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Modification to help start hand crank tractor

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a 1938 Case CC hand crank tractor that is in very good condition but it is a beast to crank by hand. A while back when I overhauled the carb and had the air cleaner off if I gave it a small squirt of starter fluid in the carb it would start everytime with just 1 or 2 cranks instead of the usual 5 or 9. So, I was wondering if I drilled a small hole in the intake from the air cleaner to the carb and thread in something the size of a tire valve with a cap then I could just take the cap off, give it a quick shot of starting fluid and then when it starts just put the cap back on. What does anyone think of this idea and has anyone done something similar?
 
Yeah, International Harvester did. My 674 had a valve like the drain valve on your typical radiator, in the intake manifold. Open it up, a little squirt of whatever, close it, and off you go. Now prepare for the onslaught of doomsayers who just know that a puff of ether is going to instantly destroy the delicate powerplant in a 1938 Case.
 
You would be better off to use a primer like whats used on snowblowers and squirt that sprayed gas directly into the intake. I wouldn't keep using any starter fluid. Most gas military vehicles had these primers on them for starting and most didn't have chokes. Hal
 
The only thing that I can see is that if you give it to much it could backfire and cause serious damage to your arm. Other than that a lot of older tractor that don't have preheating plugs use a small 1/8 pipe valve that you open up and give it a squirt.
I have had to older case tractors that I hand crank and when they are set correctly they will start on the 3rd time. You may need to check the timing and the carb adjustment and the choke.
Walt
 
I can see where you're coming from. When I was a kid, a neighbor got a broken leg from a CC kicking back when he was cranking it. He limped for the rest of his life. (Based on his personality, the neighborhood nickname for him was "Spider A$$", but that's a different story.)

However, I don't have any suggestions beyond what's already been said.
 
does it have a belt pulley ? or even a place to put a starter in ? rig something up to start it there ? you wouldn't need all the charging system and wiring if you can put a starter in just hook on some jumper cables.
 
NO NEED to "re-invent the wheel"... just find an antique brass petcock/primer cup like the one shown on the intake manifold in this photo:

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/Primingcup.jpg">
 
Some great ideas. The general consensus seems to be that if I am going to do this I should make it so I can shoot some gas into the intake manifold. I don't want to take the manifold off since that sometimes involves broken studs and bolts so I will have to be very careful when drilling so as not to get metal shavings in intake. I like the old petcock primer cup idea. Thanks for all of the suggestions.
 
Hank, I've hand cranked a lot of tractors on a daily bases, including a over 500 cu in Allis. I don't think I would want to hand crank a engine that had starer fluid. Too much chanch of a back up.
 
I wouldnt be afraid of a little bit of juice if your timing is not advanced at all! like the other guys said , just one kickback and you will not like the resulting pain , be careful with ether, another possibility is a back fire into the air cleaner canister that would certainly ballon it out. and I'm not sure how easy they are to come by. I like the primer cup plan though.
 
A neighbor has an aggravating Gleaner F and the solution for it is to dip a sock in gas and put it over the breather while turning it over. It's electric start, obviously, so you might want to be careful doing that with a hand crank tractor. I've had them kick back on me and it's not fun.
 
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