Bristols in Los Angeles

[dave dale]

Originally Posted by UK6

The start of it all......
In addition to setting the points, I find that the crank handle is useful to
set the valve clearance. My 3.5L SS can be hand cranked - the 7:1
compression helps! Interestingly my dizzy is set to fire at 10 deg bef top
and I don't need to retard to start.
Has anyone started their car by flicking a suspended rear wheel?
- the old bikes could be started this way!

Brett

Yes Brett - I have done this in my younger days, when desperate. I once heard of someone ( maybe apocryphal ) who started his E-type Jag thus, with devastating consequences. The lesson here is don't try this trick if the axle has a limited - slip diff.

BTW, another reason that modern cars preclude the use of a starting handle is because the lower profile bonnet necessitates that the radiator is kept low and thus it covers the crankshaft. Some older cars got around this problem by having a custom made hole in the radiator.

Dave Dale.