Never cranked a Chevy; but in a different lifetime before I was bitten by the "buy American" bug, I hand-cranked a number of British sports cars, and before that lots of tractors.
The British cars all had electric starters, so it wasn't necessary, but the looks from bystanders were fabulous!
To add to Jerry's comment about cranking only 1/2 turn (or less) and cranking up (ALWAYS), not down; do not wrap your thumb around the crank handle. Hold the crank in your palm, with four fingers, and your thumb should be under the crank, never wrapped around it. I was taught this on cranking tractors 65 years ago. I do not remember anyone that had a bad experience if the engine were cranked correctly.
Jerry - it wasn't Lucas cranks that didn't work in the rain; it was older Plymouths. It was common knowledge in north central Missouri 65 years ago that an older Plymouth wouldn't start if a dog lifted his leg against a tire! Maybe 30 years ago, a Plymouth enthusiast found the mounting of the coil was in a spot where condensation from the hood would drip on the coil terminals, shorting it out. Moving the coil fixed the problem.
Jon
Did you grow up in north central Missouri, carbking? My hometown is Trenton.
