The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Anybody use engine crank handle?

Anyone use the crank handle on their old Chevy? I was thinking about getting one for my 1946 as it seems it would be helpful if the battery was too low to start the engine.

Anyone using one with success?

Alan

Learn the right way to use it- - - - -lots of broken arms, wrists, and jaws have been caused by a kickback from incorrect ignition timing.
Jerry

Jerry,

Definitely want to learn to use it right, I was wondering the same thing as I wasn't sure if there was any type of kickback that could happen, but have heard of it happening so I know it's a danger.

I don't have the crank handle, and it looks like they go for $40-$50...maybe I could make one myself. There must be dimensions floating around the web somewhere, probably here on Stovebolt.

I was thinking it could be handy if I couldn't get my truck started where the starter wouldn't turn the engine over...can't do that on a newer truck, and most likely because people were hurt starting cars of yesteryear...

I was trying to figure out if it was worth having?

Alan

I thought that would be a pretty cool feature to have. Was '46 the last year for it?

My 39 Chevy stake truck has one, as well as my 29 Ford Tudor. I use them to set the points. With properly maintained vehicles, I have had no need to use the hand crank otherwise. They make great conversation pieces tho. I had 2 crank hole covers for the 39, but I lost one while driving it. The one on it now is wired securely from behind to prevent any further lose.

Rick

Just to say you could would be too cool. Should you, probably not.🛠

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.

Info and drawings from an earlier thread about hand cranks
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=760998

I've started a lot of old engines with hand cranks. One of the most important things with a long crank like these is having an outboard support bracket, see Denny's pictures linked in thread link above.

Also expect that the crank will be kicked backwards out of your hand, so keep thumb outside of the grip, let the handle be kicked easily out of your grip, and no locked elbows, keep it bent to reduce likelihood of breaking yourself.
With proper adjustments it'll never kick back, but always expect it.

Grigg

I *thought* '46 was the last year, as I didn't think AD trucks had them in '47, but in that thread linked to by Grigg, it seems there's a '48 that was trying to either add one or modify one to make it work.

I think the coolness factor would be off the charts, but it doesn't sound very practical, albeit doable.

Alan

Stan,

This is not as stellar as I would have hoped for, but I guess it makes sense. You've obviously had your '46 for some time...it looks pretty cool with that wood on the side, I like it...I grew up in Southern California and Woodies were the 'thang for surfers...your truck looks way cool...


"neat" factor is off the charts.

I wasn't expecting anyone to say it was so safe Chevy recommended it to everyone, young and old alike!

I need to get the engine numbers to determine what I have in my truck, but think it could be the newer '54-'63, I'm not sure yet. Those have higher compression. So much is new to me, so much to learn...

Alan

I've never cranked a truck, but several of my old tractors are crank start.
As mentioned, Do NOT wrap your thumb around the crank!.
Also, do not try and "spin" the engine. Only go half to 3/4 a turn at a time, pulling up on the crank. I usually engage the crank at about the 3 or 4 o'clock position and spin it around to 12. Then repeat as necessary.

On the hand cranked construction equipment I've used, welders, pumps, air compressors, etc., I've always eased the crankshaft around with the ignition off until the crank handle is about the 6:00 position or a little past, switch on, put my thumb and all four fingers under the handle, and give it a quick pull up to about 12:00. On a 6 cylinder, that should give three cylinders a chance to fire. That's not half as scary as hand-starting an airplane engine like the Aeronca Champ my friend used to fly, with that huge prop spinning a few inches away from my nose when it fired up!
Jerry

I have a stand by compressor for our sand/media blasting that has the Wisconsin V4 air cooled engine that was used on all sorts of equipment for years. It has a magneto so no battery needed. I roll the engine over till I feel it coming up on compression on a cylinder and then give it a quick pull; usually 4 or 5 pulls fires it off. If you really want a cranking experience go to a tractor show and have someone let you crank an old Poppin John. You open the petcock on each cylinder to bleed off compression, turn the fuel valve on ti gas starts to run out and then with both hands pull on the FLYWHEEL to start. A junkyard near where I grew up had a crawler tractor that they dug a pit, pushed a car into it, and then run across the car to crush it. I think it was from the Panama Canal building era and had a flywheel that the top half was fully exposed. The flywheel had angled holes in it to insert an old Ford driveshaft and pull on to start. There was always several pretzeled up driveshafts laying around from the engine kicking back. I wonder how OSHA would view this.

You guys are making me want one, but for $50 I think I might be better investing that in good battery cables.

Maybe if I wait one will fall off a turnip truck...I bet you could haul turnips in a Chevy!

Alan

Pretty sure the crank option ended in 46. They were the last with the designed hole in the grill and outboard support bracket with corresponding attachment hole in the centre of the bumper. Also the 216 had the engagement cog as part of the crankshaft pulley, but that could probably be added to a 235 if desired.

If you want one and don't want to buy one just make it, Denny has provided all the relevant dimensions.

Grigg,

Thanks for pointing that out, I missed that in the other thread. I just saved the image, it's just a pin across the end. Making one is more me, but sometimes when time is short it's worth buying.

I'm attaching the image here to keep it with this thread.

Alan

I had a well-worn 216 on a run stand in the high school auto shop where I taught for 20-something years. It wouldn't cold start with the hand crank I home-brewed, but if we warmed it up first I could crank it up that way. I mostly used the crank for static timing, setting valves, etc. No, I never let the students give it a try!
Jerry

46 may have been the last year for hand crank??..... but the AD grille, if I remember correctly, had an indention down on the bottom bar.....not sure why?

I have the crank and the balancer pulley with hand crank provisions on my '51 3100.
Haven't used it - motor is in storage, but I've turned it over a few times with the fan blade.

I have a nice little scar on the point of my chin from hand-cranking my Model A ages ago. Held on a little too tight (even though I used the correct grip - no thumb wrap around) when it kicked back and hit my chin on the radiator cap. Things went black for just a second. But I'm OK now now now.

If you are serious about starting with a hand crank without destroying your pretty grill from a bad kick back, you will want to either find or fabricate the special bracket which bolts to the center bolt of the front bumper. The crank goes through it and keeps the entire crank in line even if kick back wildly throws the crank out of the crank snout. Denny Graham has pictures of one and specs on how to make your own in his album.

Carl,

I agree, and that was my plan. You can't really use it without having the support to leverage the handle, otherwise it was be much too dangerous...even with the support there's a high risk factor in cranking an engine.

I did find out I have the high compression 235 in my pickup also, it was upgraded by the PO. I believe the higher compression will only make it that much more dangerous.

Funny, I was thinking about my Husqvarna chainsaws and how they have a decompression for the cylinder when you start them. Maybe I need a way to release the compression on the 235 to crank it safely? (j/k)

It is one of the features that I think is cool, just like the cowl and windshield, those classic/traditional features ended when the Advanced Design came to life in '47. As many will tell you, those features that make the AD so nice as the features that many wanted in this trucks, but there will probably always be people like me that admire tradition over convenience. Eventually even if I don't use the crank, I gotta have one...LOL Making one is the ticket for me. I'll use a hardened pin, but I think annealed would be just fine for the crank. Even annealed will put a hurtin' to one that is not conscious about using the crank properly...a piece of leather will do it also, they used to teach you that as a kid...

Alan

I have the seat cushions out of my 50 3100. Under the seat were the jack, handle ,lug wrench and 2 engine cranks. Also was a new water pump wrapped in burlap and an unopened oil can of Texaco 30 wt. Forgot about the mummified mouse. My balancer will accept the crank. I bought the bracket for the bumper that the crank fits thru to help keep the cranking handle stable. I have no intentions on using it, just like it to be original. Truck has not run or used since 1992. Slowly working on it to get it road worthy. Asked about radiators for it, I need to keep the original style as the crank handle passes underneath it, the lower is humped in the middle to allow passage to the balancer.

I bought a 27 T in 2000. My dad and I went to gas it up and of course the battery would not turn the motor over. He got out and hand cranked it. He said he knew what he was doing and didn't want me to break my arm. I did not even know how to drive it. I sat in the car while this 75 year old man fired it up. Guessing that if anyone saw this they probably thought less of me with me being younger and thinking I was lazy. I learned to drive it and still have it. Part of the learning experience was pushing out their garage door. That 3rd pedal ain't no clutch, instinct took over when it started to creep on startup and I went for that pedal.

My '47 AD with the original engine had a hand crank compatible damper and a hole in the lower radiator splashpan for the crank to go through. When I replaced the engine with a 216 from a '51, I moved the damper from the '47 to '51.
I've got a crank, but only use it to position the engine for overhead and point gap adjustments.

Ok, thought I'd wait till all the dope was smoked then I'd throw in my take and try to clear the air.
The radiators for '47 thru '53 are the same. The original radiator had a hump or indent in the
lower tank for a hand crank to pass thru. As did the lower inner grill bar. So....the hand crank
option was a part of the Stovebolt until '54. The AD truck may not have come with a hand
crank as original equipment but it was an option to use one.
The closest to original repop radiators offered today come from U.S. Radiator out in CA. They
are very close to the original, short of some details embossed into the upper tank, and......the
lack of the indent in the lower tank for a crank to pass thru. That was a disappointment to
me when I had to replace my original radiator. I did use the hand crank during tune ups.
As Carl pointed out, if you are serious about using a hand crank, then the bumper bracket
should be installed.
As far as the comment about a Stovebolt not starting with the battery.....I'm totally stock,
216, 6v and all and have had the present Farm & Fleet battery in my '50 for 8 years. It starts
every time hot or cold first time over and I drive it throughout the winter day and night.
I have the original 6v dash radio on anytime I'm in the truck and also power a 12v inverter cube
for my tach and under dash Sony AM/FM/CD player. During the nasty weather, i.e., rain/snow/sleet
I don't take her out, so sometimes she may sit for a month or more. I don't use a battery maintainer
and have never had a starting problem in the 13 years I've been driving her.
If your battery is draining down after driving it for 45 mph for an hour , then you need to perform
some serious maintenance to your electrical system. And, if it's hard starting at any time, hot or
cold, a good tune up or possibly a rebuild is also needed.
These trucks were reliable back in the day and still are just as long as they are kept up.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thanks Denny. I watch lots of (too many) YouTube videos of guys hand cranking old tractors, cars, trucks, etc. 90% of them are doing it wrong. One guy is cranking an old Allis "C" tractor by spinning it over and it kicks back and hurts his hand - and he does it again.

But I have seen a couple of vids of people cranking a 216 the right way...

And here is an excellent example of how....not to hand crank your engine.

dg

Denny, my 46 has always been hard to start when hot, hence my comment about a 1 hour drive at 45 mph. Over the years I've investigated and rebuilt everything I could think of with little success. The issue is do you keep cranking until the battery is gone, or just wait till she cools off a bit. I've received a lot of advice and the common answer is change to 12V. My friend cannot start his 55 Crown Vic when its hot, so he upgraded to 12V to solve the problem. He was twisting wrenches at a Ford dealership when 55's were still everyday cars on the road and they had no solution. Ford went to 12V in 56.

Denny's post is in reference to 1947-1953 Advance-Design trucks, with regards to being able to use a hand crank.

Stan's question to Denny regarding the location of the in-dash radio in Denny's 1953 truck is not very relevant with regards to a 1946 truck.

A 6v engine should easily start, hot-or-cold:
IF, your 6v engine, and 6v starter, are in good shape,
AND, you have good 6v battery cables/straps (00 gauge to 2 gauge),
AND, all the connectors and connections are secure and are clean/shiney
(with antioxidant conductive-grease to assure good connections over time)

This is based on my several decades of 6v starting experience.
And, based on one brief and unnecessary 12v-conversion interlude - due to my erroneous/y thinking that reproduction part vendors were selling true 6v battery cables AND straps (Jim Carter and other vendors were not, back in the 70s/80s).

Its been my experience on 6 volt and 12 volt, that if one is hard to start when its hot its because the engine still has compression on it and that lead me to the starter/battery dept...........after, of coarse I've concluded all cables and grounds are good.

The Art Deco and Advance Design trucks were mechanically quite similar in design . The major changes were
mostly in the body work.
By the middle 50's everyone had gone to 12v Stan, mostly because the newer vehicles had options for or were
equipped with tons of the latest electrical accessories such as power windows, power seats, lots more lighting.
Starters and generators also benefited by needing less copper. By switching to 12v they reduced the cost of
wiring by nearly 50%. Add that up over millions of vehicles and it showed a huge profit for the stock holders

I believe the condition that Alvin is referring to is caused by a timing issue. Typically if an engine won't start HOT
and is tuned properly with all of the electrical connections solid .....low compression is the culprit. Other than that
it could be a defective coil that shorts or opens when it gets hot and expands, causing it to give a weak spark.
The prime advantage that I can think of for changing to a 12v system is so you can use more readily available
12v items and accessories such as batteries, radios, tachs, or lights, stuff that your local auto or farm store keeps
in stock.
Speaking of lights, my lights are just as bright as 12v lights of the same vintage, however I do have to order them
rather than pick them up at the local NAPA or AutoZone when the need arises. My truck starts just as easily as one
with a 12v system.
One thing in favor of 12v is, if you were to rewire the truck then you could get by with wires 1/2 the gauge as the
original 6v loom.
Without going back over the thread, I don't recall if the 8v battery fix was brought up. That is often touted as a quick fix
when someone encounters a starting problem. And again.....that's simply a band-aid, not a solution to the core problem,
and not a very good fix at that.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I've never hand cranked my '47 Chevy but I've cranked my '46 Dodge many times. Shortly after buying the Dodge in 1974 I was headed to class and stopped for gas. After filling the tank I climbed in and stepped on the starter. It cranked and cranked until the battery ran down but didn't start. It was at this point I remembered I hadn't turned the ignition on. Luckily when I bought the truck the hand crank was under the seat. One pull and I was off and running.

I have a no fee credit card that comes with roadside assistance. No crank (or physiotherapy) required - just call the number and a tow truck will show up with jumper cables.

Hmmm. I wonder if the tow truck operator can find the battery on his own...

--------------------
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Gentlemen, this is not the Greasy Spoon, please stay on topic. It helps your fellow Bolters doing serious searches. Thank you.