Help! 1938 AC Starting Issue

B's were the worse, the crank handle is so short, you can't get out of the way. First: You never wrap your thumb around the crank. Grab the crank with thumb tucked in. It also sounds like the engine might have been firing a little soon. I like to follow the number one spark plug hole with a piece of mechanics wire. When you feel the piston hit top dead and stop rising, Go just a little more to allow the rod throw to come around, so that when it fires, the only way to go is straight down. I learned this the hard way when my Dad got sent to the hospital after getting kicked in the chest with a lot bigger tractor.  After you do this , then you can double check timing at the timing hole.  Dave.

I have a crank starter WC (1937) and when I crank it hard to start it I let go and pull my hands away when I here the magneto impulse click. It has the spring on the crank handle that kicks it out of the front of the engine. If you don't watch what your doing the crank could get caught and act like a propeller on an airplane. I've heard of several people breaking wrists, arms, and knees starting these old tractors. Thank God I have not got that lucky yet.

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5 cranks is too many. If you set the timing right using Dave's method, you should be able to pull once to get fuel in the cylinders, and the second pull should start it.

I bought a crank for my WD45.  Just had to try it.  She caught me in the hip.  Only thing that hurts worse is when you do it a second time because you can't believe it happened.  Turns out the Distributor was stuck in the full advanced position. Always started on electric because I was turning it with 12 volts.  (turns faster)  Now that the advance is fixed, it starts even better.  

I haven't tried to crank start my B since it has an electric starter but you haven't lived until you crank started a 1934 Chevy. It was not intended for a regular crank start as it had a starter but mine wouldn't start when it was hot.  1934 was the first year for Chevrolet to put in a vacuum advance and I knew you needed to retard the spark for cranking.  Luckily on the distributor there is what they call an octaine selector.  You could retard the spark temporary without disturbing your distributor timing setting.  My starter would start the car cold but don't stall when she was warmed up.  Many a time my wife would be pushing me to get it started and that didn't go over well.   I went to crank the Chevy one time and forgot to retard the spark and had to straighten out one of the fog lights and repaint it because the crank swung around and hit it.   That 6 cylinder kicks stronger than a team of mules.  I found a NOS armature and that solved that problem.  That Chevy crank fits my B.