The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk hand crank starting

Does anyone know where I might find an original or aftermarket repro of the hand starting crank and coupler. I would like to make up an Indycar style removable starter for my '46 216.

To carry in your back pocket as an extra anti-theft measure???

Seriously though, I don't know of any reproductions. You may look in junk yards under seats, a few old cars I have played with had the starting cranks still under the seats.

Grigg

LMC makes one for the '47 thru '52 trucks. Don't know how different this might be from one for a '46.

Engine Hand Crank

The shaft of the starter is just a shaft with about a quarter inch pin through it. The exact dimensions have been posted, I don't remember what they are. The part that engages the crank and kicks it out when the engine fires is part of the harmonic balancer. You could just measure that and determine what sizes are needed. I assume you'd need a spring loaded slip joint to attach the shaft to the starting motor.

Thanks to all. I found a good closeup and like Baldy said, it should be easy enough to fabricate. - Chris

I have been messing with these old trucks since the mid-70s. My cousin and I have worked on dozens of them and bought parts from many more. I have never found an engine crank in any one of them.

We asked a lot of old-timers back then who worked on, or owned them when new. The word we got was they didn't come with a crank. An electrical powered crank was used to turn the engine over on the assembly line. That is why they have a place for a crank in the front. They said the compression was too high to safely start them with a hand crank.

I'm sure some entrapreneur may make a crank and call it a reproduction of the original. I have never seen an original hand crank. If anyone has found an original one, please post a picture. I would like to see one.

With the hundreds of trucks represented on this site, if original cranks exist, there should be several pictures forthcoming.

Chevrolet part number for that starting crank is 3654375. Maybe they didn't come with it, but you could have bought a genuine Chevrolet crank for them from the dealer. They are good for adjusting the timing and the valves, but I would only start that engine with the crank if I were alone and that was my only option. The Master Parts Price List says it was also the jack handle, so one could assume that the truck came with one.

The only crank that is in my truck.... is the guy driving it!!

As a teenager, I used to have to hand crank my grandpa's Farmall Super C tractor to go plow or pull stuff around on the farm. Don't know if I'd care to try and start a Stovebolt Six with one.

Baldy,

I'm glad you let me know cranks did exist. I'm no expert, just an enthusiast. I learn new things all the time.

Maybe it was a part used in some years and then discontinued at a later year. I'm still curious how many people have found one in their truck.

I have one for my 28 chevy. Used it once just to give it a try, works, but the electric one is much easier.

28 was the last year for the 4 cylinder, a "modern" 6 in good condition would be much harder to turn.

Grigg