TR2/3/3A Todays first

It may surprise some of you-all to know that many people my age (56+1/2 going on 56+3/4) have never started anything with a hand crank. This morning I became one of you-all. After adjusting the valves, replacing the worn out weights in the mechanical advance (both the brass lined holes that ride on the spinning plate were elongated and irregular) checking the timing, syncing the carbs, and color-tuning, it started so quickly I had to try the hand crank. Hand crank starting was so cool I had to shut it off and do it again. It's probably the most fun you can have with both hands clasped on your crank.

Having never done it myself, but having read about it, I believe it's much safer to pull on the upswing rather than push down. Something about broken wrists.

the usual way is you hold the crank at 6:00 in the palm of your hand and give a mighty yank upwards. The important thing is to not wrap your thumb around the handle as a backfire might hurt you -- though I have never had that happen on the TR in 37 years of crank starts.

Starter failed on day 1 of a week-long trip...

Now if you could only hand crank your alternators...!

I hadn't thought about that -- but are you saying you cannot crank start an engine with an alternator? I presume it would work if the battery was good but can imagine it might not fire on just an alternator.

No...just teasing as Tex goes through so many generators no alternators.

Ha Ha.
Yes, you can hand crank with an alternator. Yes, I pulled the handle from the 6-oclock position with my thumbs not locked. It's funny but all my previous failed attempts involved positioning the crank to the 9-oclock position -for some reason I thought it made sense to pull from the most advantageous position. But today, I realized the momentum from straight down, would probably be enough. And it was. It is so cool to go from complete silence to a running engine with the silent half rotation of the crank handle.

Really, I thought I'd get some lewd comments about holding both hands on the crank.

The alternator comment is interesting. If the battery were dead, the alternator would be useless since it takes power to make power. But a generator would begin to generate with minimal residual magnetism. In either case, a slightly charged battery would be preferred, but a dead battery, or no battery, my bets would be on the generator being easier than the alternator. In any case, my battery is fine.

Before the crank to start I usually do a slow turn of the engine to get to the 6:00 position even if it was there already - my thinking is that I want an intake stroke on the cylinder where I will be getting my (one and only) compression stroke when I pull up the crank.

If you do not do that you may fine it takes 2 tries to get it to fire.

Yeah, I think a 9:00 start wouldn't give enough compression on most engines.

Years ago, I stalled my 60 TR in the middle of a very busy 5 way intersection in Chicago. At that time, it was usually taking 6 or 7 attempts to get that worthless bullet nose starter to engage. Knowing I couldn't risk a 60 second stall, I jumped over the door, opened the boot and took out my hand crank. shoved it in the hole, brought it around to a compression stroke and gave it that upward 1/4 turn pull and of course, the TR lit up instantly. Jumped back in (boy, I wouldn't try THAT today) and drove off. There must have been 15 or 20 cars just waiting to get on the horn, and they did, to their delight and mine as well.