Handcrank starting a small engine.

[garymalmgren]

Many small sailboat engines are adapted from larger ship lifeboat engines. (Lister, Volvo, Petter, Yanmar)
They were mandated as handcrank start as an emergency feature.

I had an old Yanmar YSE back in the day and the location (deep in the engine bay) meant that is was impossible to handcrank start. I extended the hand crank shaft and made an A frame prop to support it and thereafter could handcrank start it. The secret is to be able to handcrank and release the de-compressor without missing a beat or dropping revs.

My present boat also has this model engine and the front fits under the stairway so the handcrank is easily accessible.

I rigged a lanyard (control line) from the de-compressor lever back to a turning block, ( the lever needs to be pulled astern) then forward to a hand made cleat. This is a very simple setup.

Control line released

Control line tensioned. De-compressor engaged

Control line in cleat. De-compressor engaged

Starting process.
Throttle set to starting position. Engage and cleat off control line.
Handcrank engine to get oil and fuel into the cylinder. Don't skimp on this step.
Put your back into it!

Crank up to speed with right hand and flip control line out of cleat and away we go. Hopefully.


With a 2 or 3 cylinder engine you will need 2 or 3 lines.
The engine should start on one cylinder and then you can engage the other cylinders.
This how a large ship engine is started.

gary

 

[colemj]

While this is creative and fits my ethos, it is anachronistic in today's world. Today, one just carries a small inexpensive lithium jumpstart pack. We have this one that easily starts our 55hp engines, will do so for many starts before needing recharging, and is LFP chemistry so doesn't have the safety risk of LiPo.

So I was going to post a link to the exact one we have, but it seems that model is no longer sold by amazon. Here is just an example: https://www.amazon.com/HOUNY-60000m...+starter+iron+phosphate,automotive,195&sr=1-6

Carry it in the car when not boating, and will charge computers/tablets/phones, and even has a flashlight.

Mark

 

[Jim Legere]

While this is creative and fits my ethos, it is anachronistic in today's world. Today, one just carries a small inexpensive lithium jumpstart pack.
Mark

While I get it, you have a lot more faith in electrons than I do. Have you never had a starter motor quit? Never had corroded wire terminals? A bad starter solenoid? If you have a diesel that can be hand-cranked (I did and unfortunately now I don't) it is a worthwhile exercise to try Gary's approach. The beauty of many older diesel auxiliaries is that they will run completely without electricity.

 

[Terry Cox]

Nice tip, but of no help for our 4J. Several years ago we experienced a dead start battery while out cruising. Our boat has a set of jumper cables, and since we have two house bank batteries a jump got our engine going again.

 

[dlochner]

Hand cranking only works on engines that are entirely mechanical, no electric fuel pump, no glow plugs, etc. For modern common rail diesels, hand cranking is non starter.

 

[garymalmgren]

RE: Hand cranking only works on engines that are entirely mechanical
Yep. Handcranking only works on old small engines.

 

[Davidasailor26]

hand cranking is non starter.

I see what you did there.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Nice! I love your PVC cleat! On one of the big ocean races a boat had a dead starter on their new engine. The team reached out to Yanmar and they came up with a technique that used the halyard and the weight of a sail to start the motor

Are electric fuel pumps necessary once the engine is running? Perhaps a bulb could be used just for priming? I really need to read up on diesels considering I just bought one

 

[dlochner]

Are electric fuel pumps necessary once the engine is running? Perhaps a bulb could be used just for priming? I really need to read up on diesels considering I just bought one

Diesels have 2 fuel pumps, a primary lift pump and a high pressure pump. The lift pump ensures the high pressure pump has a consistent fuel flow. Some people have installed electric lift pumps because bleeding a fuel system by hand with the lift pump is slow and tedious. There may have other reasons to install an electric pump.

 

[PaulK]

After trying hand-cranking several times on the Yanmar 3GM in our J/36 we got a battery jumper pack.

 

[kloudie1]

We cranked an old 2QM20 with a weak battery using the decompression levers.. Battery was too weak to turn the engine over with compression .. we pulled the levers and spun the engine with the starter (kinda slow, but faster than you could turn it by hand )then pushed one lever and the cylinder started.. The vibration shook the other lever enough to engage that cylinder as well.. All good..
The QM had a chain driven hand crank apparatus, but the handle could not be turned because of the engine location.
I now carry on my 34, a small jump starter that will easily start the 3GM Yanmar (I've not had to use it yet, but I tested it)

 

[dLj]

While this is creative and fits my ethos, it is anachronistic in today's world. Today, one just carries a small inexpensive lithium jumpstart pack. We have this one that easily starts our 55hp engines, will do so for many starts before needing recharging, and is LFP chemistry so doesn't have the safety risk of LiPo

[Snipe)

Mark

That's a good term. However I would not say having the ability to hand crank start your engine is without merit.

I would personally still want an engine that can be hand cranked except for the fact I've moved to a boat size where it is not possible, in any era. I now carry a spare starter, spare alternator and a jump pack as you've described. Of course all the electrical connections, but that's not related to hand cranking or not. More spares than I'd take if I had a hand crank engine.

Had I decided to stay with a boat size of under about 36 feet I would have rebuilt it to include an engine that could be hand cranked. I would likely have had to find an old engine and completely rebuild it, but being able to start your engine no matter what state of condition of batteries and starter motor is a major safety belt.

But of course, this only applies for long distance ocean passages. Coastal cruising or less, it's really not needed.

I had a friend sailing to Europe from Miami and a couple days off Bermuda got smacked with a hurricane. He and the guy he was sailing with spent 3 days weathering the storm, the boat was rolled 3 times in that time period taking out all the electronics in the boat. Ocean water and electronics really don't play well together.

Once the storm passed and he assessed all damages, fixing what was essential, he continued on to the Azores. He was within sight of the islands and got hit with the Azores high - completely no wind. After surviving that storm, neither were in the mood to sit for numerous days, or weeks, waiting for wind to sail in. The engine was an old hand crank and they could get it started (long story on that one also) and just motored on in.

We place a huge amount of reliance on our modern electronics. In my opinion, an excessive amount. Being able to get a fundamental system running - your engine - is a pretty nice thing to have....

dj

 

[colemj]

Being able to get a fundamental system running - your engine - is a pretty nice thing to have....

We carry a spare engine.

The point is that one cannot buy a hand-start engine anymore, and they haven't been available for many years, if not decades. Personally, I think buying an extremely old engine for the ability to hand start is more risky than having a new or newer engine without that ability. Even if you rebuild the old engine. If you can even find parts for the rebuild, you will not find parts when out cruising.

The story about the boat in the hurricane must either be very old, or the people very careless, because I don't see how anyone could get caught by surprise by a hurricane 2 days out of Bermuda in the recent past.

Mark

 

[dlochner]

We carry a spare engine.

And a spare hull.

If you have a well designed electrical system where the start and house banks are separated and either bank can start the engine or carry at least basic house loads, you're covered. If you still have the old style 1-2-both battery switches where it is easy to drain both banks, then carrying a jump pack seems unnecessary.

 

[capta]

While I get it, you have a lot more faith in electrons than I do. Have you never had a starter motor quit? Never had corroded wire terminals? A bad starter solenoid? If you have a diesel that can be hand-cranked (I did and unfortunately now I don't) it is a worthwhile exercise to try Gary's approach. The beauty of many older diesel auxiliaries is that they will run completely without electricity.

Most of the reasons for engines not to start that you have given are maintenance issues. Given a good source of power, a starter motor or solenoid should last nearly forever, even if they are on an engine in a sailboat that is sailed often. Most only need a few minutes under engine power from their dock to where they put up sail, and a few minutes back.
Of course, there are always those situations beyond our control, and returning to a dock under sail is necessary. That can be an experience necessitating a few extra Rolaids, but it is an amazingly grand feeling of accomplishment.

 

[dLj]

We carry a spare engine.

The point is that one cannot buy a hand-start engine anymore, and they haven't been available for many years, if not decades. Personally, I think buying an extremely old engine for the ability to hand start is more risky than having a new or newer engine without that ability. Even if you rebuild the old engine. If you can even find parts for the rebuild, you will not find parts when out cruising.

The story about the boat in the hurricane must either be very old, or the people very careless, because I don't see how anyone could get caught by surprise by a hurricane 2 days out of Bermuda in the recent past.

Mark

I was going to say you must be sailing a catamaran to have the space for a spare engine, then I looked at your signature and see that is correct. I certainly don't have space in my monohull to carry a spare engine. Nor would I do it sailing a cat either - but everyone has their own methods.... One nice thing about cats is they typically have two engines....

I guess we will just have to disagree on the reliability of a rebuilt engine. I've rebuilt numerous engines and found them as reliable as new. In fact the older engines being discussed I find notably more reliable than many modern engines. There are some exceptions, in both cases...

Finding parts can be a problem for most engines, depending upon where you are sailing. One of the things one should always look at if changing an engine is the availability of parts for the region you are sailing.

The story of the hurricane is indeed old, 1970's. However, that was not the reason for that specific case but rather the old adage - do not sail to a schedule. My friend had to get back to Europe by a specific date and was running late due to several events. He knew he was taking a risk - he lost the bet so to speak. That is not age dependent.

I just had another friend of mine crew on a catamaran from Guadalupe to the Azores. I had told her the timing was wrong, they needed to wait another couple weeks at a minimum. But the Captain wanted to leave when he wanted to leave. It was a horrible trip. They finally arrived to the Azores and had shredded every sail they had on the boat. They are actually lucky they arrived at all.

However, even being "sensible", if you are crossing oceans where storms of this magnitude can occur - you may not be able to avoid them. But gales are not the only thing that can happen. If you get a lot of water in your boat such that it takes out your electronics - having an engine you can start by hand cranking is a very nice thing to have.

Is it practical in today's world? Maybe not. It really depends on what boat you have. If you have one with one of these older motors - if it's one you can get parts for - I'd keep it. If needed, I'd rebuild it and keep it. Heck, of you have an old Bukh, you can send it to the factory and they will completely rebuild it for you. Sweet!

dj

 

[dLj]

Just for fun, here's a photo my friend sent me of the catamaran she sailed to the Azores on I mentioned above.

This was just this past spring. Not in some distant past....

dj

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Just for fun, here's a photo my friend sent me of the catamaran she sailed to the Azores

Oh dear, it does seem a little shop worn around the edges.

 

[dLj]

Oh dear, it does seem a little shop worn around the edges.

Ya think...

dj

 

[colemj]

I was going to say you must be sailing a catamaran to have the space for a spare engine, then I looked at your signature and see that is correct. I certainly don't have space in my monohull to carry a spare engine. Nor would I do it sailing a cat either - but everyone has their own methods.... One nice thing about cats is they typically have two engines....

...

If you get a lot of water in your boat such that it takes out your electronics - having an engine you can start by hand cranking is a very nice thing to have.

Yes, a catamaran with two engines. The spare engine quip was a joke because we rarely run both engines together.

If water reached our electronics, our engines would be underwater. By 6 feet or so. Even in a smaller monohull, I don't see how water would fill the boat to the level of the electronics and still allow engine operation. But I'm not sure what the electronics have to do with starting the engine? In our case, they do because we have electronic engine controls (to operate the engine - it starts without them), but that is unusual for most boats.

The reality is that no matter how nice it might be to have hand-crank engine capability, the number of boats with it, and the options to acquire it, are few and shrink every year. If one has one by inheritance, then great, but to imply that it is critical for a cruising boat ignores the fact that it is pretty much unobtainable today no matter how much one desires it.

If one puts hand-crank engine on their "must have" list, then it severely limits their options and choices. Much more than carrying a spare starter and redesigning the electrical to have a separate start battery with the ability to parallel the engine to the house battery. Or just carrying a spare $50 battery and keeping it charged.

Or a little jump pack

Mark