1gm decompression lever

[frankfurder]

My 1983 1gm has a decompression lever but it won’t stay in the decompression position? I have not tried hand cranking, but if one hand is needed to hold the lever open, only one hand left to crank

Any thoughts on why it doesn’t stay open until manually closed?

[MHBsailor]

The decompression lever on the 1 GM in my CD22D has a spring that returns it to the default position for compression too.

[mgphl52]

I don't have one of those... but I'm guessing that if you open the compression release with one hand, you should be able to start spinning the crankshaft with the other hand, and even get it turning fairly quick. Then just let go of the compression release and she should fire off.
Much easier to do (in concept) than my Volvo MD7 which requires a hand to "close" the release which is hard to reach while spinning the crank.

[Jim Walsh]

I had a Yanmar YSB8 back in the seventies. The decompression lever was opened and held itself till you chose to close it. It took two hands on the crank to get the flywheel spinning fast enough and you needed your third hand to close the decompression lever

[frankfurder]

Thanks for the feedback, I guess my 1gm decompression lever was not designed to stay open while hand cranking. I need to give it a one handed crank and see how it goes, and manage my battery system better!

[wikakaru]

Rig up a string with one end tied to the compression release lever and the other end tied to something within easy reach, tied with a slip knot to keep the compression release lever open. Crank the engine, and when it gets up to speed pull the tail of the slip knot as a quick-release.

Here's a video of a solo female single-hander doing something similar on a Bukh engine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7e5H3eJipk

Smooth sailing,

Jim