How to hand crank B?

One more thing, DO NOT wrap your thumb around the crank handle.  Keep you thumb on the same side as your fingers, and pull up one cylinder at a time.  trying to spin it may break your arm or worse if it should "kick back"

I saw a really good video on youtube on starting one. I don't remember the name just do a search.

I can tell ya exactly how NOT to crank one. My wrist still hurts and catches 4 years later. DO NOT wrap the thumb

Steve, is a wittle bit the same as a goosh or a tad.  Just want to be politically correct.  LOL

Lance,

My experiance is that they all have their differant likes and dislikes. If you choke our 38B you might as well go get a chain but no choke it starts on turn 2 or 3 depending on the temp. Discover what yours likes and repete. Warm most of them start harder and hot you would do yourself a favor by just waiting until they cool down before you try to start them. The others have well discribed the proper way to crank them and you would be wise to check a couple things to be safe. Two things about crank kick back, 1 it cant happen if the cylinder isn't lit  before TDC and 2 when it does it hurts no matter how you hold the crank. Assuming everything is as it should be will get you kicked! I prefer the prevention mode. The impulse in your magneto serves two purposes. It increases the voltage for easier starts and it retards the timing for safe starts. Proper amount of retard depends on several factors. Correct impulse lag, total timing and point setting. Find and hilight your TDC mark so you can easily see it.   Remove all the spark plugs so it is easy to crank slow. Pull crank until impulse trips. Go look at widow and if you dont see a mark pull until trips once more. Mark will be at or near the window every other click. This is much easier with two people. The impulse must not trip until TDC is at or just past the center of the window. With the proper impulse coupling, non-worn out and properly meshed gears your magneto should be straight up, not tilted in or out.  If you have to tilt it all the way in or out to get close you have problems to fix. Also check the points in the mag. As the point cam wears the points gap closes and spark timing advances, this is much lees important that the impulse but might as well do it right.  The only other thing that can cause pree TDC kick back is cross firing. Twice at shows I have seen guys get kicked by tractors with wet mags and wires. Preventitive medicine is keep the cap and wires in good shape, replace dry or missing gaskets at the caps  and cover the mag if the tractor is going to sit out.  We have a hand crank 563 CI model A and a kick back is going to do a heck of a lot more than HURT.  You learn to do it right and apply it across the board.

Edited by Butch(OH) - 01 Aug 2012 at 10:45am

Ron- as others have mentioned, each tractor has it's own 'personality'.

My '39 hand-start B likes this technique cold:
-Fuel on
-Tap on carb bowl (just in case float is sticky)
-Open gascap, check fuel level.
-Pull dipstick, check oil
-Throttle to 25%
-Choke on
-Pull crank past first click
-Pull crank past second click
-Choke off
-Pull crank past third click (engine starts)
-Stand by to close choke a little if it falters.
(in warm weather, it will NOT falter, just below 60F or so, it might need a little choke for a minute or so while warming).

Hot start: 

-Throttle to half
-Pull past 1st click.  Engine starts.

Same attitude goes for one of my '37 unstyleds, and for my '42 Kohler genset (Waukesha FC140 power) and my '58 Consolidated Diesel Electric 35kw genset (Hercules JXLG 331ci six) and my '42 Hobart Brothers PE-197 (Herc ZXB) gennie...

As noted above, having a properly functioning magneto and impulse coupling is imperative to easy starting.  The impulser SHOULD NOT fire BEFORE TDC when hand-cranking- it will fire somewhere about 8-20 degrees AFTER, at least until the magneto's shaft speed gets up above a certain RPM... at which point, the impulser becomes 'locked out' by centrifugal force, and the magneto runs totally direct-on-the-fly.  When the impulser locks out, the mag advances to BTDC.  The audible CLACK of the impulser tells you WHEN it's working.

We just teach our crank starters how to lead! That's how grandpa did it also. His WC starter was Fergie 35!! Kip 

I'm restoring a 1944 b would like to know if any one has made something for easier mounting on. I'm 73 and have trouble

Is there a hill nearby?

Steve in NJ wrote: Ron M, Starter rod could be an option. Change the torque tube to starter mount. Problem solved!  LOL!  Steve@B&B

I always wondered what those big concrete blocks were in front of some old houses. I t was where old farmers parked their B's so they could get back on after lunch.

Not saying it will will work for you, but here is what I learned from my father. Throttle on 4th notch. Just a touch of choke. Turn switch on. Turn gas on. Hurry to the front and crank before it floods.          

You weren't fast enough. It's flooded. Shut gas off. Grumble and get a crescent wrench out of the toolbox. Lean on gas tank and remove drain plug from carb. Rest forehead on left forearm and mutter some words your 8 year old son should definitely not use at the supper table. Reinstall drain plug and put wrench back. Crank engine until it pops once. Now open the gas. Starts on the next crank almost without fail.


Laugh all you want, been working for 38 years and counting.....