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YouTuber Mr Hewes documented getting a 1953 Mirrlees Blackstone JS8, a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel, running after it had sat idle for years. Compressed air and a forklift-assisted attempt did not start it; a ratchet strap connected to a Ford F-150 turned the flywheel successfully. The source report does not establish the engine’s original installation or its future use.
YouTuber Mr Hewes got a long-idle 102.4-liter Mirrlees Blackstone JS8 diesel engine running after conventional starting attempts failed, using a ratchet strap attached to a Ford F-150 to turn its flywheel. The engine, delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953, is the subject of a restoration video described by The Drive.
The JS8 is a straight-eight turbodiesel, and its 102.4 liters of displacement is the combined volume swept by its cylinders. The Drive describes it as nearly four times the displacement of the 27-liter Rolls-Royce Meteor that Hewes had previously worked on with YouTuber Scott Nothing To Do With You. That comparison is about engine displacement, not power output.
The engine had accumulated 720 operating hours, according to the report, but it had not run for a long time. Hewes found familiar problems associated with stored engines, including stuck valves and injectors and a nonfunctioning oiling system. Water had filled its oil passageways and had to be pumped and vacuumed out.
After the engine could turn freely, starting remained difficult. It was designed to start using compressed air, but the available supply was inadequate. An attempt to rotate the flywheel with a handle and forklift also failed. The successful method was to wrap a ratchet strap around the flywheel and pull it with the pickup. The Drive says the video shows the engine starting and producing smoke.
A Pickup Turns a Giant Flywheel
The start provides a striking demonstration of the scale involved in restoring a 102.4-liter stationary engine. Unlike a car engine, the JS8 was built for a large industrial or power-generation role; its size and starting requirements make clear why ordinary workshop methods were not enough in this attempt.
The episode also shows that getting an old engine to turn is not the same as bringing it back into reliable service. Hewes had to address water in the oil passages and other mechanical issues before the starting attempt. The report confirms that the engine ran in the video, but does not establish how long it operated afterward, whether it has been fully restored, or whether it will generate electricity again.
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From Air Ministry to Restoration
The engine was delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953. Hewes surmises that it may have been used in a generator set at a Royal Air Force base. A generator set, or genset, combines an engine with a generator and associated equipment, typically to provide stationary power. That proposed RAF use is an informed guess, not a confirmed history of this particular engine.
Hewes focuses on restoring vintage agricultural and military equipment. The Drive also notes his earlier work with Scott Nothing To Do With You on a Rolls-Royce Meteor from a Centurion tank. The Meteor’s 27-liter displacement gives a useful comparison for the JS8’s scale, but the two engines served different applications.
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Its Original Role Remains Unconfirmed
The source does not confirm the engine’s precise service history or identify the site where it operated. Hewes’s suggestion that it powered a generator set at an RAF base is based on its size and delivery to the Air Ministry. The report also does not say when the engine last ran before restoration, how long it ran after this start, or whether additional repairs were needed.
No output figures, such as the JS8’s power rating or the electricity it could produce, are included in the source material. The successful start should not be taken as evidence that the engine is ready for regular operation or has been returned to its original role.
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Further Restoration Details Await
The Drive points readers to Hewes’s video, which runs for nearly an hour and follows the restoration and starting effort. Further details about the engine’s condition, operating performance or eventual use would depend on updates from Hewes. The source report does not announce a next repair milestone or a plan to put the engine back into service.
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Key Questions
What engine did Mr Hewes get running?
It was a Mirrlees Blackstone JS8, a 102.4-liter straight-eight turbodiesel delivered to the U.K. Air Ministry in 1953.
How was the engine started?
After compressed air and a forklift-assisted attempt failed, a ratchet strap around the flywheel was pulled with a Ford F-150. The Drive reports that this method got the engine running.
What problems did the engine have?
The report describes stuck valves and injectors, a nonfunctioning oiling system and water in the oil passageways. Hewes manually pumped and vacuumed the water out.
Was the engine definitely used at an RAF base?
No. Hewes surmises it may have powered a generator set at a Royal Air Force base, based on its size and its delivery to the Air Ministry. The report does not confirm that history.
Does the successful start mean the engine is fully restored?
The source confirms a start in the video, but does not establish that the engine is fully restored, ready for routine use or producing electricity.
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