Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by sjalbert » Mon Aug 23, 2021 4:26 am

I had a dead battery last month. Started with the crank handle twice. No issues.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by Jim Thomason » Mon Aug 23, 2021 4:48 am

Concerning kickback. Think about the design of the end of the crank handel. When the engine starts; the slope on the engaging fingers of the crank handel push it to disengage as the engine turns froward. When there is kickback; with the engine turning backward there is a tendency to keep the crank engaged. That is when you can get hurt.
17thAirborne---I suggest you find an electric starter system for your Wisconsin, the newer models have them. They can be difficult to start and/or restart. When the crank handel comes off the engine with "gusto" - it can damage you badly.

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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by 17thAirborne » Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:00 am

Jim Thomason wrote:
Mon Aug 23, 2021 4:48 am
Concerning kickback. Think about the design of the end of the crank handel. When the engine starts; the slope on the engaging fingers of the crank handel push it to disengage as the engine turns froward. When there is kickback; with the engine turning backward there is a tendency to keep the crank engaged. That is when you can get hurt.
17thAirborne---I suggest you find an electric starter system for your Wisconsin, the newer models have them. They can be difficult to start and/or restart. When the crank handel comes off the engine with "gusto" - it can damage you badly.
Yes, I am not keen to be starting that thing much if at all. The handle does look condusive to injury. Will address that when I begin the resto. Perhaps I can modify the handle with ramps. Still researching.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by YLG80 » Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:40 am

I used to start the engine with the crank before the engine restoration.
Never after because it starts very easily with the 6V starter and the compressions are much higher .
I will ask to my wife to use the crank, just to see if it's as comfortable as on that advertisement :) !

Lady_crank_engine.jpg


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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by dpcd67 » Mon Aug 23, 2021 6:35 am

Sure, guys have done it successfully, but, like handling snakes, and dating married women, eventually it will catch up to you.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by Wolfman » Mon Aug 23, 2021 6:44 am

I don't make a practice of hand cranking a jeep. Better ways to get one started. But old farm tractors. A lot are hand crank only.
No, the hand crank does not disengage when the engine kicks back. It spins in reverse, fully engaged, forcefully.
Yes, do keep your thumb on the same side as your fingers. And when you pull the crank though, start with the crank engaged at it's lowest point and pull up to the top. This way, if the engine kicks back, it pulls your fingers loose from the crank and if lucky, it might only catch you on the back of your finger tips. Not the back of your hand or arm. OUCH !!!
Never. Never grab a hand full of crank and spin it wildly or push down. Setting yourself up for some real pain.
AND !! Be sure the vehicle is in neutral !!
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by 17thAirborne » Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:45 am

YLG80 wrote:
Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:40 am
I use to start the engine with the crank before the engine restoration.
Never after because it starts very easily with the 6V starter and the compressions are much higher .
I will ask to my wife to use the crank, just to see if it's as comfortable as on that advertisement :) !


Lady_crank_engine.jpg



Yves
Hilarious! :lol:
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by Paolo.orange » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:54 am

Yes, now and then I practice hand cranking. Very easy and never ever kicking back.
My GPW, 6 volts, is hand down the easiest vehicle in my garage (without a modern electronic ignition) to start.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by pgcf » Tue Oct 12, 2021 5:32 am

I've done it a few times over 45 years of jeeps.

The one piece of advice I was given by my elders, besides getting the pistons right, was to keep my thumb next to my index finger on the grip so that if there is a kickback I won't break it. My jeeps would always start after a few cranks.

This advice came from a variety of experiences these guys had with cars from the 20's and 30's, it was not jeep specific.

For me this is simply a motivator to make sure the starter does its job as part of my restorations.

I've never experienced a big kickback like in older cars but wise words are with remembering and I've always modified my grip.

Cheers,
Peter

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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by dpcd67 » Tue Oct 12, 2021 6:36 am

Famous last words just before you break both wrists; "My engine never kicks back".
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by W. Winget » Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:47 am

Deleted a dumb answer, simple enough. Crank at your own wrist err risk
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by Bruce W » Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:45 am

Think about that, Winget.
When the engine tries to turn backwards the forces on those ramps and hooks are the same as when you tried to turn the crank in a normal direction. The ramps serve to disengage the crank when the engine starts in a normal direction. They can’t work both ways.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by W. Winget » Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:08 am

Yes Bruce you are correct, a backfire would still engage it,...Guess it's one of those days...
sit back, shut up and color
Thanks for the reminder to think... :(
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by Wolfman » Tue Oct 12, 2021 11:37 am

Post thoughts.
Hand cranking an old car or truck, like a Ford Model T, there was an ignition timing advance lever on the steering column. Before cranking, be sure the ignition lever was in the retarded position. And the hand brake set so the transmission is in neutral. Keystone cop movies come to mind. :lol:
The old farm tractors with magnetos I mentioned had a spring loaded flyweight. "Dog" is what we called it. When hand cranking, the "dog" would hold the Mag armature stationary until the crankshaft position had the piston ready to fire at the TDC position, then release. Automatic timing retard, when it worked. If the dog did not catch, the timing went to 24 degrees before TDC. OUCH !
And old jeeps. There automatic timing retard and advance. Maybe. If the centrifugal advance sticks full advance ?? OUCH !! again.
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Re: Does anyone Start Their Engine with the Crank

Post by JIMN » Wed Oct 13, 2021 3:51 pm

Put me in the group that handcranks occasionally. It always amazes me how much more quickly the engines start with the crank versus the electric starter…
With the crank it just takes one piston to get compression and off it goes!
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