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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Hand cranking a Farmall H

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Garrison

02-24-2004 07:26:39




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I need a procedure on how to hand crank a H, I would like to keep my thumb. If you could email me with your comments




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Ultradog MN

02-24-2004 15:57:30




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
A lot of folks will tell you to avoid starting any tractor with a crank. Seems like everyone had an Uncle Frank or neighbor George who got an arm broke by cranking a tractor.
I grew up with an Allis B and a Case DC3 and the batteries were never working well enough to start them. Hand cranking them was an every day thing.
There's something really satisfying about hand cranking an engine and hear it roar to life right in your hands.
Good luck with it.
Jerry

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Bill Smith

02-24-2004 13:08:46




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
Be sure its out of gear, turn gas on, set throttle just opened a tad bit, set choke as needed, turn key on. Now it is time to crank. Pretend there is a glass wall inbetween you and the hand crank. The only part of your body that should go through the glass wall is your hand/arm you are cranking with. This will keep your head, legs, other arm, and body out of the rotation of the crank if there would happen to be a kick back. Keep your thumb on the same side of crank handle as your fingeres when you grab onto it. Never crank the engine in a downward motion. Always crank the engine in an upward motion, a half of rotation at a time. You will have to disengage the hand crank at the top of rotation, and free travel it back to the bottom and re-engage it again at the bottom of rotation for another pull. This allows you to avoid cranking in a downward motion. Another thing is, figure out where the tractor fires at. When hand cranking, you want the engine to be in a descent rolling motion at this point. On my H, it fires just a tad bit past 12 O'Clock. One more thing, a distributor will more likely cause more kick backs than a magnito. Not sure which you have, but I know I have to be careful with mine because of the distributor. Seems like it kick's quit abit.

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Joe (Wa)

02-24-2004 12:44:35




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
Basic...the reason the engine "kicks" is because the spark ignites the mixture before the piston reaches TDC and then the engine turns backward. That is the reason older vehicles had a means (lever) for retarding the spark for crank starting and then advancing the ignition to an acceptable medium.

Solution...Scribe a line mating the distributor and block. Loosen the clamp bolt and turn the distributor very slightly in the direction of rotor rotation and snug up the clamp. This will retard the timing so the spark arrives slightly after TDC.

Use proper cranking procedure described by the other posters. After the engine starts, loosen the clamp bolt and rotate the distributor back to line up your witness mark. Tighten the clamp bolt.

Back in the '50's we actually set up a starting line on the block and a running line on the distributor/block with a timing light.

Joe

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Dan Kelley

02-24-2004 13:29:06




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 Re: Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Joe (Wa), 02-24-2004 12:44:35  
The reason for always pulling up is to make sure your arm is out if the way should the engine kick. If you push down, your arm will tend to be vertical, inside the swing of the crank handle. There was an old-time injury called the "Ford Fracture" for people who did not start their cars correctly.



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Kennyp

02-24-2004 11:36:59




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
First you check the oil stick Then you make sure it is not in gear Then you do as Red Dave says. Last tractor I crankled was Allis "A" with 5 1/4 bore 6 1/2 stroke. It all way started on second or third pull.



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Joe Evans

02-24-2004 10:19:15




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
Feel around with the crank for a compression stroke. Definitely pull up on the crank; do not push down. Also it is helpful that the shaft/plunger (the thingy that engages onto the crank pulley) is lubed and free to release from the crank engagement pins.

Used to crank Dad's H all the time when I was a wee lad. If done properly it's a piece of cake.



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Red Dave

02-24-2004 09:47:04




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 Re: Hand cranking a Farmall H in reply to Garrison, 02-24-2004 07:26:39  
Best way to keep your thumb is to set the timimg properly. Set the choke & throttle, be real sure it's out of gear, then rotate the crank to about the 7 o'clock position as you look at it. Hold the crank in your hand so that your thumb is laying alongside the crank, not wrapped around it. Then pull up.
Somebody else may know other ways, but that's how I was taught to do it.



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