Does anyone have an original starting crank for a pre-1954 Chevy 6 cylinder? If so, can you tell me what diameter the shaft is supposed to be, and how long the two protrusions on the business end are supposed to be? From the bumper tab and harmonic balancer, it looks like the shaft should be slightly less than 3/4 diameter, and the little nubs should be no more than 1 1/4 inches in length. Please confirm.
Distance from tip to outside of the first bend: 24"
Shaft diameter: .690"
Length of lugs tip to tip: 1.23"
Lug diameter: .30"
Distance from tip of shaft to near edge of lugs: .25"
Length of shaft from first 90 deg bend to second 90 deg bend outside to outside: 7.5"
Length of shaft from second 90 deg bend (outside) to end of shaft: 5"
Last edited by Tiny; 03/14/20153:13 PM.
Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet. The three main causes of blindness: Cataracts, Politics, Religion. Name your dog Naked so you can walk Naked in the park.
Denny, my 52 3100 came with a hand crank under the seat. I do not know if it is original to the truck. The thing which stands out to me is that the end which goes in the end of the crankshaft is not cylindrical like the rest of the shaft, but rather, it is significantly flattened in the same plane as the lug pin. I was guessing that this configuration was to aid in throwing the crank out of the hole upon engine start up before you got wrapped up in your work, if you know what I mean. Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Nope, don't know what you mean. The two ramps on the damper should throw the crank out as soon as it starts to rotate faster than you are cranking. Don't have any idea why they would egg shape the end of it. Got a picture of that???? Or, anyone else that believes they have an original crank.
Thank you much for the information. I think my application will require a crank with a longer distance to the first bend, but at least now I have a better idea for my search quest.
One item I noticed that was different between Tiny's and Denny's measurements was the shaft diameter (0.69 vs .075 respectively). The tab on my bumper measures almost exactly 0.75 diameter. Is the shaft supposed to fit the tab and harmonic balancer snout with that close tolerance fit?
Also, the measurements of the nubs (on the business end) are located differently on the shaft. I suppose that can vary depending on the application.
Carl, I would like to see an image as your description is not totally clear in my mind.
Have any of you all actually used the hand starter crank to start the engine? I have heard folklore of bad things happening like broken arms, wrists, jaws; but it all may be no more than folklore (or real stories about people that shouldn't be near machinery). I am looking more for static display purposes than actual use, but it would be handy to have more options.
I have a lead on a possibly NOS starter crank, now I have some more knowledge to determine if it will work for my application.
The crank I posted a link to is not a factory crank, it is the one I made from a bar of standard 3/4" x 36" round stock from a metal supplier. A bar size of .690" would be a special made size, GM often had material made to their specs rather than use a standard off the shelf materials. Obviously if you have a stock bracket and it is 3/4" it would be way to tight.
The search for an original crank can be frustrating and expensive, the crank I posted the link to is an inexpensive alternative, not an attempt to make a carbon copy of the factory crank. Very few people would notice that it's not the stock crank when they took my seat out of the truck, cleared the dust away to inspect what was in my toolbox. The 3/4" round stock fits the damper just fine and I use it often when setting timing or valves. How it would work to actually had start the engine, I don't know, I don't have the bales to try it.
And speaking of hand cranking, here's a guy that is looking for a broken arm:
On the other hand, here's a guy that came to the Stovebolt back in '08 and showed us a very nice restoration and a very nice video showing a hand start, only to be ostracized by some here as being a fake and using the incorrect method of grasping his crank. I applaud him for building a well tuned engine, he left abruptly in 2010, I wish he'd give us another try. I'd like to see how that '41 turned out.
I wonder how many of those naysayers have ever attempted a hand start of their inline six, or if they even had an inline six to start with.
Paul, Over the years I've hand cranked a lot of engines in all kinds of things. None of them were Chevy 6's, but there were some farm tractors with bigger 6's. Also hand propped a few airplanes. They aren't really trying to kill you. As long as you pay attention to what you are doing, it works out just fine. When I was a kid I couldn't crank over the old Fordson steel wheeled tractor. Think I was 13 before I could turn it over with both hands. Before that I would bring a milk crate, get the crank to the right position, switch on, and jump off the crate onto the handle. Got it started more often than not and never got whacked. Being Young, dumb and lucky helps.
Now for memories from a really "old" source. I can remember how happy my brothers and I were when we GOT a tractor that took a hand crank. Still kept the old Poppin John that you pulled on the flywheel to start. The junk yard had a Panama Canal era crawler tractor they flattened cars with that you put a Ford drive shaft into slanting holes in the flywheel to pull it off. Flywheel stuck up through the foot board for access. I wonder what OSHA would have to say now. Started many cars for years with a crank and as long as you rotated engine to a compression stroke and then pulled UP on the crank the worst that could happen with a kick-back is that it would pull out of your fingers. If you push down it will transfer the force to your wrist/arm/shoulder.
I've used the hand crank to turn the engine over slightly to get the points in the right position to set. Beats grabbing the fan or tapping the starter.
Also, the measurements of the nubs (on the business end) are located differently on the shaft. I suppose that can vary depending on the application.
The crank handle on my '38 also is the jack handle. The nubs (lugs) are designed to fit just so into the jack. There's enough room in the balancer for the longer shaft that Denny made but it wouldn't work right as the jack handle on my car. I've not seen a later model jack so I don't know if the same thing applies to them. It may be the later model crank handle did have a longer 'snout'.
Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet. The three main causes of blindness: Cataracts, Politics, Religion. Name your dog Naked so you can walk Naked in the park.
Thanks for the great information. Now I have to find this darn illusive starting crank.
I followed up on my lead for a starting crank, and it looks like the part is for a winch model truck. It is approximately 33 inches to the first bend. Actual measurements on my truck reveal 22.25 inches from the harmonic balancer "barb" centerline to the outside edge of the front bumper. I feel the longer starting crank would put too much lateral force on the starting crank tab as it will extend over 10 inches past the bumper/tab.
My civilian master parts manual shows a part number 3661378 used on all models 1937-47. It indicates it is 33.125 inches total length plain end. Tiny, does the starting crank you have measure this same total length?
How much distance from the bumper tab to the first bend is desired? I did a little search on youtube following up on Denny's links. From the models represented, all had the crank bend extending past the bumper by approximately 2-4 inches.
All of my MVs have a hand crank and hand starting a little 4 popper is not a big deal. The trick is to turn the motor over by hand till you gind a cylinder on the compression stroke where the handle is down by the 6 oclock-ish position... then open hand palm up from the outside give it a good push up to 11 oclock. Should fire right up.
Started my 38 with the hand crank one time just to see if I could. Made sure not to wrap my thumb around handle. Hopefully that way my fingers would just release grip in event of kick back. Engine started no problem but it was already warm.
My civilian master parts manual shows a part number 3661378 used on all models 1937-47. It indicates it is 33.125 inches total length plain end. Tiny, does the starting crank you have measure this same total length?
My crank measures just over 29" end to end Paul. I've not used it to start the car but I do use it for gapping points & the like. It just clears the front bumper by about an inch. Maybe the longer one you show was a one-size-fits-all replacement?
Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet. The three main causes of blindness: Cataracts, Politics, Religion. Name your dog Naked so you can walk Naked in the park.
The hand crank that was in my 39 has an overall length of 32". To the first bend it is 26", 7" to the next bend, and 5" to the end. The diameter is a tad over 5/8", probably .690. If you want, I'll trace a template of it and mail it to you.
Tiny, Perhaps the master parts manual combined parts in later editions. It seems rather common.
Rick, It sounds as though you may have the 3661378 used on all models 1937-47. The parts interchange manual indicates it is 33.125, is it possible yours is that length also? Can you find a part number?
The 26 inches to the first bend would work well for my application.
I bought a reproduction hand crank from Jim Carter or Chev's of the 40's. The first time I used it I smashed my fingers. Turns out the reproduction is for the smaller trucks, mine is a 4400 Loadmaster. I have started the motor with it, I just pay attention to my 'workable area'.
I bought a reproduction hand crank from Jim Carter or Chev's of the 40's. The first time I used it I smashed my fingers. Turns out the reproduction is for the smaller trucks, mine is a 4400 Loadmaster. I have started the motor with it, I just pay attention to my 'workable area'.
I had reservations on opening the link as I thought it may had been an ER image.
Curt can you get me a measurement from the lug centerline to the first bend? The repro may work on my truck.
Paul what is an ER image? I am assuming the 'lug' are the two small studs that protrude from the hand crank and lock into the harmonic balancer. From the lugs to the center of the first bend I get 24.25in. From the absolute bottom of the hand crank to the center of the first bend I get 24 7/8in. I measure the first bend on centers to be 7.5in, and the handle to be 4.75in. I hope this helps.
