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Manual Crank Start Option for Chrysler Corporation Cars after World War II?


Dosmo

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I caught part of a 1958 movie recently called "The Defiant Ones" starring Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis. There is a scene where they need to start a car with a dead battery. It is a 1946-48 Dodge Convertible. In the movie, Tony Curtis starts the car manually by inserting a crank through a grille opening. Of course, the camera is positioned in such a way that one can't actually see whether or not this is really happening, or whether or not there is even a grille opening for the hand crank. I'm just wondering if Chrysler Corporation was still providing this option for their cars in the 1940s.

I know, don't believe everything you see on television.

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I don't think the hand crank hole (and associated special crank hub nut) were used on any post WW2 Chrysler Corp. cars. Not even sure it was on the last few years of pre-WW2 cars.

Doesn't take much battery to run the ignition so even a really low battery would be enough if you are hand cranking. But I bet it would be a work out. The carburetor bowl on my '33 goes dry when the car sits for a week or more and it take some cranking to get gas up to it before it will start. If I were to hand crank mine when its been sitting for a while I'd be looking at priming the carburetor first.

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Be easier to push start it. Some WW2 military vehicles had hand cranks and some English cars had them in the 60s ( no cracks about Lucas electrics). If I had to guess, the last Plymouth with a hand crank would be from the mid 30s.

1938 was the last year for hand cranks on most Chrysler products.

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  • 2 weeks later...
My Father had a 1940 Plymouth when I was a child and I am sure I remember him using a crank to start it when the battery was dead(not an unusual occurrence as my Father was too thrifty to buy anything until it was completely used up)

VERY difficult to do with a car that has no crank hole in the front.

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That's it. Check the centre bar by the third chrome horizontal bar from the bottom. There is a small section that can be removed to permit the use of a crank. The Dodge had a similar set up in 1939.

In 1940 Chrysler does not list a crank hole cover, although one is listed for Dodge (the bottom two bars in the grille) and export DeSoto S7. Although the 1940 parts book does not list a Crank Hole Cover for Plymouth, under Radiator Shell Mouldings is the listing, "Lower (centre) (or crank hole cover)". It is located in the centre strip down by the bottom of the grille, just where the hole in the photo above is.

And, digging into the parts books, the 1941 edition lists a Crank Hole Cover assembly for Plymouth (P11 and P12) and Dodge (D20 and D21) in "white". It is located in the centre body-coloured divided strip down by the bottom of the grille. The Dodge D19 is listed as a moulding with clips.

No mention of a Crank Hole Covering in the 1942 parts book, not even hidden in the grille moulding section.

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VERY difficult to do with a car that has no crank hole in the front.

I know and that does confuse me as I am sure I remember him doing it. Oh well, I was 6 or 7 at the time and maybe he was doing something else and I just didn't understand what he was really doing

Edited by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)
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Checking the 1936 to 1938 parts books, export 6 cylinder Chryslers had crank holes and covers. Cars built for the American and Canadian markets did not.

Crank holes and covers are listed for 1935 Chrysler Airstream models, but not Airflow. But all Mopar engines had a crankshaft starting jaw -the part at the end of the crankshaft that the starting crank fit into. Except for the Airflow models which used 623386, virtually all 1924 to 1938 Chrysler-built cars used crankshaft starting jaw part number 50054. Crankshaft starting jaw part number 583801 is shown from 1939 through the 1952 models, although not on the 1951-52 V8 engines.

Starting crank handles are listed in section 20 of the parts book for all 6 cylinder cars right through to 1941, including Chrysler. Interesting to see how one could use it. Plymouth and Dodge are listed for 1942. Do not have a 1946-48 parts book but no starting crank handles are listed in the 1949-52 books.

So, although your pre-1953 Mopar car with a flathead engine may not have a hole for a crank starting handle, your crankshaft can take one.

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I see you and I have been getting stuff out of the same estate sale. Yea our '48 Dodge doesnt have a crank hole either nor does it have a flathead engine:) I think that's why they call it hollyweird:) Benny.

Yea I'm helping sell off the deceased guys cars and parts. Have known him for 35 years.

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  • 3 months later...

How about I ride on the fence with this one. My 42 Dodge manual shows a starting jaw and lock washer on the front side of the fan pulley. I was told that they kept installing them even though the cars now had starters. But in order to use it you would have to jamb the crank through the radiator so officially I'm going with no.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Tusler 49 New Yorker

My 49 new yorker does not have a crank hole either and if it did I would pay money to see someone start the straight 8 323 cu with a hand crank.

That would take a Big ole Boy lol

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  • 9 years later...

 Just ran across the really old conversation but in case anyone else does, I thought I'd share. I have a 1941 Plymouth Pickup (PT-125). I thought, mine has a manual crank option. Went into the garage and confirmed, yes my pickup has a manual crank. The bar goes in the hole in center of the grill, near the bottom. The crank bar is long and when it is inserted it slides below the radiator into a slot in the front of the engine.   

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