Spring loaded lever thing on top of bell housing

[ppauto]

I know I saw something about this topic a while back but I can't find it now. I didn't think anything of it then but I realized today that I have one of those in my pile of parts. What was that for?

[Mr. Recovery]

Hi, it was on the very early Mutts as a starter assist, "if the starter would spin but not engage with the flywheel" you would then pull a cable on the dash to move the drive into the flyweel gear.