Petter A1 Starting Handle

Hi

I have been given (for my birthday) a Petter A1 mk4 (the Petter that is started on the Fly wheel side and the pulleys are on the opposite side of the engine)

I was told that you could start the engine my hand by spinning the Flywheel by hand without a starting handle (which I have been able to do) but what I am after (and to save fingers/back etc is a Starting handle

So apart form the starting handle what else goes on the Flywheel side of the engine
I can see from other Petter A1s with the starting handle on the other side oto the flywheel that thyere is a Spring assembly that the handle locks into, but there is nothing like that on the flywheel on mine

I am a tad reluctant to just chuck a handle on the axle a spin away as I cannot see how to release the handle once the engine is running and if it kicks back,   


any help please guys   

cheers

Barry

[quote="barryskeates"]
I am a tad reluctant to just chuck a handle on the axle a spin away as I cannot see how to release the handle once the engine is running and if it kicks back,   


any help please guys   

cheers

Barry[/quote]

Get used to the idea as that's what you do!

To help with the engine kicking back make sure your thumb is in the right place and the right handle should have a spring loaded pawl to help release the handle when the engine fires, once you have one you will see...

Third one down on the right is a Petter A1 handle that you want.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8x-old-barn-engine-starting-handles-/181463970505?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item2a401872c9

cheers for that

   

Just to confirm that there is no release on most (maybe all), crank handles if the engine kicks back (backfires).  That is one of the dangerous parts about crank handles, another is it not releasing ie jamming on when the engine starts, (much more alarming), usually caused by wear in the shaft or dogs or just too dry, (shaft needs oiling). A third is the handle being thrown at you when the engine fires.  I have one (cast iron handle) that used to go for the jugular or your face.  In the end I jammed the rotating sleeve where your hand goes, to give me a little more control over it, it was enough to make it miss my face and go over my shoulder.    My Grandfather had a Model T drive its handle back between his thumb and the palm of his hand, because he didn't have his thumb on the same side as his fingers, (Probably as the engine that "goes for the jugular" used to be his).  Although it happened when he was young he still had a big lump in his hand when I knew him, maybe 50 years later.  He was very hot on keeping your thumb on the same side and parallel to your fingers.  Same applies when holding a steering wheel and driving over lumpy ground, especially if you have "Armstrong steering", (ie not power steering).
My favorite engine for starting, has a 4ft dia flywheel with max 200 rpm. so you pull on the flywheel when starting it but everything happens so slowly, you get plenty of time.  When it will, I usually backfire it backwards to start it forwards, so much easier.

Best advice is; stay out of the line of fire.    

Cheers
Darryl

Hi Barryskeates
That's how I start my petter A1 on the flywheel side. Once you get a handle remove the spark plug and practice spinning the engine up and taking off the handle while it is still spinning to get some practice. Once you get used to it it's really easy to do.

cheers for that guys

Andrew1971 I'll give that a go once I have a handle on it (so to speak   )

cheers

[quote="Andrew1971"]Hi Barryskeates
That's how I start my petter A1 on the flywheel side. Once you get a handle remove the spark plug and practice spinning the engine up and taking off the handle while it is still spinning to get some practice. Once you get used to it it's really easy to do.[/quote]

Trouble with that is that is how you shouldn't crank an impulse magneto, the idea of the impulse is to pull it smartly over compression, not to crank it over, this can and will lead to damage to the impulse mechanism. Pull it over compression smartly, if it fires and everything is good then the crank will not spin on the shaft but will come off in your hand.

Grab it, hold it, if you show fear you [b][u]will[/u][/b] loose.

Hi All
Does your petter A1 look like this.



That pulley is bolted to the cam shaft so it runs half speed and opposite direction to the fly wheel. So you have to start from fly wheel end.
As the crank shaft is to big a smaller piece of bar is screwed into the shaft with a groove in it to take a starting handle.
I assume this is a factory mod !!
Many Thanks
Andrew

the Petter A1 looks like the below (not my photos but how I received the engine)

the pulley is on the main shaft not the 1/2 speed shaft
believe (from the book) that this is a MKIV A1






cheers

Barry, to get back on topic, measure the shaft diameter (inches and fractions) and I will see if I have a handle in the shed.

HI
thanks for the offer but my father has gone and brought a rust bucket of a A1 for £10 which included a fully working staring handle (so i'll nick his lol)

for info the shaft is 1.19" going upto 1.49" where the flywheel is

cheers

Barry