AIR start?

Hi, Iron Beaver.
Just as electric starters need batteries, so air starters need compressed air. do you have the facilities to supply compressed air to an air starter if you were to put one on your D315?

Just my 0.02.

More than just an air starter and compressor it takes a good sized air receiver (tank) as well.
The air starter drive is an inertia type, not lever/solenoid like a 42MT.

I've got an air starter on my 3304 that I will be replacing with electric when I fit the engine to my 955. Like OM says it needs a good supply of air to start the engine.
According to the parts manual for the engine the air starter was offered as an option from the factory.

I think the only challenging part would be to find the correct pinion gear for the air starter. Everything else is generic; tanks, valves, compressor options (engine-driven or remote), starter motor. You'd probably want some starting aid like a flamestart or coolant heater to assure easy starting. Bleeding the injection system could be fun! : )
Do it, and post pictures and video please.
 

I worked on the assembly line at Mack Trucks for 3 years between 1999 to 2002. During that time I worked on the engine line installing starters on motors. There were various types of starters that went on various types of motors. From memory I would say I must have installed a air drive starter about once a week. I have also thought about a air starter on my D4 7U. What is the model number for the air starter that fits a D315 motor?

I worked on the assembly line at Mack Trucks for 3 years between 1999 to 2002. During that time I worked on the engine line installing starters on motors. There were various types of starters that went on various types of motors. From memory I would say I must have installed a air drive starter about once a week. I have also thought about a air starter on my D4 7U. What is the model number for the air starter that fits a D315 motor?

Good news! Airstartersdirect.com recommends this one for a D315 engine:

https://airstartersdirect.com/vane-air-starters/ss175gb03r31-02h/

Bad news! it's no longer made. This table: https://irtoolhelp.ingersollrand.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013919633--FAQ-SS100-Starter-List-of-non-current-starters-replaced-by-SS100 gives a cross-reference to two different part numbers, both of which appear not to exist.
Okay, I lied, they are listed on eBay from Radwell, for the modest price of more money than I have in the entire welder at this point.

This document: https://dalkos.ru/upload/documents/IngersollRand_SS175.pdf lists 300 SCFM use at max HP 90 PSI. I could probably muster 120 of those if I really put my mind to it. It would work for warm restarts if I had a biiiiig tank. I don't know if 15 CF is quite biiiiig enough. I might have to supplement with something like a Miller Big Blue Air-pak welder so I could get enough air to start my..... oh wait.

I also don't think it would take a full 18HP to start that engine. I still want to add air start because I love compressed air. But in all honesty if I found an electric starter first I might do that. In any case I would keep the pony motor, but I want something that can do a warm restart on the engine without the pony motor song and dance.

Hi, Iron Beaver.
Best-o-luck finding a place to mount a 15 CF - or bigger - air tank on your D315 engine without needing a small semi-trailer to haul it all around. There izza reason why Cat put pony motors on these engines. A goodly part of that is why they also now have engine oil pressure pre-start priming on some of their engines today. I do agree though that having the DE start for warm starts would be nice.

Just my 0.02.

Even an idiot like me can figure out how to use jumper cables. Finding another compressor etc when the normal starting tank has leaked down, not so easy. The last air start I saw on an engine was a Detroit in an antique Bucyrus some 50 years ago. All their equipment was junk.