My Cummins NH220 book shows that type of preheater.
Pumping gas pressure closes a switch and a sparker ignites a flame as the engine is turned over, maybe in decompression? It's been a long few years since I read that passage.
Cat did have a version in the 40's? That adapted a 4cyl mag for the pony, with the extra leadout towers feeding a sparkplug while you pumped the gas. It's in a D4 parts book around here someplace.

Here is the info I have on Cat manifold heaters....
They used diesel as fuel source and required a spark ignition.

What ever the fuel used here is requires a pump so it does not use a volatile gas like ether or propane so could be gasoline or kerosene.

"Delta wrote:

These are photographs for the back side of the pump and the intake manifold inlet. The line on the bottom side of the pump is the intake and the line on the top of the pump leads to the intake manifold (outlet).
It's obvious that this was used to pump some kind of fluid directly into the intake manifold, but what kind of fluid... surely not gasoline!
I can't find a priming pump for the diesel fuel housing. Could this setup have been used to temporarily start the engine to prime the diesel system?

My guess is it's an aftermarket unit for either so you can give it a shot or too for cold starting , I have a late 57 d2 which has a factory either setup
in the same place consisting of a bracket with 2 holders with screw down lids that take either capsules ,
Hey and nice find good luck with it

"Old wrote:

Here is the info I have on Cat manifold heaters....
They used diesel as fuel source and required a spark ignition.

kinda gives credence to a thermostart.

"bursitis" wrote:

kinda gives credence to a thermostart.

Diesel would be better than gasoline, esp in the cab of an old White truck! Hope to see one of those Cat systems up close one day. I got a new 4 tower cap to fit a RC-2H in case I ever found the rest of a system.

I picked up the D2 that had been stored in an old barn this morning. I couldn't get the master clutch to disengage even after soaking the clutch mechanism with Kroil, so I winched it on to the trailer. Because of the stuck clutch, it didn't make any sense to try to start the engine in the barn. I'll work on the clutch at my shop.
Still can't find a diesel priming pump!

"STEPHEN" wrote:

Diesel would be better than gasoline, esp in the cab of an old White truck! Hope to see one of those Cat systems up close one day. I got a new 4 tower cap to fit a RC-2H in case I ever found the rest of a system.

my truck was an autocar. it definitely used gasoline!!! you didn't operate it from the cab either. had to raise a suicide door and fill the reservoir and pump it up like a coleman lantern. pull the decompression lever light the flame and grab the starter. throw out the decompression lever and as soon as it started turn the fuel off to the flame. i think.

Ooh nice one Delta! You got a cute D2 for sure.
#41 Rear pump and optional seat dings lol.
I like it!
Can’t wait to see a video of it running.

Apparently a diesel fuel priming pump for direct start D2s was optional equipment. Despite not having a starting engine and the typical compression release lever, the direct starting D2s have the compression release lever located between the cylinder head and the valve cover at the rear of the engine. I confirmed that my latest D2 has that lever. According to the instruction manual, the compression release lever is engaged as the diesel pump is primed by using the 24v starting motor.
I can't find any photographs of the optional diesel fuel priming pump installed on a D2. If someone has one I would like to see how it is mounted.