What are these engines?

[markba633csi]

I see these large single cylinder engines on YouTube usually employed in places like India used to pump water and grind grain. Someone (often a younger family member) starts a fire at the cylinder head and the patriarch performs the start-up procedure. What type of engine is this? Diesel? Does the fire take the place of a glow plug? The oil sump is just a big open pit and I'm sure the oil doesn't get changed for years if ever.
Some of these machines look to be very old. Ancient relics but these people depend on them.
-Mark

 

[Shootymacshootface]

Any pics?

 

[Lo-Fi]

They're called "hot bulb" engines, found in very old tractors and all sorts:

Hot-bulb engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[markba633csi]

Ah thanks I'll look it up
Fascinating- no wonder they are so popular in remote locations of the developing world.
You can run them on nearly anything!

 

[benmychree]

Yes, a hot bulb diesel, we have one at our steam powered sawmill near Sebastopol Ca. I think it is a 12 HP Fairbanks Morse, we use it to run a 24" wood planer; see "Sturgeon's Mill" through Google.