Starting Allis Chalmers by crank?

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   Anyone have a good video on the proper method to start one by hand? all I remember is growing up that my dad always had problems starting with his battery/now mine Allis Chalmers b (so he would always be crank starting it)
Two things I remember were him always telling me do not get your head in the way of this if you ever start it this way (also heard rumors of it breaking people's arms if not done correctly)
And number two on this particular tractor the carb always flooded before he could get it to start the very first time so he would have to drain the carb and then it would pop right over
..

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Hunt4Allis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Mar 2018 Location: Ohio Points: 1172	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hunt4Allis Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Starting Allis Chalmers by crank? Posted: 10 May 2020 at 8:46am
	Anyone have a good video on the proper method to start one by hand? all I remember is growing up that my dad always had problems starting with his battery/now mine Allis Chalmers b (so he would always be crank starting it) Two things I remember were him always telling me do not get your head in the way of this if you ever start it this way (also heard rumors of it breaking people's arms if not done correctly) And number two on this particular tractor the carb always flooded before he could get it to start the very first time so he would have to drain the carb and then it would pop right over ..

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NDBirdman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 30 Jul 2011 Location: ND Points: 1429	Post Options Post Reply Quote NDBirdman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 10:46am
	Cranking, keep all body parts out of the swing. DO NOT grasp the crank with thumb under handle, no baseball bat grips. I always place my thumb on top with my fingers. I run crank around to about 10 o'clock, stand on the left side of tractor, place right hand on top of the radiator and pull towards me while pushing myself away from tractor with right arm. Left hand pulls crank around. I learned the hard way, not once but twice, NEVER grab the crank with thumb on bottom. A backfire both times... death grip on crank, both times it was a couple hours before I got my arm/shoulder feeling back and hurt for a few days (WD). I'm told poor timing causes the back-fire, I'm not an expert and won't argue that point, probably right. On my WC, full choke, usually one pull and the gas drips out. Choke then to half and it fires on 2nd pull, 3 at most. Throttle on idle. I cringe every time I see those he-men stand in front of a tractor and grab with both hands and spin. All it takes is one oh-poop to spend many hours in the emergency room.
	1955 WD45 S#205467, 190XT #6652 DXT

Hunt4Allis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Mar 2018 Location: Ohio Points: 1172	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hunt4Allis Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 11:02am
	Hmmmm, sounds familiar to my dad's words but a bit hard to visualize I guess

HoughMade Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 22 Sep 2017 Location: Valparaiso, IN Points: 706	Post Options Post Reply Quote HoughMade Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 11:41am
	https://youtu.be/N43_dWx8Yrs https://youtu.be/uOMBzGhteHU Edited by HoughMade - 10 May 2020 at 11:41am
	1951 B

SteveM C/IL Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Shelbyville IL Points: 8494	Post Options Post Reply Quote SteveM C/IL Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 11:42am
	you cup hand on crank not having thumb around crank no matter which way you are pulling handle...when things are right you should be able to pull crank gently (not fast,not slow) and when the impulse on mag snaps it takes off running.....distributor is little more tricky...it should still fire after TDC if advance and timing are right....hand cranking can be dangerous so be CAREFULL!

plummerscarin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 22 Jun 2015 Location: ia Points: 3772	Post Options Post Reply Quote plummerscarin Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 12:20pm
	What NDB said is exactly how I was taught.

HD6GTOM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Location: MADISON CO IA Points: 6627	Post Options Post Reply Quote HD6GTOM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2020 at 6:55pm
	Does it have a distributor? If so does it have an anti kick back rotor in it? Best thing that was ever invented for hand cranking.

DaveKamp Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Apr 2010 Location: LeClaire, Ia Points: 5971	Post Options Post Reply Quote DaveKamp Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 May 2020 at 10:57pm
	Hand-starting is a good thing to know how to do... but... "my dad always had problems starting with his battery/now mine Allis Chalmers b (so he would always be crank starting it)" Uh... this usually means there's a bad ground or battery cable... and what's happening is that the battery has plenty of power, but resistance in the engaged starter motor is extremely low, but the cables and connections are resistive, which causes the voltage from ground to B+ has dropped to close-to-nothing. I suggest you remove and replace each of the battery cables, clean the posts, and the contact point for the ground cable, dismantle and clean up the starter motor switch contact, replace the coil primary wire (from ignition switch to the coil), replace the ignition switch, and wire from battery to ignition switch, and also remove the coil, scrub the mounting boss shiny, scrub the coil mount bracket, and clean and scrub the coil where the bracket grips it... and try the electric starter...
	Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.

Rick of HopeIN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Hope, Indiana Points: 1324	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rick of HopeIN Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 May 2020 at 8:22pm
	The old WC with crank that stays put and nice guides and release spring makes you feel a lot more secure about using it. My B has a crank but I never thought it worked nearly was well, even though it is a magneto tractor. When I was growing up, I never saw a tractor get cranked by hand. I think I asked about it once since the WD had one stored on the fender... and my uncles just laughed at me. I don't think the distributor tractors and higher compression engines were near so friendly. My 1941 Mercury with Flathead V8 still has a hole in the radiator and front grillwork for a crank. Never seen anyone try it on cars of that era either.
	1951 B, 1937 WC, 1957 D14, -- Thanks and God Bless

Hunt4Allis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Mar 2018 Location: Ohio Points: 1172	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hunt4Allis Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 May 2020 at 8:49pm
	Ok thanks I only would use it in a pinch ( not regular basis)

ac fleet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 12 Jan 2014 Location: Arrowsmith, ILL Points: 2324	Post Options Post Reply Quote ac fleet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 May 2020 at 1:00pm
	Big log chain and yank that sucker down the road til it starts! Cranking will kill you IF you even are remotely afraid of doing it! ---It's one of them things that you either just go do OR if afraid of it----then be safe and dont do it. There is no right or wrong way--its whatever works for you. I gotta have my thumb around the crank!
	http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/

Dusty MI Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Location: Charlotte, Mi Points: 5058	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dusty MI Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 May 2020 at 1:33pm
	Back when I was about 12 years old we used an unstilted WC for the summer. I drove it hauling hay wagons. I had to wait for each wagon, and my dad would not let me crank it. So I had to let it sit and idle, or someone would have to come and crank it. O could park on a hill, but it had to be chocked when cranking and the chock rod only went to the front. So I got a piece of fence wire from a junk fence, and ran it from the carb to within the seat. Then I could start it by parking at the top of a hill, and coasting down it. In about the summer of 1964 my '53 WD with 6 volt batter ignition had a weak batter. I had to crank it every morning, then the starter would start it the rest of the day. It rained for 2 or 3 days, and the battery would not even provide a spark. So I hooked a 6 volt lantern battery to the ignition and hand cranked it. It started right up. This was before we had jumper cables. Dusty
	917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"

Rick of HopeIN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Hope, Indiana Points: 1324	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rick of HopeIN Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 May 2020 at 6:50pm
	Many winters ago we had a real cold day in January and none of my battery tractors would start. The old WC started with crank no problem. I used it to move firewood that morning while the other tractors were on charge.
	1951 B, 1937 WC, 1957 D14, -- Thanks and God Bless

DaveKamp Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Apr 2010 Location: LeClaire, Ia Points: 5971	Post Options Post Reply Quote DaveKamp Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 May 2020 at 7:03pm
	There is a 'right' and a 'wrong' way... although, when the engine is properly timed, and has a magneto with an impulser, it is much, much, much less likely you'll ever experience a kick-back, as when set up properly, it doesn't fire until AFTER top dead center, the engine will always make it's firing events in the forward direction. My '28 Model A Ford, like all others, has a mechanical distributor manual spark advance. Set it wrong, and it will break your arm EVERY TIME. My '24 Model T Ford has flywheel magneto-generator with buzzer-coils. To generate enough energy to get ignition, the engine needs to be cranked briskly... and if not set right, it WILL break your arm. My Fairbanks-Morse ZC-118 and ZC-208 both have magnetos with impulsers. Turn on fuel, roll them over twice, lift the magneto ground switch, pull the flywheel past TDC, and it will fire in the proper direction. I have a 35kw generator with Hercules JXLD 338ci inline six running on propane, with an impusler-equiped magneto. It has electric starter, but if circumstance arises that it's starting battery is inoperative, I can engage the hand crank, turn on gas, hit the regulator's prime button, step on it once, lift the crank one notch, step again, lift the crank, lift magneto ground, step on it the third time, and it's alive. I see WAY too many modern machines that require grinding-away of a starter motor to fire up. ANY internal combustion engine, when properly set right, should require no more than two full turns of the flywheel in order to start. If they do, there's something wrong. Fuel + Oxygen + compression + ignition = fire. With proper timing, it will go in a forward direction, and every other cylinder should follow. Any OTHER circumstance means fuel, oxygen, compression, ignition, or timing are insufficient.
	Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.

Steve A Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Silver Level Joined: 12 Apr 2012 Location: NLP Mi Points: 224	Post Options Post Reply Quote Steve A Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 May 2020 at 7:06pm
	Grew up with a '49 WD narrow front, we never had a battery in it until long after I graduated from college. Dad never had the money for a battery, and the generator didn't work anyway. Always crank started it-still do on occasion. NBD has the right instructions. I never considered it a dangerous thing to do, just part of using the tractor.