The older I get, the less spry I am becoming and sometimes, (many times when I am by myself, with no co-pilot) and I hand crank my 1915, (it usually starts suddenly with no warning) and I try to run over to advance the timing before it quits, if I don't make it in time, it dies. If it is dead cold, I have to go through the choke it, turn it over 2 or 3 cranks, turn the key on and try again which gets old and exhausting.
After staring at it and thinking, I came up with this simple, Rube Goldberg solution.
I made a slip on arm, out of 1/8 " brass plate, that fit on my horn bracket, and a cheap small pulley from the hardware store.
Using nylon twine, I tied a loop in the end, and slipped the twine through the loop, and tightened it on the shaft of the advance lever. I slid the bracket with the pulley onto the horn bracket, as shown
I then fed the string forward between the running light and windshield frame, and cut a short piece of dowel rod for a handle, ( I cut a V notch in the middle of the dowel, and tied the string tight) And I drape it over the side of the Boyce Motometer. As you can see.
It works like a charm! As soon as it starts, I grab the dowel rod and pull, and it advances the timing, and she keeps running. I then remove the whole thing in just a few seconds, and stash it in the car floor.
And drive away with a grin on my face, ready for the next time I'm driving solo!
