Thread: Crank Handle ... how to use

The crankhandle will mainly be used for turning the engine during repair and maintenance, but can be used for starting in an emergency (usually a sick battery or starter).

It is fitted with a one way dog on the front end of the crankshaft, so that when the engine starts it does not turn the crank. Very rarely, however this may jam, and you always should treat the crank as if it may turn with the engine. (I think it has happened only twice for me in more than fifty years of cranking engines)

More importantly, if the engine kicks backwards, as is quite possible especially if the spark is too far advanced, the crank WILL turn backwards, and the engine is a lot stronger than you are (or your bones)! When turning the engine with a crank, ALWAYS have the thumb on the same side of the handle as the fingers, and pull rather than push, so that if this happens it just pulls out of your hand. And make sure none of the rest of you, such as a knee, is in line to get hit.

This model Landrover, if in good tune and battery giving at least about nine volts, will start easily with the crank.

Crank starting procedure (cold):-

Open bonnet and pump fuel up to the carburetter using the priming lever on the side of the fuel pump. Continue pumping until the feel changes, signalling the float bowl is full. Check that the sleeve on the crankhandle moves freely, oil if necessary, and if it won't turn, wear gloves. Insert the crankhandle, make sure it is engaged in the dog. Pull the choke full out and turn the engine two turns, four compressions. Turn the ignition on, and it should start on the next compression. If it doesn't within three or four compressions, there is a problem, the most likely in real life being that the battery is TOO flat.

To start easily on the crankhandle, you must have good plugs, leads, coil etc, correct timing, and the carburetter working properly. If it is reluctant to start on the starter, forget cranking it, unless the only problem is the starter is barely turning it due to starter or battery problems.


Oh! and if you have a diesel, forget starting it with the crankhandle - it can't be done. It is supplied purely for maintenance.

Hope this helps

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Oh! and if you have a diesel, forget starting it with the crankhandle - it can't be done. It is supplied purely for maintenance.

John,
This is not quite true. If your battery is too flat to start a diesel, but is still able to turn it over, you can use the crank handle to to assist. I have done this many times with my 2.25 diesel. But if the battery is too flat to turn the motor, forget it!

Originally Posted by cmurray

John,
This is not quite true. If your battery is too flat to start a diesel, but is still able to turn it over, you can use the crank handle to to assist. I have done this many times with my 2.25 diesel. But if the battery is too flat to turn the motor, forget it!

Yes, you're right of course, I was trying to keep it simple. But the range of battery condition that this is useful is pretty narrow, unless the battery has high internal resistance but still holding a charge well (I regularly transfer the sick battery from my diesel 110 or tractor into the 2a and get another year or so out of it)

Thanks for the correction.
John

I was dissapointed to find that I couldn't crank my 84 RR, after having cranked the previous 75 RR many times. Originally I had thought it wouldn't be practical to start a V8 with a crank handle, but the old Rover was very easy to start. Just had to turn it slowly to get the handle to the bottom then give it a bit of a pull - with thumb and legs well out of the way. I had only started Morris Minors and Austin A30s before that.

tuck your thumb on the same side of the handle as your fingers... if it backfires you will break/disloacte your thumb.

you can start the diesel on the crank handle.. but you need to do lots of prep work to make it happen and I wouldnt want to be in a hurry when you need to do it nor would i want to do it when it was cold outside...

Thanks for that guys. I think I will try this soon. Thinking of driving into the car park of the local hospital in case something is wrong, the pain killers are not far away .. just kidding.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

you can start the diesel on the crank handle.. but you need to do lots of prep work to make it happen and I wouldnt want to be in a hurry when you need to do it nor would i want to do it when it was cold outside...

What do you need to do to get the diesel started with crank alone. My diesel always started very easy, if it hadn't started after three revolutions of the starter motor, it needed more glow.

Originally Posted by Graeme

I was dissapointed to find that I couldn't crank my 84 RR, after having cranked the previous 75 RR many times. Originally I had thought it wouldn't be practical to start a V8 with a crank handle, but the old Rover was very easy to start. Just had to turn it slowly to get the handle to the bottom then give it a bit of a pull - with thumb and legs well out of the way. I had only started Morris Minors and Austin A30s before that.

If you think about it, the important thing is how big are the cylinders rather than how many - and the Rover V8 cylinders are not all that big - actually smaller than on the 2.25. Although I am reminded of a comment in the manual for the Cadillac V16 of the early thirties "A crankhandle is not provided as it is impractical to turn this engine by hand" - with 16 cylinders the compressions overlap, and those cylinders were quite big.

John