# Pickup Truck Starts 102.4-Liter Engine Like Lawnmower

> A vintage military engine requires a truck to start it like a lawnmower.
- Title: Pickup Truck Starts 102.4-Liter Engine Like Lawnmower
- Summary: A vintage military engine requires a truck to start it like a lawnmower. A 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 engine, built for the UK Air Ministry…
- Keywords: mirrlees blackstone js8, uk air ministry, diesel engine, vintage military, compressed air start, ford fseries, cars, culture, Pickup, Truck, Starts, 102
- Source: Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/2286009/pickup-truck-pull-start-102-point-4-liter-engine-like-lawnmower
- Author: Michael Frank
- Published: 2026-10-13T21:25:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mirrlees blackstone js8, uk air ministry, diesel engine, vintage military, compressed air start, ford fseries, cars, culture
## 102.4-Liter Engine
A 102.4-liter inline-eight-cylinder turbodiesel engine was delivered to the UK Air Ministry in Scotland after World War II.
## Generator Purpose
The engine was used as a generator on a Royal Air Force base, producing 24 horsepower per liter.
## Rust and Water
After decades of rust and water damage, the engine had frozen valves and no oil.
## Air Start Failure
Compressed air failed to start the engine because diesels require high pressure to ignite through compression.
## Truck Revs Engine
A Ford F-Series truck wrapped around the flywheel to rev the engine and start it.
## Key takeaway

A 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 engine, built for the UK Air Ministry post-WWII, failed to start with compressed air and needed a truck to rev it.