Starting a 1958 John Deere 820 two cylinder diesel tractor with a pony motor starter

If there is a basic rule of life it is that any engine that needs or happily uses another engine to start it is pretty awesome and the big (400+ ci) two cylinder John Deere diesel tractor is nothing but awesome. This engine lived for MANY years and was produced in mass quantity, providing the power for many American farmers to cultivate the land, plant their crops and harvest them as well. The L-head “Johnny Popper” is a great piece of American gearhead history. The tractor in this video is a 1958 John Deere 820 and its 75hp diesel was plenty hot enough to help is drag plows and run implements as well. Starting the thing was a pretty well orchestrated procedure that involved firing up a small displacement four cylinder gas engine to get the big diesel turning over… read more >