The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Hand Crank Bracket Material Thickness?

The starting crank support brackets are 2” wide and approximately 6”-7” long. Can anyone tell me how thick the material is? I know from the pictures that it has to be either 1/8” or 3/16”. I’m ordering material today and would like to pick up a bar that I could make one from.
Thanks
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

On my 41, it is 5/32.

Tks Jon, I guess I'll just have to make up that extray thirty second with mill scale and paint. I placed the order for 1/8" right before I left for the days chores.
Thanks again, you were the only one from either forum that took the time to go out am measure it, I appreciate that. And by the way, you are the only one that I've seen with enough Moxie to hand crank a Stovebolt and live to tell about it, thanks for that vidio also.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

That bracket and appropriate harmonic balancer was not used in 1954 (but, I understand that the earlier years allowed the use of the crank). Was it attached to the bumper or to sheet metal (or to ??) in earlier A-D trucks? It looks like the crank was available for 47-48 but not provided after that? Could you post a photo of the bracket?

Thanks, Tim

I know two people with 53's with 216's and they do not have the hand crank teeth on the HB. My 49's all do. The grill has the opening, but none of them bracket. The 1 ton has wear marks where it looks like someone has cranked on it in the past, but they have oxidized so it was some time back.

Your truck has too be in good running order to crank start in just a few turns!

As far as I know, that's all correct Tim. I do use the crank for tune-ups and such and might even try staring it once in a while just to get a reaction. After seeing Jon start his ’41 I’m not quite as afeared as I was. 99% of the guys at a car show never saw an engine started with a hand crank. I’d so just for the. I'm not going for a show truck and I don't really care about being judged for points. I do care very much about being period correct not absolutely factory correct. If I could turn the clock back to the early 50's and this were my mode of transportation I very well might have equipped my truck with a hand crank and bracket. I feel the same way about the side mount for the spare. That wasn't available in 1950 for my truck but when they came out I surely would have added one to my vehicle.
Oh, location, it goes behind the bumper at the center bumper bolt. And I don't remember who's picture this was, I downloaded it a while back; http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/accessories&page=3
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

It would be cool to hand crank it at shows and amaze the younger folks.

This will be the fourth summer that I've had the old gal under my care. The last three years we've been going to one show just about every weekend and almost always they’re organized by street rod clubs. I think last year I managed to find one show locally that was hosted by a classic car group. Hand crankin’ a Stovebolt wouldn’t turn a head at a meet blanketed with stock Model ‘T’ Fords but put it next to a T-Bucket and I’ll bet it would. A stock restored vehicle is certainly in the minority at these shows and because of that they do seem to stand out a lot more.
As some of you guys that have been around the forum might have noticed, in the past I’ve put a lot more emphases on the under side of my restoration than I have on the topside. Because of that I usually feel like a dirty penny in a roll of newly minted coins when I drive onto the field at one of these shows. If I can muster enough ambition and if my pockets are deep enough I hope to get her back together this summer and make a few more shows. I got Peter pushin’ me to get her ready for a trip to KC in September. With the facilities that I’m working with I think I bit off more than I can chew this year. I was hoping this summer to get her finished from the windshield forward. Plans were to work towards the back next winter.
So with fresh makeup on her face and a brand new shiny bumper I think I might be hanging a crank out there in the front for people to stumble over. And I might just surprise a few when I give it a twist closing time.
DG

Yelstn,

You are correct about the harmonic balancer going to a flat face in 1953; but, as you state, it is still possible to adapt those trucks to use a crank (but a little more work than adapting a 49-52 truck). It is not possible to adapt a 54/55 A-D truck to use a crank (without serious messing with grill sheet metal).

Denny,

I have a used pre-54 bumper that has a metal-plate attached to the middle bolt. I don't think it looks like the one in your photo but I will check (if I can find it).

Bet that's what it was Tim, unless it was a piece of the center bracket for one of those cow-catcher bumper guards.

I'm gonna make up a dozen or so of these crank brackets. I ordered enough material to make a bunch of extras, I like to keep some on the shelf in case I run into someone else that wants one. I even found an outfit locally that does plating and I might see if it's practicle to have them plated.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Sorry to take so long, but I wanted to include pics of my original grille, grille guard and the integral crank support. Looks like I need to get out the polish rag...lol.
Speaking of laughing, that is exactly what we did when I was at a show a number of years ago and was noting that I had the original crank for the truck...NO Way...let's see you start it! Well we have all heard stories involving broken fingers and sprained wrist from crank starting. I was being very careful to slowly move the crank to a possible "high point" and then give the big crank...the old stovebolt was well tuned and it started with just very little movement!
Note the dent in the original grille, the previous owner deemed the grille guard old fashioned and had removed it.
Sorry about the bad hold on the tape measure, but personally I think your 1/8" stock is just fine. HD Grille Guard and Crank Guide

Just to add something, I stick the hand crank through the grille at truck shows and put it into the HB. Everyone always thinks it is a joke. Then I show them it is not.

I see what you mean about the 54-55 since they do not have the 216

You know, I mentioned hanging the crank in the hole at a show earlier. But truth be told, you can bet your bird that there would be a half dozen people tripping over it. I use the hand crank all the time when I'm working on the engine, adjusting valves or timing and sure is the day is long, if I leave it in the hole, I'll end up with banged up shins. At the few classic car shows that I been able to find they usually rope off the cars but at all of the cruise nights or street rod shows the cars are open for viewing all round. I’ve even returned from a dash to the can to find the doors open and some guy with his kids standing on the seat behind the wheel while his porky little wife took their picture.
I think if I left the crank in the hole I’d have to put one of those Rubbermaid Yellow Multilingual Safety Cones out front.
DG

With flashing lights and dayglow orange arrows.

It's a year thing, not just a 216 thing (pre-53 235s could also be cranked in pre-54 A-D trucks.

Has anyone seen one of the hand cranks at swap meets? How can I recognize one? Does anyone have the dimensions?

Denny, do you have a picture of yours?

I would be interested in getting one for my 50 3600, especially after I saw a few youtube videos of people hand cranking their 216's.

Not much to it, just a bar of 3/4” round stock with a couple of bends in it and a pin run thru the end.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/122372197/large
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/122372194/original
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/116792020/large

DG

Thanks

That is not an original handcrank, is it?

Why do you ask Jon?????
Denny G

It looked a tiny bit different from some I've seen, but maybe they were not original, thats all.