Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

[Beefer]

I was working on my '59 10hp Johnson earlier, and when I was trying to get it to start, there was one time where it felt like it pushed into me. It was halfway through the pull, and it felt like the rope actually pushed into me really hard. Now my wrist is killing me. Anyone ever experience this? What the heck happened to cause this?

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Sounds like you pulled a muscle. Any swelling or redness? Either way, Wrap a towel around an ice-bag and use that for twenty minutes at a time. If it's swollen, that'll help bring the swelling down. If it's not swollen, that could keep it from swelling. Either way, it'll make it feel better.

You say it feels like you broke your hand. If you've ever broken a bone before, and it actually feels that bad, you may have pulled or torn a tendon or ligiment. Regardless... Ice, ASAP. If it gets worse(hopefully it won't)... But if it does, you'll want to see an Ortho Doc.

I hope it turns out to be nothing, Beefer.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Thanks, weird thing is, it du=idn't hurt until a few hours later. So I don't think I broke or tore anything. Tying to figure out if it was just me, or something to do with the motor?

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

You said,

"It was halfway through the pull, and it felt like the rope actually pushed into me really hard."

It's not outside the realm of possibility or physics; but it's every bit as much unlikely. This is why my initial thought was a pulled muscle. A muscle "popping", or a tendon or ligiment for that matter, can feel like something suddenly pushing against it. It can, of course, also feel like a white hot razor and or ice-pick going to town in there!!!... But that would be indicative of just a little more trauma.

A muscle spasm can feel like something suddenly pushing against it.

How does it feel now?

 

[Beefer]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Hurts like hell. Can barely use my hand. It's not swollen, not red, looks fine. You know that feeling when you hit something with a bat or the like, and it hurts? That's what it felt like when it happened, but only for a second to so. Everything was fine, then about 3 hours later it started killing me.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Hurts like hell. Can barely use my hand. It's not swollen, not red, looks fine. You know that feeling when you hit something with a bat or the like, and it hurts? That's what it felt like when it happened, but only for a second to so. Everything was fine, then about 3 hours later it started killing me.

Have you been putting ice on it for 20 minutes at a time? That's really all you can do for now, and it will really help a lot.

It could also be a nerve; but not as likely.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Hey Beefer,

My wife said I don't know what I'm talking about!!!

She said, "That's a 1959 motor! He woke up a gremlin and it's PISSED!!! That guy better watch out around that motor!"

 

[etracer68]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Maybe a motor, like the swap guy has in his jet boat, on AX-Men.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

The engine fired too soon and kicked back, pulling the rope sharply. You were not ready for the extra force and yes, did pull either a muscle or tendon. These tears can manifest themselves with various immediate symptoms from almost nothing to a fiery burning: I tore a calf muscle while pushing a boat off the trailer. The first impression I had was that a rope looped across the back of my leg, just a little thrip, not any real pain..

The real pain happens later when inflammation sets in. Damaged tissues release histamine which causes swelling. The swelling squeezes and stretches nerves, and that causes the exqisite pain. That's why it is so important to, as stated above, immediately ice the area to reduce histamine production and reduce ultimate inflammation. It also helps to elevate the affected part to reduce blood flow. I had no ice, so I stood in the cool water.

Consider yourself lucky! My friend had a kick-back and the rope wound around his pinky. The engine pulled sharply and the finger came off. Freak accident, but it happened.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

I've had that happen with racing motors that have the timing set high - think Merc 44 cube powerhead with pipes and an itty-bitty flywheel. On those you gotta COMMIT to it, otherwise it'll rip the handle right out of your hand, leaving your fingers curled over into the palm for the rest of the day!

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

I agree with Frank and Chinewalker. I used to have a motor on my frankenstien lawn mower/top speed quest that'd rip the rope outta your hand. The timing was off and the cylinder would fire before TDC and backfire causing a counter rotation. The worst part about that motor is that when it'd rip the rope out of your hand it would wrap around a bolt and whip you in the leg leaving a black and purple raised welt about the size of a softball. Eventually the timing problem lead to a catastrophic failure of the fuel system shaking the carb completely to pieces but the top speed mower quest is for another thread...

 

[robert graham]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Folks used to do something like that while crank starting a Model T Ford....it would fire too soon and kick back on the crank handle and could easily break a hand or wrist!...folks would come back in the house angry after trying to crank that@#$% car!....and that's where the term, "cranky" came from!...and that's the rest of the story! Hope your hand is O.K.....

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

As a farmer will tell you -- "you cannot back up a rope or chain" so nothing pushed into you. I agree that the engine kicked back and gave a sharp tug that you felt as a push. My 10 HP snowblower will do that periodically but it actually pulls the handle out of my hand.

 

[nwcove]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

i had a 1972 ski doo, 340 cc, with a knob to let compression off, the thing was a beast! had so many sore fingers from it ripping the cord from my hand (s) ! you need to do what chinewalker said.....commit to the pull and pull like it owes you money!

 

[Beefer]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Thanks for all the insight. My wrist never did swell, and now (2 days later) it's at about 90%. I just knew the motor did something, just wasn't sure. All's well that ends well I guess.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

Glad to hear you're feeling better beefer, surgery is for the birds...

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Why does it feel like I busted my hand?

I believe in them gremlins in the motor.

I read this thread and it brought back a old physical and psychological trauma I once had from a engine pushing back, but like many things in my life it has been locked away in my deepest darkest memory's for 40yrs or so.

You see I was just a kid about 15 and had saved a bunch of $$ working on the farm and I was really into motorcycles, I had the super rat and the combat wombat but I was looking for a real thrill ride so I went to look at a yamaha 360 that I had heard was for sale locally, the guy said "its a little tricky to start kid" so he give it a crank and I jumped on and took it for a spin about three miles down the gravel road, boy would she fly....well needless to say I killed it turning it around, when I tryed to start it she kicked back and gouged the insde of my leg really good, being the brave lad I was and three mile out and bleeding and scourged by unbearable pain I gave it another try, this time she tossed me completely over her and I landed on my face in the gravel busting both lips and my nose and loosened a tooth...luckely the seller came driving down the road in his truck and picked me up and tried to stop all the bleeding he could with his tee shirt, he pushed the bike in the weeds and took me to the hospital 40 miles away to patch up my wounds...he even payed the doctor bill in cash and gave me a twenty not to tell my Mom and Pop.

Gosh I feel much better now having shared this horrible repressed memory of mine with you all and just maybe this why I got into girls, boats and outboards after that mind bending experiance...Well anyway now I hope the real healing can begin and I can get my life back together ...


Thanks a bunch,
mrcrabs

 

[Pussiwillow]

That story is insane! I could only imagine your view on dirtbikes from then on, hell I went over the bars head first at about 40 mph landing on my head, tumbled and slammed my knee into rock and couldn't walk on it for 2 weeks, had a helmet luckily, haven't rode a bike since, have no health insurance haha outboards and fishing is my safety zone