You certainly can start an Alpine by hand, Have done it many times...
The procedure below is ecentially correct with one very important
style/ safety addition.
When grasping the starting handle be carefull not to cup your thumb
around it: ie your thumb and all your fingers should be on the same
side of the crank end. This is important if the engine backfires instead
of starting. If the engine starts normally the handle is pushed folward
out of the castleatted nut, free of the engine rotation. If it backfires
the handle stays engaged and could break your thumb..
Regardles just incase the fit is a little tight it is a good idea to
plan on pulling your hand out of there quickly anyway.
"At 09:00 AM 2/28/02 -0800, Lloyd Elliott wrote:
>Can you really start an Alpine with a crank? The owners manual refers to
>doing so, but does not give a procedure. Might be nice if the battery is
>discharged. How do you do it?
>
<It will not work with a discharged battery if the car has an alternator, as
<some current is required to "flash the field".
It really will work with a remarkably dead battery... The alternator
field isn't the main issue having enough juice to run the ignition
is.
<To start:
<-- set handbrake (vital!)
<-- put car in neutral (vital!)
<-- pull choke out as needed by ambient temperature and conditions
<-- turn ignition key to "on"
<-- insert crank
<- turn crank (be cautious -- when the engine catches, it will kick the
<crank out of the bolt)
<-- drive off or whatever
<Yes, I have done this on my Series V a number of times, just to prove to
<others that a road car marketed in 1967 still came with a hand crank.
<Marc
One final note.. when I first aquired my Alpine in '68 it didn't have
a crank in the trunk...so off I went to the local Sunbeam dealer...
" Do you have a crank for a 67 Alpine"
He sorts thru his parts book and says " sure"
Two minuites later he is back with a crank shaft over is sholder and say
"145 dollars...."
>From this I learned what I really wanted was a "Starting Handle" and with
tax it would be $10 and a week for it to come in from the wherehouse
in Delaware.
Steve F
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Steve Finberg W1GSL w1gsl@mit.edu
PO Box 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139-7082 617 258 3754
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