1944 Farmall A

We just purchased a 1944 Farmall A as best I can tell (based on engine only serial because the seat serial is missing). I am new to this but have found I really like these old tractors. More to come on the hodge podge we have in future posts like steel rear wheel on one side and heave cast wheel on the other but for today my question is starting. This tractor actually runs like a champ we have had it for a few weeks and my boys take it for a spin every day when they get home but we killed the started the other day and so we tried to hand crank it and no matter what video I watch or method we try it will not turn over. Bought a new started today and started right up with the starter have no issues again. Can someone help with why it will not start with hand cranking.

As for the wheel being one heavy and one light is so that a person can not flip it over real easy since the rear is so narrow.
As for hand starting it well it has to be turned up almost perfect to do that so timing and carb have to be set real good and up to specs.
By the way the term turn over is what happens when you are trying to start not as in it running. I.E. it does turn over by hand just not start by hand

Does it has a magneto r a distributor? If it has a
distributor you will need a battery in it to hand start.

My neighbor bought a super C. He thought he could start it
with a distributor without a battery. He nearly killed
himself cranking!

If your tractor does have a points and coil ignition (Kettering system) it may be a matter of a tune up as the previous posts have said. My Super C was not very easy to hand crank until I put an old hybrid point triggered ignition on it. It practically started itself after the first piston reached top dead center. The hand crank would roll over on its own.

If your Farmall A has a magneto you already have your answer.

The cast wheel on the right side is to counter balance the weight of the motor & trans being offset to the left. It not only helps prevent roll over, but balances out wheel traction.
Willie

Just a warning, and you've probably already picked this up - but be careful with the videos and advice out there. If you see somebody
cranking full circle - stop watching.

When hand starting - start in the 6:00 position (or higher, up clockwise to about 10:00 - wherever it "catches"), pull upwards with a
good sharp yank, but don't go past about 11:00. (and you don't have to yank too hard - it's either going to fire or it's not, pulling it
harder isn't going to convince it.)

If your timing is off and it kick backs - it kicks back HARD.

If that happens, it's fine - as long as it's pulling back downwards out of your hand, instead of towards you cracking your wrist, or coming
up and hitting you. Getting kicked the right way just shocks you more than hurts.

Lot of broken bones before starters got popular.

having said that - I've got a super A with no starter, so I've done this a million times. All safely once I fixed the mag's timing.

The biggest problem I have is with flooding.

Watch your carb. If after cranking a bit it's dripping gas - it's NEVER going to start.

What I do in that case is turn the gas off, let the carb drip out - open the throttle full - close the choke - crank away to suck all the
gas out of the carb (here's where you get your cardio workout). At some point it'll sputter. Open the choke. A few more cranks it'll
usually start - quickly turn the gas back on and it'll stay running.

So to AVOID that flooding - don't use the choke to begin with. I always turn the tractor off by closing the gas off and let it run dry.
When I start, I give it a few cranks to be SURE I'm not in gear. Put the throttle at about 1/3 open, open the gas shutoff, and it'll
usually start by the third or fourth crank.

Every tractor's a little different - keep trying and you'll figure out what it likes.

This is all assuming you have a mag.

Ohhhh... that makes sense thank you for the info! Always learning something

I never need choke to start any of my letter series
tractors. In the winter I have to choke them once to
keep them running, but after they run for 10
seconds they are good to go. Even when hand
cranking my A I don't use the choke.

magneto I think... that was one thing they had said was replaced when I bought it "new alternator, magneto, and battery". I tried it again today going slow and trying to do it the way JRSutton suggested above but still no luck. One time this morning when I was trying I thought I heard a single "put" from it but never could start it with the crank. Glad the new started is working well.

JRSUTTON,

Not just broken Wrists. An interesting piece of information.

Byron Carter of Carter Cars stopped to help hand crank a stranded motorist in 1908. The advance was not retarded and the kickback broke his hand and jaw. The rest is sketchy but he died from either gang green or pneumonia and a lot of articles say that this was the impetus for development of the self starter. Charles Kettering (Kettering ignition) at Delco was one of the main developers.

Can you hear the magneto click when you crank it over by hand?