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Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried to start their M with the hand crank? I've started both my Farmall tractors that way and it was easy.......but they're not straight 6 engines. So how hard is it to crank the Dodge 230?

thanks,
bob

It is not meant for starting. It is to turn the engine for service. Hand starting without the spring disengagement device can be hard on the body.

Hi justme,

Not sure I'm following you........what spring disengagement device are you talking about? There's a nut on the crank snout that accepts the hand-crank that has an engagement ramp to kick out the handle once the engine speed exceeds the hand-crank speed..........just like on my tractors. That mechanism works fine, it's a backfire that will break your thumb if you wrap it around the starter handle. But to your point.....I've never seen a procedure for hand starting in any of the manuals I have for the M37.....so maybe it is just for maintenance.

thanks,
bob

They can be started easily by hand. I have the crank and years ago, when my M37CDN with the 251 was younger and I was more adventurous, I had occasion to need to get it started by hand. The technique required is similar to other old iron and if done properly, you will come out unscathed. If done incorrectly, your results may vary. I have not seen any documented procedure but am sure they exist. Its easy to do serious damage or break a wrist done incorrectly. I would rather slave it from another vehicle but you won't always have another M series vehicle available so that crank can be your friend.

Your tractor has a manual spark advance that (I hope) you fully retard before cranking. No way to do that with our trucks. Any thing I've had with a dedicated hand crank has had the crank captive and a spring and washer arrangement to make sure it retracted from the starting pawl when the engine started. (Except John Deere and any hit and miss that were flywheel started)

Hi justme,

Ok......now I understand what you're saying. Neither of my tractors have manual spark advance, one's a 1939 Farmall A and the other is a 1959 Farmall Cub. Spark advance is typical weights in the distributor. On our M's there's a piece that screws into the front of the crank, I'll see if I can find a pic of one, it has the cutouts to catch the two tits on the cranking handle, but one side of each of those cutouts is ramp shaped instead of at 90 degrees. So when you crank the tits push on the cutouts and rotate the crank, but if you reverse your rotation on the crank the tits hit the ramp and are backed out of the engagement. Think tamper proof screw heads. This is the same arrangement as on my tractors. So once the engine starts it's speed will overcome your cranking speed and the tits hit the ramps and the handle is forced to disengage from the crank. The problem, like I said previously, is if the engine backfires instead of starting it will twist the starting handle rapidly when you don't expect it, and in the opposite direction.....and really mess you up. I'll find that pic and post later. Oooops!.....just found it. Here you go.
Thanks for your reply.




regards,
bob

I watched a guy in my club hand-start his M37. So it is possible. But it seems to be something best left for 19 year old soldiers

Sound advice...........thanks Chris!

bob

Last summer I found an M37 waist deep in weeds and surrounded by junk vehicles. Unbelievably, the guy started the M with one, maybe two crank revolutions. Before the owner volunteered to start the M by hand cranking my only thought was something about a cold day in hell. It was the most amazing old vehicle start I'd ever seen.
I have to guess that even though the M was probably parked decades ago and now extremely inaccessable, the owner must get out there and occassionally start the M just to bring a smile to his face.
Made ME smile.
Jerry
BTW.... the owner is probably in his 50's and barely weighs 130lbs soaking wet.

Just the other day, my truck didn't want to start, but I got it going. If my wife was to run down the batteries, I'd like an option for starting the truck with out a battery jump. This might be an option if one could find the parts.

Can you get a jump from a 12v vehicle to only one battery and get a start? Is their any risk of damaging sensitive electronics on the vehicle giving a tow?

ZGjethro wrote:Just the other day, my truck didn't want to start, but I got it going. If my wife was to run down the batteries, I'd like an option for starting the truck with out a battery jump. This might be an option if one could find the parts.

Can you get a jump from a 12v vehicle to only one battery and get a start? Is their any risk of damaging sensitive electronics on the vehicle giving a tow?

I started my 24V CUCV with a jump from a 12V vehicle. The starter ran slow with only the 12V source but it DID
start the CUCV.

Growing up I started many old tractors, Mostly IH and they had hand crank adapters on the crank shaft that look just the like the ones for the M37. None of them had any kind of manual spark retard. Turn fuel on, turn switch on, choke if needed...Crank !!!! Even had a place by the drivers seat to store it. There was no automatic disengage feature. There is a knack to it. More a feeling. We would leave ignition off, turn over few times until you get a feeling where piston is going to come up on compression stroke. Then turn on ignition/choke and pull up quickly. Actually don't remember one kicking back but do remember big old Wisconsin gas engines with the rope that you wound around it, pulling starter rope back through your fingers....