My MD11C volvo needs a hand crank for manual starting

[froggman180]

I have a brand new (but now obsolete) good old Volvo MD11C on my simple little Kendall 32'. I want to know where I can go to find a hand starting crank and related assemblies for hand cranking the motor in order to start it. If someone out there has one, I am looking to buy. Any help that will lead me in the direction to find one of these is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Duane.

[Boracay]

If Volvo cannot supply a replacement then it should not be difficult to make your own or to have one made up.
I used to have a hand crank on my old 7hp Yanmar, and it was generally a very satisfying way to start the engine, if a little exciting when the timing was tight.(jump down to the cabin, take off engine cover, insert handle, lift valves, crank, drop valves, jump back up to tiller.)
If the Volvo is anything like the Yanmar then a piece if heavy half inch ID pipe with two ratchet teeth on the end goes onto the engine hand crank shaft, with the crank suitably sized to avoid skinned knuckles and to give enough leverage.
Any half serious welder could make one.

[Boracay]

But be carefull...
20 hp is on the upper end of what can be hand started.
Watch for kick back!!
Interesting post at:-
http://www.bitwrangler.com/wt/lv-ab-hand-start.html

[Alan Wheeler]

Funny story in my younger years. I was working for a company that dealt in secondhand Farm and Contracting machinery. They had this old British Buldog Tractor. Now I ain't that old, it was an antique then. Anyway, these things had one enourmouse cylinder with a huge flywheel. Very little horsepower for the size, but lots of torgue due to the huge and very heavey flywheel. There was always a bit of a joke that htese ole things would run on anything. Even gumboots if you could get them in the cylinder.
The story in this situation however,--- to start the things, you decompressed the engine and started to spin this big flywheel over with the crank till you hope you have it fast enough and engage the compression. If you are lucky, the wheel gets the cylinde over the top and she fires. But occasionaly, it does'nt quite make it to over TDC and it back fires and spins the wheel the other way. If it got enough kick, as in this situation, it will happily run in reverse direction. So here was this big old single banger, running at full throttle in reverse. And they are scary big and heavey and yet, will bounce on the ground from the single cycle. The problem in this situation was, it still had the crank handle in the flywheel and was spinning at full throttle in reverse. No one would go near it to turn the fuel off, as everyone was scared stiff it would throw the crank handle out, so just left it running for hrs, bouncing away on the ground, till it ran out of fuel.

[Jentine]

The main reason for electric starters was due to the shortage of qualified orthopedic surgeons in remote areas where hand cranks were common. Broken arms were quite common in the old days.
Good luck!
Jim

[boredinthecity]

From left field

This is not a recommendation or any thing like that but I would be interested to hear what other think.

As an alternative to hand cranking in emergencies/ equipments failures an acquaintance has: attached a pulley in front of the fanbelt pulley and has a knotted rope that can be wound around and attached to the boom. His theory been that he can use the leverage proved by the boom to pull the rope and start the motor.

What do you think of the idea?

Comments please

Paul

[Talbot]

As has already been said, succesful handcranking is really a question of engine size and strength. I have a 27hp engine that is supposed to be capable of manual start. I am not exactly light and have good access to the start, but have never had any success at hand starting, the compression is just too powerful.

[Alan Wheeler]

If your deisel engine require pre-heat before starting, forget it. There is no way on earth you could turn it over fast enough or long enough to start it. Even without pre-heat, MOST diesels over about 8HP is going to require decompression to allow you to turn over fast enough to build momentum and overcome it's want to kickback. Once hot a diesel in good condition requires little to start it. Often just a kick over and it will fire.
The best partice in larger boats, is to have a spare battery bank. This is where the ability to add in the house bank has benifits.

[BC Mike]

The engines should have a kick starter like the motorcycles. My 2QM15 Yanmar can not be started by cranking. A Frenchman in the round the world race started his diesel by a rope around the crank attached to the boom of the sheeted in main. He then released the main sheet. Some diesels may be crank started. I like the idea of starting on one cylinder.
Michael

[froggman180]

Thanks for your replies.
My volvo md11c has decompession levers on the valve covers to make starting it easier with a hand crank. However I dont have the crank assembly and I want to have the ability to manualy start my boat. I have several reasons for this
1. I dont want a dedicated engine bank of bateries.
2. I want to keep the electrical system as simple as possible
3. If it can go dead on me,it will, no matter how many back ups I have, murphy and I are close personal friends
4. The engine was desinged to be able to be hand cranked, and I want it be able to do this, otherwise I'd go out and buy a bigger perkins 50 HP 4108.
So if anyone out there knows some ole swede that can hook me up with an out of production MD11c hand crank assembly that will bolt to my engine, I would be most greatful. I have tried volvo and they dont carry that part as far as I have been told.
Thanks Duane.

[Boracay]

Hev you tried
http://www.volvo.com/volvopenta/na/e...rts/old_parts/

[froggman180]

Hey thanks! I missed that when I was searching. I am going to give them a call as soon as I can. Thanks for the help.

[ailau]

hi, sorry to bother so much time after. Could you please let me know if U found the hand starter for volvo engines, I have penta MD2B but don't have handle for hand starting and would love to have one and the link posted is not up any more, tnx

[NCboatrx]

Contact Dick Vosbury at Vosbury Marine
Greenlee Rd.,Annapolis,
Maryland, 21402,
United States

Regards, Stanley - Beta Marine

[roverhi]

I've got a crank for an MD2, The boat is long gone so I have no need for it. If it is the same crank as used on the MD, you can have it for $15 and shipping. PM me with the relevant information and I'll get it in the mail to yo

Starting the MD2 and even the MD3 was not that big a deal. Cranked our 2 for more than 6 years, almost always started first try and never more than two to get it thumping. Just lift the compression releases and crank the engine to as high an rpm as you are capable. Then drop one compression lever and it will usually fire on one. As soon as it's thumping on one, drop the 2nd and you are done. Easier to crank with the engine in forward while sailing. The passing water supplying torque to the prop makes it real easy to crank.

Kick back is a problem with ignition engines, not diesels.

If you don't know how to PM, click on my name on the upper left of the message and select 'Send a Private Message'.

Aloha
Peter O.