MTFCA Forum

I’ve had two bad kickbacks from the 1910 Ford racer, and one from the K so far this year. So far, the K’s bite is worse.....

Due to the large motor (406 cu in), I have to grab the crank in both hands, and essentially perform a deadlift motion:
Unfortunately, that leaves four limbs exposed when they kick back.......
Finally went to the doc today. The good news, nothing broken or serious. Bad news? 6-8 weeks before the swelling goes down.

Dang, Rob. Looks like you've got a full set of charley horses. If I remember right you had your other K rigged with a self commencer. Might be time to think about another.

Get well soon. Bob

I’m curious about why they are kicking back?

When I was in college I had a tired old Studebaker. I didn't drive it more than every week or two, and the battery had generally gone dead. So I parked it on a small hill behind the dorm I was living in. When I needed to use the car, I just coasted down the hill, popped the clutch, and went on my way.

Are there any hills in Eastern Nebraska ?

Rob,

Ouch! So sorry that happened. For the 4 cylinder Models 1906-08 "The How to Drive your Ford" (or similar title) offered the suggestion of turning the engine over with the crank but having the ignition switch off. After several turns, then turn the switch on to start it. I don't know if that was an alternative method for the 6 cylinder or not.

And if you have a spare ramp/incline to park on, that might give you an alternate method. When I was in college the battery in my VW bus needed replacing. But the money wasn't available for several months. So I parked on the long hill and it always started for me usually in the first 10 feet.

Again, I'm sorry that happened. Get well soon!

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

Thanks guys. My first serious kickback with the K happened last year at OCF. I always prime my cars prior to switching the ignition on, but the higher compression K usually still need a pull. And the racer only has a dual spark mag, no battery.

Just as I pulled the K over, I noticed two coils buzz, and BANG! Turns out a little piece of metal shorted two commutator contacts and two plugs fired at almost the same time.

This time it was all user error. I had the K at the Milwaukee Mile and used it to pull start the racer. My co-driver would drive the K to pull and i the racer. However, I had to start it (K) each time. Soooooo
I hooked up the racer and K, set the spark and gas on the racer, then did the same on the K, retarding the spark and giving a quarter pull on the gas.

Only trouble was, the gas and spark are opposite between a 1910 Ford and 1907 Ford........ I advanced the spark, no gas on the K.

Ouch!

This one can get you too if you don't watch out.
Speedy Recovery.
Rich

Oh ouch! Be careful my friend. I have been kicked a few times over the years, but never by such a large engine. Be careful with those joints of yours. Don't need any reconstructive surgery.
I have watched a few films of early-day racing. They quite often had three or four people push a car rather than crank them. Sometimes the beginning of the race was as much fun to watch as the race itself.

Wow....looks painful. I'm glad you don't have broken bones though.

Much respect to you guys who crank start the big brass cars.

Rob

Oh..that must have hurt!

Have watched a few T guys kick start their Fords, using the foot on the hand crank, seems safe.

And witnessed the same at circus show, starting a huge MAC truck, the one guy stabilized the other, helping to lift his leg away, while the other guy kicked that beast to life

Kick starting you won't break your arm. You'll break your leg.

Ouch! I have been bit a few times, but the worse was when I was about 17 or 18 and tried to crank start a 1930 International 1-1/2 ton grain truck. No real damage done except for my fledgling hand cranking pride. LOL Went back to using the starter on that truck after that. Still had to turn the flywheel on the old John Deere's, no problem there even when I was much younger then that.

In a past life, I ran a 3T D7 Cat Dozer that had a Pony Motor to start it. The Pony Motor had a starter, but no battery or charging system. After the second time that it kicked back when hand cranking and broke my watch, I refused to run it until there was a battery installed that I could at least charge with jumper cables. I've never hand crank started anything else other than a Model T since then, that was in 1980. Dave

Oww Rob, boy, that got your attention. At our ages everything takes longer to heal compared to when we were younger.

Some cars can be fitted with a self commencer easier than other cars. Some of us like to hand crank and some of us have to hand crank.

Rolling down a hill and popping the clutch often works for most vehicles as they have a large contact area between the face of the flywheel and the clutch disk itself. A friction drive car has only a very small contact area between the driving disk and the friction wheel. "Popping the clutch" on a Metz WILL damage the friction wheel. Don't ask me how I know.

All of you stem winders out there; be cautious, Bill.



Not my car, but you can see the very small contact patch. This shows a different material from the original compressed paper as used by the Metz company.

Sorry, have to do this Rob:
Your K is kicking you for driving a Prius....

To otrcman - That's funny! My bride also had a tired old Studebaker while she was in college, it had the same issue as yours, and her solution was the same as yours as well.

Adding insult to injury......


https://www.dropbox.com/s/bw0qgxw3dprl9 ... M.mov?dl=0

The K was warmed and primed, with everything set right before this. Still, I doubt we'll have Julie start it anymore...

You go girl. And with a big smile.

Sorry to hear you were injured, Rob. I hope you'll be feeling better soon.

I had a job wrangling veteran machinery for a WW1 TV series called "Anzac Girls", a tribute to the role of nurses in that conflict. I was daunted by having to start and drive a 7-8 litre 4 cylinder Albion truck. It was really a piece of cake. Once the oil was pumped to the rods and crankshaft, I'd flick the switch on the magneto and have at it. Piece of cake really. Once she fired, it was just a matter of flicking the decompression valve closed on the upswing! I doubt it could ever be towed to start because the smooth, solid rear tyres gave very poor traction, and would likely have just slid along the ground. It was a marvelous old machine with WW1 service. From there it went back to Scotland for factory rebuilding/refurbishment before being sent to Australia where it was used in the logging industry.

Allan from down under.