RE: Back Acres: How to Pull Start a Small Engine
Nice informative post there @jackdub :)
Also to note, if the pull start is quite hard on 4 stroke engines (high compression and/or large cc engine). Slowly pull the engine over with the starter cord until immediately after compression stroke top dead centre. This point will be the most difficult section to 'pull through'. After this point, you'll have 1 and a half full rotations to build up rpm before you reach the compression stroke again and hopefully created enough inertia to fire it up :)
[I learnt the hard way on a clone gx420 engine on my flying machine running 12:1 compression ratio from a milled head. I pulled hard, hit the compression stroke all wrong and snapped the starter out of my hand. My hand recoiled so hard, that I hit myself in the chest (bruised crest) and badly sprained my wrist].
Careful folks ;)
What you said reminded me of the kick back from the older crank start cars. My great grandma lost a baby when the handle came back and smashed her in the belly. The bigger the engine the more torque/compression. Caution in deed!
Yeah, I've heard stories of old hand-crank cars causing broken bones and other injuries.
My snowblower did pull back on me once, that's a good point. Thanks @eggmeister :)
No worries :)