My 46 had a crank when I bought it 46 years ago and I have used it occasionally over the years. Using it to overcome a dead battery, not too effective as it delivers only about a half spin and spark is weak. On a drained battery with some life left, it will work as long as the engine is well tuned. These days I use mine only to show off. If the engine is warm, it fires with little effort, the "neat" factor cannot be overstated. As for safety, leave the key off and rotate till you feel your're at the top of a compressed stroke with the handle at the 1 o'clock position, turn the key on, then one push downward and it should fire. I always tuck my thumb in and grip only with the 4 other fingers or just the palm of my hand. The engagement cog on the crank is unidirectional so once it fires, or even kicks back, the crank is released and no energy should be transferred to the crank. Having said that, I have felt a few kicks so I never feel totally at ease.
Trying to start a 6 volt stovebolt after driving at 45 mph for an hour often results in little more than a drained battery. I used to be on top of that situation and I would quit before the battery was over drained, go have a few beers so both I and the truck cooled off, then try again and use the crank if necessary. I later learned it was just easier to park on a downslope, but still went for beers anyway.
