Who can hand start their engine?

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smonard

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I finally managed to hand start my Sabb H engine! I've tried many times in the past but last weekend I did it. The missing ingredient before was fear. Reaching the decompressor lever lever was tricky and not smashing my knuckles on the companionway grab handle wasn't easy. Does anyone do this on a regular basis?
 
I managed once to start mt Bukh DV 10 by hand, as a confidence boosting exercise, prior to a relatively significant voyage, with limited recharging opportunities.

It definitely pays to have a third hand to work the decompressor, otherwise both momentum and concentration suffer.
 
Regularly started my Bukh 24 whilst the battery systems were playing up (now replaced/fixed). The more you're forced into doing it, the easier it becomes. The hardest part was flicking off the decompression lever once the hand turning had reached it's max revs.

Cheers, Brian.
 
smonard said:
I finally managed to hand start my Sabb H engine! I've tried many times in the past but last weekend I did it. The missing ingredient before was fear. Reaching the decompressor lever lever was tricky and not smashing my knuckles on the companionway grab handle wasn't easy. Does anyone do this on a regular basis?
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Have started a Yamaha 2 stroke V4 outboard (100hp) with the emergency rope.
 
My recollections of starting the Sabb is that timing is everything.

Its not just a matter of getting it spinning fast enough, the handle should be just before the bottom of the down stroke when the lever is flipped so that maximum pull can be exerted to get it over decompression.

Plank
 
I hand start my Perkins 4236 regularly, even with a beer in one hand. The hardest part is overcoming the ignition key return spring. I think its stiffened up with crud over the years. If I don't do something about I'll probably end up snapping the key off in the barrel and spilling my beer. I'll have a hernia over that! :)
 
Afaik, my boat's engine (Thornycroft 90) doesn't have a starter handle. I've also never seen a reference to hand-starting more modern engines like Yanmars, Betas etc, can anyone tell me whether moder engines have hand-starter cranks available ?

ISTM that modern electrics have taken away some of the safety-critical aspects of an auxiliary diesel, in olden daya all you needed was fuel and muscle to get a diesel to go, now 12V is essential and on a modern car the diesel engine systems seem as complicated as a nuclear power plant !


Boo2
 
Yanmar 1GM is still hand start - although I only managed to start mine once properly and another time it ran in reverse!

Hand starts were posssible when engines had large flywheels and decompressors, and necessary because electrics on yachts were so poor. Neither of these conditions exist now and electric start is easy to arrange, plus glowplugs lead to almost instant starting.
 
My Sabb gg starts on the handle ok in warm weather,in winter it takes a few more turns and a drop of oil into the inlet valve.

but its such a balls ache taking the companion way apart to get a good swing on the handle that i cant be bothered.

it starts on the key 1st time,but its nice to know i can crank it by hand if my battery ever runs flat.
 
On one boat I owned, the Perkins 4108 derivative (a Westerbeke possibly) had a wind up clockwork spring type of starter instead of the normal 12 volt starter.

Cheers, Brian.
 
no hope from me. I can't even start an outboard! I blame in on my short arms. :)

We did try once - having had the power fail while at anchor on a windless day up a creek. Three of us on board - including 2 long-armed men. Utter failure. Ended up rowing the boat out of the creek to where there was a bit more wind.
 
My father last hand started a marine engine when he was in his forties. The smashed wrist gave him pain for a year and never recovered the full strength but then came back with a vengeance for the last 25 years of his life, getting far more painful and less mobile every year.

I have never tried.
 
I had a little boat (22ft) in Sydney Harbour while I lived in Australia. It had a 1 cylinder diesel of italian origin (LombardinI ??).

I regularly started it with a cord on the front pulley - just bend your legs, keep your back straight and then straighten the legs. I didn't even have a de-compressor and it never failed to start first time.
 
Yes - I frequently start my BUKH engine by hand. When I can't I'll begin to worry there's something wrong with me or, worse still, the engine :D
 
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