To really appreciate this video you need crank up the volume for a Cat 3048 V8 and get to feel the sound of this thumping 18 litre engine hauling a couple of trailers through from South Australia into New South Wales. There is something about the richness of the sound from a big bore engine like the 3408.
Our next video highlights the instantly recognisable sound of the air starter, a noise which will trigger memories for many driver who would have been woken at some ungodly hour by a truck about to start its shift being fired up nearby.
The maker of this video, gm16v149 , outlines the supposed advantages of the air starter:
They have a longer working life than electric.
No need to worry about flat batteries, every tyre on the truck is basically a battery, because if you run out of air you connect your airline to a tyre to charge the starter air tank.
The starter air tank is seperate from the main air system and will hold air for weeks as long as everything is well maintained.
They spin the engine over a lot faster than electric.
Alternators and batteries last a lot longer because they don’t have the heavy drain of electric starts. The system is lighter than an electric start system.
You can run your fridge without worrying if the batteries will go flat.
Disadvantages:
You must maintain the system or you will run out of air.
They are a lot more expensive than electric start systems.
You must make sure they are lubricated, this is the number one reason people have problems.
Next up we have this classic engine roaring across the Nullarbor:
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