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YouTuber Mr Hewes got a 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 diesel running after compressed air and a forklift-assisted attempt failed. A ratchet strap around the flywheel, pulled by a Ford F-150, finally turned the engine over. The engine dates to 1953; its exact service history and current running condition beyond the video are not established in the report.
YouTuber Mr Hewes has documented getting a long-idle 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 diesel engine running, using a Ford F-150 to pull its flywheel after other starting attempts failed. The restart shows the unusual practical challenge of turning over a machine far larger than a road vehicle engine, and forms the centerpiece of a video reported by The Drive.
The JS8 is a straight-eight turbodiesel delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953. Hewes, who works on vintage agricultural and military equipment, said he suspects the engine was used in a generator set at a Royal Air Force base. The report presents that as his assessment; it does not confirm the engine’s exact location or role during its service life.
The engine had logged 720 operating hours, according to the report, but had been out of use for a long time. Its problems included stuck valves and injectors and a nonfunctioning oiling system. Water had filled the oil passageways and had to be pumped and vacuumed out before the restart attempt.
Although the engine could turn freely after work on it, the available compressed-air supply was not sufficient to start it. Pushing a handle against the flywheel with a forklift also failed. Hewes then tied a ratchet strap around the flywheel and used the Ford F-150 to pull it; the engine started and produced visible smoke, as shown in the video.
Why the F-150 Was Needed
The restart illustrates the scale of the task: this was not simply a matter of turning a key or applying a conventional starter. The engine’s intended compressed-air starting method could not be used successfully with the supply available, and the forklift-assisted effort did not turn it over. The successful pull with a pickup truck was a workaround captured on video, not a standard starting procedure.
For readers interested in historic machinery, the project also shows the kinds of faults that can accompany a long-idle engine. Water in oil passageways, stuck components and a failed lubrication system had to be addressed before attempting to start it. The video offers a record of one restart, but does not establish that the engine is ready for regular service.
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A 1953 Generator-Scale Diesel
The engine is a Mirrlees Blackstone JS8, with 102.4 liters of displacement. That is almost four times the 27-liter Rolls-Royce Meteor engine referenced in The Drive report, which Hewes had previously helped modernize with YouTuber Scott Nothing To Do With You. The report uses that comparison to convey the JS8’s scale.
Hewes’s work focuses on restoring vintage agricultural and military equipment. The Drive describes the JS8 as a type of stationary engine that could have been part of a generator set, a package combining an engine, generator and associated hardware. Hewes’s RAF-base theory is based on the engine’s size and ownership history, but the report does not provide records confirming that use.
“Hewes surmises that it was used as part of a generator set on a Royal Air Force base.”
— The Drive, reporting on the engine’s history
Engine History and Condition
The available report does not confirm the JS8’s exact service history, its former RAF location, or whether it definitely powered a generator set. Those details remain Hewes’s hypothesis. It also does not establish the engine’s condition after the filmed restart, how long it ran, or whether further repairs or testing were needed. The reported 720 hours is an accumulated operating-time figure; no source is given for how it was recorded.
What the Video Documents
The immediate next step for viewers is the full Mr Hewes video, which The Drive describes as nearly an hour long and says documents the work and restart. The source material does not announce a further repair schedule, a return to regular operation, or plans to put the engine back into service. Any update on its running condition or confirmed history would depend on information from Hewes or additional records.
Key Questions
What is the Mirrlees Blackstone JS8?
It is a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953.
How did Mr Hewes start the engine?
After compressed air and a forklift-assisted attempt failed, he used a ratchet strap around the flywheel and pulled it with a Ford F-150.
Was the engine confirmed to have powered an RAF generator?
No. Hewes suspects it was used in a generator set at an RAF base, but the report does not confirm that service history.
What problems did the engine have after sitting idle?
The reported issues included stuck valves and injectors, a nonfunctioning oiling system and water in the oil passageways.
Is the engine now ready for regular use?
The report documents a restart but does not say whether the engine underwent further testing or is ready for regular operation.
Source: rss
