Assuming that the best way to hand crank start a Model T is the pull up on the crank handle starting about 7:00 to 8:00 and finishing about noon or 1:00 then a question comes to mind. Why does the crank ratchet have four notches as opposed to just two? If you’re a crank spinner, then this discussion will be of no interest to you. However if you hand start by pulling up on the crank handle, no matter which hand you use, then maybe this would be if interest.
With the standard crank ratchet, top dead center of the engine will be at 11:00 or 5:00 crank handle position when on one set of the ratchet notches or at 2:00 or 8:00 in the other ratchet notches. With the ratchet is engaged in the TDC 2:00 or 8:00 notches, attempting to start is fruitless. You would be starting the pull very near TDC and ending the pull before the next TDC. This is totally counter productive and the pull will kind of go - whoosh.
So, my solution was to eliminate two of the crank ratchet notches. This guarantees that each pull of the crank handle will be past TDC (11:00 crank handle position) and eliminates any wasted effort in cranking in the wrong notches or just wasted time in figuring out what notch the crank handle needs to be engaged in.
I brazed two pieces of metal in the useless ratchet notches and it seems to work well. Hand crank starting is now more straight forward with no wasted effort or time.
