liters, ford f-150, generator set, cars, technology
## Engine Scale
The Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 is a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel engine delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953.
## Engine Inactivity
The engine hadn’t run in years, with a thick layer of patina and water-filled oil passageways.
## Starting Challenge
Starting required a Ford F-150 to yank the flywheel after manual water removal and vacuuming.
## Key takeaway

The Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 engine, used as a generator on a Royal Air Force base in 1953, started after being manually pumped of water and vacuumed.