Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 starting a 1932 JAP trike

Hoping someone can help me.
A friend of mine recently passed and I am helping his wife liquidate the rolling stock.

I have sold his 1932 JAP sport, but I need to know the sequence of starting one of these things.
Would a appreciate it if any of you owners of these old three wheelers can give me a lesson. Crank start, no electric starter.

Thanks
Lance

there is lots to think about before starting i counted 8 steps, first is to check oil and dry sump....

Open sump plug and drain excess oil
check oil feed to sump is it turned on?
fuel on
tickle carb to richen for starting (ensure you are not using stale fuel)
fully retard the engine this is the lhs lever
air valve closed this is the rhs lever same side as throttle
throttle on a bit
(if you are not fully retatrded then their will be a kick back on the starting handed and you risk damage to your wrist
ensure your thumb is not in the way
as the engine warms
advance on timing
air valve adjust for improved tick over
check oil return to oil tank remove oil filler cap and you will see oil trickle out of return pipe

after running check colour of plugs are they oiled up? or chestnut colour?

Rob,
Thanks you
When you say air valve, are you referring to the choke?
is there a compression relief on these?

Lance

It is not advisable to use a starting handle on the JAP. If you have to then you may get away with it once or so. Not on a regular basis though, damage will be caused to the gear teeth in the timing chest.If a valve lifter is fitted ( and there should be) and you must try to hand start it make sure it is fully retarded. Be warned this thing could break your wrist or arm easily and if it kicked back strip all the timing gear teeth as well. This is well known by owners like me.The Matchless engine is a completely different beast and will happily start on the handle but even then must be retarded.
Ian Parkinson

Wow Ian that advise could well have saved Lance a major injury and expense, this place is a font of knowledge and experience.

It may not be apparent to those used to starting smaller engines with a handle. that you will only turn the engine over a compression stroke on the UPstroke of the handle.
i.e. turn the handle until compression is felt then adjust the handle if necessary to around the '7 O'clock' position. Be absolutely sure to keep your thumb on the same side of the handle as your fingers, and give it a smart upward pull.
If the Mog has been unused for a while it may save a lot of time, energy and frustration to get someone to give it a bump start by pushing or towing it.
Good luck.

Interesting about cranking engines over, it was a common way of starting cars in my youth, even if it had an electric starter you would turn it over once or twice to help it along in the winter, I still put the Plus 8 in 2nd gear and rock it a bit after a week of non running.

Mind you swinging over and starting a Lister HA6 is a matter of strength and timing to hit the ganged decompression lever at the right time - happy days in RSA.

I don’t imagine the new Plus4/6 owners would recognise one😉 a crank handle that is

So if you can't crank them and they don't have electric start, does this mean you have to bump them to get them going?

I understand people have retro fitted a starter. the fellow at Shenandoah a couple of years ago had a starter added to his JAP. it was the red M3W