Spyro
Well-Known Member
Spare battery is not much use if it's your starter motor that's gone.
Hand cranking a Yanmar 3Gm30
- Thread starter Jabamusic
- Start date
Spare battery is not much use if it's your starter motor that's gone.
jimi
Well-Known Member
I heard of a single hander doing similar but with a bucket attached to a spinnaker sheet
Salty John
Well-Known Member
Yes, I did this a few times when I'd let our batteries go flat overnight. Never failed to start on the tiny residue of juice remaining in the batteries with the Yanmar 3GM30F engine decompressed. Crank for a few seconds and then drop the decompression lever.
I was set up to hand crank the engine but never tried it in anger - I think it might have been harder than I imagined.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
He's quite right John - and I have fitted several engines including starting with a bare (ie never had an inboard before) hull. But in a small space where the designer is trying to fit in all the mod cons, its inevtiable that you dont usually have room to swing a cat. Nothing much to do with the boatbuilder who these days is doing what the designer tells him to do anyway
jwilson
Well-Known Member
Spyro correct, but if you have any battery power left - though not enough to actually start it, giving a go on the starter as well midway through the spinning it up phase greatly eases the backache. This may mean that you need three hands at least.
I have hand-started a Volvo 36 hp (old 3-cylinder heavy flywheel type) from a totally dead battery but it nearly killed me. A heavy flywheel helps enormously, unfortunately the Yanmars don't have that heavy a fly wheel.
With a battery that was flattish and wouldn't start an old 100 hp plus (think it was 105 or 135) outboard on a borrowed ski-boat I managed to start it with battery plus a rope round the flywheel - interesting that such a big engine still had a notched pulley for this even though it had no pull-starter.
andygc
Well-Known Member
? It's a diesel.
prv
Well-Known Member
Indeed. All you'll achieve by turning on the electrics is annoying yourself with the buzzer (unless like me you have fitted a silencing switch).
A handful of diesels have solenoids on stop controls etc that need to be on to run (rather more have solenoids that need power to stop) but as far as I know that's not the case with any GM series engine.
Pete
jimi
Well-Known Member
I bump started a boat with a flattish battery, put it in gear, got a big surf going and then pressed the starter, extra help was just enough to get it going
maby
Well-Known Member
Running many diesels with the "ignition" turned off puts the charging circuit under stress and can blow components.
tom_sail
Well-Known Member
I always start my 1gm10 by the handle if it hasn't been used for a few weeks, I feel it's better for the engine.
Almost took my thumb off first time, I thought the handles were ment to disengage? Mine doesn't :S
I got the knack of pulling the handle out before my hand gets taken off.
Almost took my thumb off first time, I thought the handles were ment to disengage? Mine doesn't :S
I got the knack of pulling the handle out before my hand gets taken off.
affinite
Well-Known Member
Forget it +1
Agree with CTVA - Forget it. I have a 3GM30 and (out of interest) I have tried hand cranking with decompressors lifted.
Access IS not ideal in my boat but can get a reasonable cranking position. - Not a hope.
BTW I am not 6'10 or built like Arnie but I am 6'4"
Agree with CTVA - Forget it. I have a 3GM30 and (out of interest) I have tried hand cranking with decompressors lifted.
Access IS not ideal in my boat but can get a reasonable cranking position. - Not a hope.
BTW I am not 6'10 or built like Arnie but I am 6'4"
prv
Well-Known Member
I'm not an expert, but I can't see why that would be. If you know why, in all seriousness please do educate me. Otherwise, are you sure you're not confusing it with disconnecting the batteries with (eg) a 1-2-both switch?
Mine has ratchet-like notches so that the handle can turn the shaft but the shaft cannot turn the handle. Perhaps yours has been replaced at some point with one that has straight notches?
Pete
onesea
Well-Known Member
Thumbs in right place vital also..
Be-careful did this with an old Lister 3 Cylinder (old motor sailor), it fired a couple of times the wrong way before deciding to go correct way. the handle was on ratchet mechanism and turning
.Which remind me of point 2, make sure you have adequate space to back away particularly when handle turns at crutch hight redefined near miss
Third warning MAKE SURE HANDLE WILL COME OFF...
Its not just your thumbs, have some one standing by stop cable and throttle.
Have been on boat when hand starting, we where all below hand start handle stuck on engine carried on turning. While boat shaking like crazy handle stopped access to engine controls.
Escaped through forward hatch and stopped, 3 of us left shaking more than the boat was. Think if that handle had come off
up not good, down bad, forward 
Simondjuk
Well-Known Member
If anyone has a cranking handle for a 1GM10 which is surplus to requirements and will exchange for a few beer tokens, please let me know. I want to see if I can hand start mine.
tom_sail
Well-Known Member
I'll get a picture tomorrow of my handle I'm intrigued to see if it's the right one it has angled notches. I did put a little grease on it to help it slip which helped. Think my thumb was gripping it like a base ball bat.
ctva
Well-Known Member
I once managed, with the help of a decompression lever person, to start a 2GM20 and did try the 3GM30 which is why I carry a spare starter motor (from a previous boat) and also carry sails!
maby
Well-Known Member
I did say some engines - our new Jeanneau (with Yanmar 3gm20) has dire warnings in the user manual to stop the engine with the "stop" button before turning off the electrical system with the "off" button - the "ignition" key - in reality the "on"/"off" button seems to control relays that isolate the charging circuit from the battery in much the same way as the older "1-2-both" switch - which we do not have...
prv
Well-Known Member
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Why bother? Do you use a starting handle on your car? No - it wont even take one because the starter motor is so reliable.
Just equip the boat with a decent engine only battery and throw the handle in the bin.
Staring handles! Pah! next thing you'll be using sextants, galvanised rigging, gaff rig, wooden hulls and baggy wrinckle. And walking down the pontoon wearing sea boots and with a nicely judged roll. Ahoy there me hearties.
Just equip the boat with a decent engine only battery and throw the handle in the bin.
Staring handles! Pah! next thing you'll be using sextants, galvanised rigging, gaff rig, wooden hulls and baggy wrinckle. And walking down the pontoon wearing sea boots and with a nicely judged roll. Ahoy there me hearties.
Jabamusic
Well-Known Member
Why bother? Do you use a starting handle on your car? No - it wont even take one because the starter motor is so reliable.
Just equip the boat with a decent engine only battery and throw the handle in the bin.
Staring handles! Pah! next thing you'll be using sextants, galvanised rigging, gaff rig, wooden hulls and baggy wrinckle. And walking down the pontoon wearing sea boots and with a nicely judged roll. Ahoy there me hearties.
Well, I suppose its a bit like mountains - because they're there !