MTFCA Forum

Would it be better to start the Model T with the key (or switch if 1916 model year or earlier)? Or would it be better to start the car with the key/switch on magneto?

I have a 6 volt system and hand crank start the 13T on battery.

I’m sure you’ll get a variety of answers since you can start on magneto... but it seems I’ve read most folks saying they start on battery then switch to magneto.

The battery’s voltage is constant so it’s simply a matter of getting the engine in the right position, which doesn’t take much effort. I love videos of folks hand cranking a T to see their approach as it doesn’t take much on battery. Some folks approach hand cranking a T with tenacity where as others have a lackadaisical approach which works just as well.

But the magneto’s voltage varies based off the speed the magnets pass the windings, so it takes more effort if you’re hand cranking on magneto to generate sufficient voltage for a spark.

As for starting with a starter, I don’t have one so someone who does can share what they do.
Darin

Even with the electric starter, the Ford manual suggested starting on magneto. Mine will start fine even without advancing the lever 4 notches on magneto.

If your magneto is in good condition and provides at least 6 volts AC at idle, you can start it on mag. You will need to pull the crank very fast to get up the speed of revolution to produce a peak voltage because the magneto only works when the magnets are moving past the coils. If your magneto is not up to it, you can install a battery and switch to battery to start. You can even run on battery but it will not develop quite as much pulling power on battery as it would on magneto.
So the choice is yours to make. It will start if you pull up slowly on battery if the spark lever is set correctly, in fact it can even give a "free start" on battery if it happened to stop at the right place the last time it was run.
Anyway, with a good mag it will start on either magneto or battery, but easier on battery and that's why we start on battery and switch to magneto to drive. When you make the switch, do it quickly at idle. If you try to make the switch as you are driving along it will backfire out the exhaust and could even blow off the muffler.
Norm

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Lots of T’s in the brass era have been converted to use a starter. It’s done for the same reason Ford started using them in 1919. It makes thing a little easier for the T owner. It’s OK for me if you want to hand crank your car but remember what can happen if you forget to retard the spark lever. My 72 year old shoulder likes a starter pretty well.

There is a little more risk to injury starting on battery where as on magneto it will not kick back. If you leave too much advance it can bite on battery but not on mag. The final procedure of pulling over center is the same for both power sources. Some people chose to "spin" the crank on mag but it should start by just pulling over center if the mag is in good condition and timing is set correctly. There should be minimal to no risk of a kick back. A slight error on battery can break your arm or wrist.

Randy, I see you live next door in Westminster. Feel free to contact me anytime or check out the two local T clubs here.
Orange County and Long Beach each are very active with garage days to work on members cars or telling stories and touring events. my # is 71four-488-60One3.
Hope to meet you and see your car!
Gene

A T with a stock ignition system in good shape should easily on the magneto, but you do have to give the crank a good sharp pull to get it to start on mag. On battery you don't have to crank it over as quickly. I usually crank on battery then switch to mag. No matter how you start the engine always run it on magneto.

Stephen

Because the mag is making current as ac the timer needs to be in the right place to mag start with the crank. I have two model T's i could not crank start on mag until i was tought how. Usually about 4 notches spark advance are needed to crank start on mag. Bud.

The Model T magneto was unregulated and provided AC voltages from 0-30V. The addition of dry cells did make starting easier, particularly if wired in series to provide over 6 volts DC. This was particularly useful in cold weather, but without a battery, a burly man could still crank the engine hard enough to provide sufficient spark.

My T performs great on magneto but I have a very hard time starting it on magneto even if I have the spark lever set right. I thought maybe it was my hand cranking technique but I can’t even start it using the starter to crank the engine with the switch set on mag.

I wish it wasn’t the case but I decided eventually to stop losing sleep over it.

I can’t even start it using the starter to crank the engine with the switch set on mag.

I suspect because the starter isn't turning it fast enough. On BAT it doesn't have to turn fast, but on MAG it does.

Even worse, I will pull the car over slowly, letting each spark plug buzz merrily in it's respective cylinder for a few seconds each, THEN go through the whole starting regimen. Not sure why it helps (burns carbon off the plugs? warms up the cylinder?) but it makes a difference in cold weather.

In the early days in one of the local fire halls they had an engine that had to be cranked and to assist they would park it on a ramp in the fire hall and roll it down for starting and it worked well, it still had a crank if that failed. Some of the engine had pulse mags that gave a large spark even when turned slowly, just over center was all it needed.

I suspect the reason for the battery terminal on the switch of the early cars is for setting the timing and checking that each coil vibrates in proper order, because you can turn on the battery and slowly crank over the engine and tell exactly where the spark is in relation to the piston position. It may or may not have been for running the car on battery.
Norm