Starter and Hand Cranking

The push button for the gas is called a cold start primer.
It works by activating a little solenoid on the side plate of the gas convertor.
This solenoid pushes against a diaphram which will dump a bit of gas into the motor.
Effectively it works like a choke .
Usually you will not need it and it is not always fitted.
Every gas conversion is slightly different as is the starting characteristics of every motor and therefore the starting proceedure of every gas motor is different.
Usually if used a two to three second press of the button during or just after cranking the motor and try again will produce results.
Most gas systems these days have a small electronic control box which will give the motor a puff of gas just before you start cranking the motor.
The CA 150 Impco mixer on your 101 shouldnt need any of this stuff to start if the gas convertor is good and set up correctly.
The next time you get the thing running on gas and warmed up. press the cold start primer button down and hold it there and you will find the motor will stop in time through flooding with too much gas( this will give you a idea how it works.)
The motor may require full throttle to start again and clear its self.

The electronic gas controller black boxes used today are better for starting and are extremely relaible.
All the older carby type motor gas conversions can start on gas if set up correctly.
It is only IFE systems which need to start on petrol and these days to fully warm up on petrol.
IFE systems need fuel remaining in the petrol tank to keep the petrol system alive whisle on gas.
On a carby motor the petrol tank can be sucked dry without to much drama.
It is still not a good idea to do this as you suck up all the rubbish in the bottom of the petrol tank and the fuel pump may not like to run dry if old for too long.

I have to say that i am amazed that you could crank start your 101. :o
I always thought it would be a mission after trying on a range rover once. There was no gaps in the compression with which to get up speed. So learnt something new.:D May be the height helps.

The 2.25 petrol is an easy one to crank start.

Just above freezing this morning - engine fired and ran first hit of the starter - no cranking at all. Starter is now working great.

Now that we know you can hand crank a 101 I think that I will be looking to acquire a handle or make one as a bit of back up - chances of a 24v jump start in case of flat batteries would be remote - though when I have my 12v system fully set up, I will use two smaller 12v batteries rather than a large 12v one so that I can jump start myself if needed.

Garry

Hi Gary

Haven't been on for a while so just catching up. I used to crank start my 101 in England for a while. If everything else is good it will start on the first compressed cylinder. If you had to crank it like a lister diesel you couldnt. The standard crank handles bend for fun because there is too much stuck out the front to clear the number 1 crossmember. I found the best way was to brace the handle at the first bend with my left hand and then give the handle a half turn with as much force as you can muster with the right. This started my 24v GS in an English winter. I also have 2 spare 24volt starter motors as well as a load of 24 volt starter solenoids if you need one in the future.

Thats what I found Dave.
It started not so much as by turning it round and round as there is too much drag.
Like you said half a turn and hope the first jug fires.

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Originally Posted by Dave Jump

I also have 2 spare 24volt starter motors as well as a load of 24 volt starter solenoids if you need one in the future.

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Thanks Dave - but these are parts I am not short off. My 101 came with a range of spares including about 6 solenoids and about 4 starter armatures.

Garry

Size of the engine is not really what decides if you can successfully hand start an engine. I have hand started a Rolls Royce B80 5.8L engine, and a 239ci flat head Ford V8. They both started at or about the first compression stroke. Compression ratios play more of an issue. If the engine is old and worn, you have to spin it up to speed to get it to fire. If the compression ratio is too high, you may not be able to turn it over at all. When ever hand starting an engine, it helps if you can retard the timing (the little wheel on the side of the 2.25p distributor). Watch out for your thumbs and wrists.

Aaron.

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Originally Posted by Aaron IIA

........Watch out for your thumbs and wrists.

Aaron.

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Worth warning again - when cranking any engine, always have your thumb on the same side of the handle as your fingers and always pull not push. That way if it kicks back or even just stops moving, it just pulls out of your hand. If the thumb is on the wrong side, you have a broken thumb, if you are pushing, you are likely to have a broken wrist and possibly a broken face or worse.

John

Just to show I could do it, this last weekend with three 101 landrovers parked beside each other I grabbed my crank handle and started all three in turn and with little effort.
Just turn the ignition on and out off gear with parking brake on.

One turn to get the the fuel in the jugs and then a sharp 1/4 turn and away they go......easy.
I have witness to back this up.
No problems crank starting a rover V8.