Back in the nineteen fifties, when I was learning diesels, there was no internet (actually, no home computers) and very little information on running diesels in the USA. Most of us back then learned by the whacked and bloody fingers method. I remember wearing a glove on the starting hand. Also using the wrong glove on my hand when that one wore out. I had some McCoy .049's but mostly foreign .15's. The most fun I had with diesels were with the Supertigre G-31 or G33(? rear intake BB 2.5cc), and the Webra Mk-1 (even though it required drilling out prop holes). I had others, but logged more time on those.

Once you have the proper settings and the engine is broken-in, starting a diesel is easy. Since most are iron/steel, you can familiarize yourself to their starting habits during the break in period. When you become familiar with them, starting is easy...and NEVER a dead booster battery.

George