Anyone ever succeeded?

Licensed to kill

Licensed to kill

Well-known member
In starting a '30-'31 model A with the crank??. The reason I ask is because with my '31 fordor, there is not much room between the crank handle and the splash apron. It's a real knuckle buster and I have a hard time seeing how one could crank it over without hitting the apron with the knuckles. It should be doable as when I bought my '31DD, there was a piece of haywire from the choke lever through the splash apron with a loop to grasp for applying choke when cranking by hand so someone was obviously starting it by hand. Just don't see how it's possible. Perhaps I have the wrong crank???? Are there shorter ones??? Just wondering what others experience is.
 
I have never tried in 60 years. Give her a little push. If she is a good runner, will start right up. I use crank only to turn engine when we are working on her. Enjoy.
 
My old 29 I could start with the crank all the time, and I had the wire hooked up to the carb.

With my 31 due to the new engine, and HC head there is no way I can pull it over.
 
Your crank is wrong dimensions. Only one shape for all years of A. there are 2 different lug nut sockets though.
 
I clip a clothes pin to the choke to hold it closed for the first turn, with the key off if cold. Then turn key on and pull up. It has always worked for me except on my coupe which has 94 psi per cylinder. Can't get the strength to turn her over with the plugs in. On the roadster it's a breeze, starts right up.
 
Started my 29 all the time with a crank, learn where to set your gas and advance, one pull, rarely two and it fired right up. Winter, it was so cold the starter draw was too much, would barely turn over, pull the crank and away we went. Put a pic of baling wire thru the radiator for a he choke.
 
I started my '30 Town Sedan a couple times with the crank. Having a Model T, I did know the correct procedure to avoid "Ford break," Always pull up, thumb tucked under, don't try to spin the engine.

Mistake I made was expecting it to be a hard start, it wasn't. It started on the first pull which startled me and I stood up too fast cutting my eyebrow on the metal edge of the headlight eyelid. Bled like a stuck pig and my wife and daughter had to take me under protest to the ER for stitches. I kept protesting because I didn't realize how much it was bleeding and I didn't want to shut it off before getting it in the shed because it was starting to rain. Explaining what happened to the ER Doc was interesting.

I've also crank started my '42 Jeep and I have the crank for the '42 V8, but haven't tried to start it.
 
Every time I heard my neighbor trying to start his lawn mower I would roll my 1931 Model A to the end of the driveway and start it with the crank. While he stood there pulling on the rope for his lawn mower one quick pull of the crank on the Model A would usually start it. He finely tuned up his lawn mower. With the ignition OFF turn the engine over one revolution with the choke engaged. I used to use a wire but davymc29's clothes pin might be a better idea. Then with the ignition on and the spark retarded one quick pull (never push and keep your thumb out of the way) would start it. I am sure there are a lot of other cranks out there but the very early '32 4 cylinder was a one piece crank that looked a lot like a Model A but was longer. How about some dimensions and a picture of your crank?

Charlie Stephens
 
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mhsprecher said:
Works for me, but I haven't done it in a while.
Click to expand...

Ditto. I have a "pull" choke wire going forward through the radiator core to the front. I pull it while cranking it to prime the cold engine. Then I pull the crank through and the engine easily starts. No need to choke the engine when it is warm. Always remember to retard the spark when cranking your engine. A back fire can easily break your wrist as the crank swiftly swings in reverse. Keep your thumb tucked in.
 
You'll notice that the starting handles on both of the above videos are sensible "right angle" handles, not the the 'orrible 135 degree things suppliers sell these day.
 
One midwestern winter night back in the late-60s, the temp got well below 0* F. The next morning, my 30 CCPU and both of my parents' 60s-vintage cars wouldn't turn over enough to start. We got the A started with the hand crank and used it to jump the new cars. The 6-volt generator was working hard but it was just enough to get the 12-volt batteries going.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I checked my crank against another one I had in my "parts" pile and they are identical so I'm now certain that it's the proper crank handle. I have, however, been "shown the light" in this thread and am also certain that I know what the problem is/was. I don't know why but I was always pushing down on the crank handle, which then drove my knuckles into the drivers side splash apron.Not sure why it never occurred to me to pull up (DUH). Lots of great tips. Thanks again.
 
I have a late 31, cranked it quite a few times with the hand crank and I’m a light weight person. Slowly turn it over to where you feel a compression stroke coming up, retard the timing lever and choke, usually cranks the first pull.
 
YES will this help?
 

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