Crank start

marty in Ohio said:
I had my car out today on a beautiful spring day in northern Ohio. I got home and thought about crank starting the car. I've driven it for 25 years and have never cranked it. The car was warm and so I dug the crank out from under the seat and gave it a try. Wow, a quarter turn and she was running. What great cars these model A Fords are !!
Marty
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Can remember my dad's model A that he drove in the 40's! The battery in his, just had enough juice to run the ignition. He rigged up a way to pull the choke from standing at the Crank position, as starting a Model A from a cold start requires choking! Hot starts such as you did, I hope with the spark retarded, go pretty well. 4.2 comp ratio helps make it a relatively easy crank pull! But I do understand the fun of the accomplishment!
 
I think most would agree that crank starting the Model A really adds to its charm and nostalgia but when my starter gave out in Yellowstone a few years ago and I realized that I had not hand cranked the old girl over in years and faced the daunting prospect of hand cranking the car started for the next 1000 miles until I got home...well, fortunately, my broken Bendix was replaced by a spare found under the seat. It is probably good practice while the car is safely parked in the driveway at home for owners to "hone their skills" in crank starting once in a while.
 
I hand crank mine quite frequently, mostly for show. I usually turn around once she starts and find six or eight people with their phones out filming me.

I, too, have a piece of brazing rod poking out front to work the choke. On Pop's advice, I did NOT run it through the radiator fins. He said that if it rattled around there long enough it would surely wear through one of the tubes. Mine slips along side of the radiator shell.

One last thing, I often have guys ask me to show them how it is done on their cars. I have one very important rule. I will NEVER hand crank a car if I didn't set up the timing myself. So, sorry buddy. I will show you on my car, or talk you through it on your car...but I will not hand start yours.

Ken
 
updraught said:
If it won't start, and you get a blister.

Maybe try some "Start Ya Basted" sold in this country.

For:

"Petrol Engines:
Old or stale fuel
Low battery condition
Poor choke operation
Cold ambient temperature
Insufficient engine cranking speed, particularly on manual start engines such as motor mowers, small motorcycles etc.
Engine has been sitting idle for a long time
Frail people who are not strong enough to pull a start cord quickly enough
Initial start after repair work"
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There is a BIG danger that the engine will kick back if you use any of those volatile starter fluids. I wouldn’t do it.
Making sure that the engine fires just a tiny bit AFTER T D C is important and the reason why those in the know, set their timing with the lever a notch or two down from the top.
 
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Model T's were lighter than model A's . Uncle Ray would just pick up one side of the back end while uncle Roy placed a block of unsplit firewood under the rear axle . Ray felt that it was safer cranking the model T by the back wheel than using the hand crank .
 
Purdy Swoft said:
Model T's were lighter than model A's . Uncle Ray would just pick up one side of the back end while uncle Roy placed a block of unsplit firewood under the rear axle . Ray felt that it was safer cranking the model T by the back wheel than using the hand crank .
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That car had the creeps and he did not want to get run over! LOL I think it would be more un-safe to start the engine by turning the rear wheel esp as the car would be in high to do so and could really smack your hands good on the underside of the fenders when it fired off.
 
This happened way before my time . Uncle Ray never mentioned having a problem cranking the model T with the back wheel . I can't ask him now , he passed over thirty years ago . Ray did teach me how to hand crank my first model A , many years ago . I've never owned a model T .
 
If my wife Deb is with me, I let her handle the choke and ignition . Deb doesn't like to do the hand crank. She says that it wouldn't look good and wouldn't be lady like . I'm pretty sure that back in the day that women would hand crank the model A in an emergency.
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Teach them early:
 

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I had a T before I bought my A. The electric starter had issues so I always hand cranked it. ALWAYS tuck your thumb UNDER so if it backfires the handle slips out of your hand rather than break your thumb. The buzz coils in the T make it possible to start without any cranking. When you shut off the car apply full choke, then when ready to start there is already gas in the engine so just turn on the ignition and move the spark lever until a coil buzzes, it'll usually start right up, no cranking. Supposedly the A can do that, I've tried it but never been successful.
 
Cranking an A is nothing! When I was in high school, growing up on a farm, Dad had a tractor imported from England with a Lucas starter. It burned out, and there was a hydraulic pump running off the front of the crankshaft. So Dad just carried a jack in the toolbox and we would jack up a back wheel, put the trans in high gear, put a clothespin on the choke and flip the back tire. As soon as it started, pull off the clothespin, reach in front of the spinning tire and pop the trans into neutral. In the winter (southern Minnesota) he put 10W oil in the trans so we could start it at 20 below. At 30 below we would build a fire under it first (corn cobs in a juice can filled with Diesel fuel). Went 2 years that way.
 
Similar to Purdy but different on the choke.

I mainly use it for conversation points at shows. I ran a stiff wire from the bottom of the choke, straight out and underneath the radiator, very visible in the engine compartment, and it sticks out in front of the radiator about 4" with a pull ring. I cant tell you the reactions you get when you explain you crank with the right and choke with the left pull.
 
So, here's the Ace hand starter. Cold engine, brakes set and in neutral. Turn gas on, make sure that ignition is off. Pull choke out and fasten it out with a good strong clothes pin on the passenger side of the tank. Using crank turn engine over two revolutions. Now turn on key and engage the starter dog so you are pulling up with the choke lever back in and the spark still all the way up. Gas can be down a couple of notches but not necessary usually. With open palm, pull the handle of the crank up. It probably will startle you to find your engine is running. If engine is warm, don't use the choke, just do everything else and it will probably fire with that 1/4 turn. Always pull up with open hand, never push down on crank with key on.
 
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