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so what you could do is MAKE SURE THE MAGS ARE OFF and the master is off and keys are out of the ignition, and pull the prop through several times by hand to free it.
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Make sure the Mixture is at Idle/Cuttoff as well!
The magnetos are naturally live unless they are grounded!
When the ignition switch is in the off position, it grounds the mag through two small wires. If either of these wires are broken the mag
will spark. This
may cause the engine to start if the mixture is rich. Even if it is at cutoff, it may cause the prop to kick over once (but not continue) with enough force to crak a skull.
DO NOT EVER hand prop an airplane unless you know what you are doing and completly trust the pilot in the cockpit.
Back on the origional topic durring cold weather the oil really gets stiff, and pulling the prop around by hand may get things flowing. I don't recomend this alone because untill the oil warms up and starts flowing, metal is grinding on metal.
Preheat the oil AT LEAST whenever you are in cold enviroments. I recomed the whole plane in a heated hanger if available.
If you are going to be in the frozen north for any lenght of time change your oil to a lower viscosity grade.
In a real pinch, you can pull a trick used by pilots in Alaska.
Don't try this at home kids.
Drain about 1/4 cup of AVGas and pour it into your engine oil after flying when you think that you will be starting your engine cold the next day.. This will thin out the oil. As the oil heats up and begins to flow, the gas evaporates and exits the crankcase breather.
Some older radials have "oil dilution" systems that do this after the last flight of the day. Most have been removed to save on weight and maintence.