MTFCA Forum

I was under the impression that it was slightly safer to hand start a model T or mag in regards to the less likely they were to kick back. My car is a non-electric car. Well I had something happen to me today that I would’ve never thought would happen. Apparently one of my coils moved in the coil box and shorted in a way that caused it to be permanently grounded but was making proper electrical contact and other regards. I had the spark fully in the retard position and that old car yank that crank right out of my hand and spun backwards about three times. I couldn’t figure out what was going on until I turned it to battery and one coil was buzzing continuously. I am not completely sure where it was grounding but it was somewhere around the coil box lid. You can bet I’ll be figuring that out soon.

I don’t know how many people ever encountered this but I figured it would be a fair warning. I have a hot shot battery on a brass T but I usually start it on mag. Why? Because it will.

Be safe!

By the way… Looking forward to the Ohio model T jamboree this weekend.

Brian

It's a good warning to give

I, too, had the same issue when I bought my '13 and it had other problems which made it very hard to start. An occasional miss-timing of one coil clobbered me several times, each hitting my hand at the base of the thumb (thumb not wrapped around crank, everything copacetic). I now have a heck of an arthritic joint these many years later.

I later learned to use my left hand, and fortunately have yet to run into such an ornery car (mostly because I refuse to hand-crank ANYONE else's car unless I'm the guy who set it up)

As far as firing constantly, I have had timers collect tiny iron fragments and short the terminal to the case under the insulating ring. If there is any void between the terminal and the case it can collect there. Sometimes only a faint buzz can be heard but it is enough to make the coil fire continuously and make the car run rough. Or in your case fire at the wrong time. These were the old Tiger timers. I believe many were thrown away that simply needed to be cleaned at the terminal hole.
Just my two cents worth.
As you were.
Rich

I've had good luck with Regan's plastic back and bottom boards. No more carbon trails!

I would suspect the wire from the top connection of the coil to the timer is grounded somewhere. It could be in the coil box or lid, or the timer, but more likely bad insulation and grounded somewhere.
Norm

It looks like the bridge of #4 coil was hitting the coil box cover. It’s an old aftermarket one. I could move the lid around a little and recreate the short.

Silly little things that drive you nuts. Guess it’s part of the excitement of the hobby.