Cranking The Engine On A Ford Model T
| Field | Transportation |
| Went Obsolete|Once Model T's and Model A's were stuffed in barns | |
| Made Obsolete By | Electric starter motor |
| Knowledge Assumed | Some mechanical awareness is helpful |
| When useful | At an antique car show |
If you can, it is easier to park on a hill and roll-start. It doesn't take much of a hill either, because the Model T engine is so low compression.
CAUTION: You MUST retard the spark before cranking. If you forget to do this the engine can preignite and can kick the crank backwards into your arms, causing pain and/or injury.
Insert the crank into the dog. A dog is like a spline, but it is helical and can be easily removed when the engine spins faster than the crank. A little grease on the crank makes it easier and safer. Forcibly rotate the crank. When the engine starts, pull the crank straight out of the shaft. This is all pretty easy and works well, unless your engine is problematic.
A good trick is to position your engine with the ignition off. Rotate the crank until the piston is just past TDC (that's Top Dead Center). A mechanic will have an idea how to feel this position out. Leaving the piston there, turn the ignition on. If you are skillful and lucky, the engine will magically start up. the reason is that the Model T had a trembler ignition system. When you switch on, a continuous spark is generated. If the combustion chamber is in firing position and has fuel in it, that spark will ignite the fuel and your engine can start running. Occasionally with the Model T, the engine would shut off in that position and magically start up when you turn on the ignition.