# Starting engine with blower
**URL:** http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495
**Category:** Charcoal Gasification
**Created:** [September 14, 2023, 8:54pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495 "2023-09-14T20:54:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@davidswalec](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/davidswalec)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/21 "2023-09-15T17:34:20Z")
One thing to consider is fan don’t suck, they blow. It is ever so easy to stall airflow by blocking off the suction end but more difficult to stop the pressure end, because the momentum of the air is already happening. This may help if your system has a high suction and the fan does not have the capability to overcome.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/22 "2023-09-15T21:32:29Z")
Was hoping to put it in a bypass loop and just use it for starting and once the engine was started open up the main line and close off the blower line.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/23 "2023-09-15T21:34:15Z")
I watched that video where Gary used that blower. That’s what I had in mind. Would probably start with a cheap one and if it works well buy a more expensive one. I want to work on the premise that I have no battery or external power to start the engine. I’ll be using a two cylinder Wisconsin engine with a hand crank.
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### Author:  [@d100f](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/d100f)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:31pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/24 "2023-09-15T23:31:43Z")
John can i ask a question about the Tugs you have bought , I have a old twin cylinder Wisconsin engine laying around and that has a wheel on the end for starting the engine , are your engines the same or are they electric start ?
Dave
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/25 "2023-09-15T23:34:57Z")
Both are electric start. Only been able to look at 1, been spraying a huge bees nest by the other. From my research both of these were designed to hand crank. You can get the hand crank off of eBay. Going to bring them home next week, we’ll know much more then, right now they’re all sunk down in the woods. They supposedly ran 10 years ago before they was parked.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/26 "2023-09-15T23:36:31Z")
They are both free, just haul them out of there so that’s why we’re starting with them.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/27 "2023-09-15T23:38:38Z")
Where are you located? Are you interested in selling that engine?
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### Author:  [@d100f](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/d100f)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/28 "2023-09-15T23:41:18Z")
In that case if it was me i would i would spend the few bucks on a 12 volt air mattress pump then when the battery in the pump wears out after a year or so you can run it off the starting battery from the tug , trust me once you are used to it after time then if you want to put a hand crank fan on then do it but you already have the battery there for the engine why not use it .
Dave
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:42pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/29 "2023-09-15T23:42:56Z")
True, we’re trying to start simple and then refine. We want to work on the premise that we have no batteries no external power no anything but a bunch of wood we can make charcoal with.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/30 "2023-09-15T23:44:20Z")
Initially we’re going to build a simple fire setup and probably use a blower like you said. And then figure it out and then eventually get to the hand crank system.
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### Author:  [@d100f](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/d100f)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/31 "2023-09-15T23:47:06Z")
I am a little far but if you wanna come to Australia then its yours for free
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/32 "2023-09-15T23:49:19Z")
Ummm. Guess not, THANKS tho!!
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### Author:  [@giorgio](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/giorgio)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 6:52am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/33 "2023-09-16T06:52:31Z")
a good gear for a hand blower is the gear from this old hand cranced sharpening stones…some have a high transmission, those ones with 4 axles…normally 1:24…this i will use for my tractor…
forge hand blowers are yet made in india, 5 different sizes, the little ones are obviously too small, because to bring up the gasifier to a adequate gas production is needed a good quantity of air…
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### Author:  [@tcholton717](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/tcholton717)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 12:14pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/34 "2023-09-16T12:14:40Z")
Sometimes trying to simplify things just makes them more complicated. I couldn’t see details but I think Tone has a starting blower for his tractor that uses a battery like a drill would use.
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### Author:  [@SteveUnruh](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/SteveUnruh)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/35 "2023-09-16T15:11:36Z")
What you say that air moving fans do not suck very well is TRUE; DavidS.
To actually suck you need to use turbine fans. Open sided ones for suction can be seen in common household vacuum cleaners.
Two sided channeled air ones, seen in common portable shop vacuums.
All of these are for high speeds. The actual flung outward air compressing, and densify. That now heavy mass flung outwards away: this is what creates the evacuated negative lowered pressure area. Atmospheric air pressure weight wanting to rush in then doing the flow movement.
In a gasifier system sucked: not so much the primary air inlet rushing in, but creating a flow assisting force, helping the created building up gases volumes move on out against downstream internal piping and downstream separation and filtering flows restrictions.
So JohnT. if you really insist on all man-powered starting up you’d put the gas mover as sucking close to the engine hand cranking position. A compromise to meet your goal-needs.
Make up your own large diameter turbine and then once starting used going over to running engine sucking gases flow, it can internally flow through the turbine wheel with minimal restriction.
VesaM. does this powered-off flowing through on his woodgas systems. No bypass valving. Only he does this as push through system blower on his primary air-in side.
me I figure I will not be dropped in the middle of no-where but surround by decades and decades of 20th and 21st Centuries of fuel-less layabouts. Be enough recoverable-restorable batteries and blower motors last fellow a lifetime. My value to others being able to make engines run for purposes with just lay-abouts.
Regards
Steve Unruh
( Darn, AI spelling/grammar corrector giving me real fits this morning. She does not woodgas understand at all. And hates it when I form-up my own verbs.)
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 7:16pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/36 "2023-09-16T19:16:32Z")
Steve U, very valid points. I think at first we are going to use a 12 volt boat bilge air pump until we understand how this all works. Thanks for the reply!!
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/37 "2023-09-16T19:26:27Z")
Over the years I have belonged to many different forums of all types. This is by far the most helpful forum I have ever seen. THANKS!!!
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 7:28pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/38 "2023-09-16T19:28:11Z")
Anybody close to the eastern end of the upper peninsula of Michigan?
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### Author:  [@tcholton717](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/tcholton717)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/39 "2023-09-16T22:35:17Z")
I don’t think so. Bruce Jackson is up in the keweenaw. I’m in the little finger. Quite a few further downstate.
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### Author:  [@Edddyjoe](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Edddyjoe)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/starting-engine-with-blower/7495/40 "2023-09-16T22:42:44Z")
Tom H. Hmmmm never been that far northwest. Farthest that way I have been to is Houghton. Kids went there for college. Might be time for a road trip 😁
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