[SEL] Safety First/ tractor starting

Ray Freeman Portable Line Boring plb at iinet.net.au
Mon Apr 11 17:08:53 PDT 2005


They also have a tube that screws into the head that takes a piece of 
smouldering paper.That helps fire it on the first compression. First up in 
the morning when the oil was a bit thick me and my brother would get on each 
side of the handle and with enough effort she would be away. On a frosty 
morning you had no hope and a cartridge was used. I still have a couple of 
new cartridges with the Field Marshall emblem on them.
With the Bulldogs I don't remember using the steering wheel to start. I 
think the ones I used all had the flywheel covers removed.We just grabbed 
hold of the flywheel and rocked it between compressions. You had to do it 
right as they would sometimes fire on the wrong compression and run 
backwards. It was always amusing to ask someone to climb up and move the 
tractor. The forward gears became reverse gears and there was always a look 
of surprise as the tractor shot of backwards. For the more experianced if 
the air from the radiater fan was blowing in your face you knew it was going 
the wrong way. It was easy to hold the fuel lever shut until the engine 
slowed enough to bounce off the last compression and then give it fuel and 
away it would go in the right direction.


Ray Freeman
Portable Line Boring
http://www.plb.iinet.net.au
plb at plb.iinet.net.au
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Best, George" <George_Best at adp.com>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 5:39 AM
Subject: RE: [SEL] Safety First/ tractor starting


>
>> Hi Curt, The Field Marshall tractor is about our most
>> interesting starter.
>> It has a spiral groove for several turns round the flywheel.
>> You place a small wheel which is on the de-compresser lever
>> at the end of the groove.
>> You then wind like hell for several turns until the wheel
>> drops out of the groove
>> letting the de-compressor release.
>> Providing you are turning fast enough you take the engine
>> over compression.
>> Prayers are usually said just before the lever falls!
>> Dave Croft
>
> Dave,
>
> That's why I use the starting shells!
>
> I've only tried to hand crank mine a few times and don't feel
> comfortable with that big two handed crank.  Manual says to "crank it
> smartly".
>
> Using the shell is smarter if you ask me ;-)
>
> George
>
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