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[Guest]

 

I have come into possession of six engine crank handles through the generosity of forum member mopar scott.

All were assumed to be DPCD handles but they could certainly fit other makes as well.

I have now determined which handle fits my car so the other five are available.

The deal was that I'd make the remaining 5 handles available to any individual members here, free of charge (except for shipping). Sorry not for dealers or resale.

I'm hoping to make this a little easier so I cleaned, heated, straightened and coated all the handles so they are ready for anyone to add to their tool kit. I'm hoping to narrow down the applications just a bit to make it easier for anyone to select the correct handle they might need and I'll do this one handle at a time so as not to get things too confusing.

Upon cleaning I found none of the 6 handles has any number stamped or mark cast into them anywhere. All are made from 3/4" steel stock. Numbers 2 and 5 have recessed holes in the end of the shaft approx. 1/2" deep. Number 2 is also a combination handle with a 13/16" lug nut socket on the end.

Number 6 is the one I am using. I believe handle #1 may have been spoken for already. I'll let you know for sure as soon as I hear back from that forum member.

These will go out on a "first come" basis so please check your measurements and let me know.

If you need further info or pics just ask.

Greg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2018 by GregLaR (see edit history)

[CHuDWah]

Does #6 fit your 38 Plymouth?  If so, could you post pics of it like you did the others?  I know you're keeping it but I'd like to have the dimensions.  Thanx!

 

I'd guess the hole in the end of #2 and #5 is to clear the crank pulley bolt - dunno if that might be a clue to what they fit.

[AntiqueCraftsman]

I have a 1947 Chevy Fleetline.   It has a hole for the crank and I'd love to have one.   I'm thinking the crank would be something like #5 but I really don't know the dimensions.  It's a simple enough crank I was thinking of just making one from scratch.  

 

This is a photo of what it's supposed to look like.  Proportionally it looks pretty close to #5.  Including where the end pins are located.

 

[old car fan]

47 Chevy?

[AntiqueCraftsman]

2 minutes ago, old car fan said:

47 Chevy?

 

Yeah.  I was surprised they had a hand crank too, but they do.   Like I say, I can make one easy enough.   It's just a bent bar with two pins at the end as you can see.  But #5 looks extremely similar as you can see from the photo I posted.

[Bhigdog]

I have no use for one but appreciate your extraordinary efforts......bob

[Guest]

CHuDWah,

                       Yes, number 6 fits my car. Here are the pics.

 

 

[Guest]

AntiqueCraftsman,

                                       If you can insert a tape measure through your crank access hole and check the measurement from the crank pulley to the outside of the front bumper, you can probably determine if number 5 will work for you. It is approx. 24 inches. Tip to tip on the tangs is an inch and a quarter.

Greg

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by GregLaR (see edit history)

[Guest]

Thanks Bhigdog, but the kudos really belong to mopar scott who was generous enough to offer these handles in the first place....and save them from the scrap heap! 

Hope they all find homes with forum members here.

[AntiqueCraftsman]

13 minutes ago, GregLaR said:

AntiqueCraftsman,

                                       If you can insert a tape measure through your crank access hole and check the measurement from the crank pulley to the outside of the front bumper, you can probably determine if number 5 will work for you. It is approx. 24 inches. Tip to tip on the tangs is an inch and a quarter.

Greg

 

Yep I just measured it, 24" looks to be perfect.    I hate to take it though if someone else who has an older car that actually needs to be crank started wants it.   For me, it would just be a back-up for an emergency start if the starter quit working for some reason.   It would be nice to have but certainly not a necessity.  Plus I can make one from scratch pretty easy actually.  I even have a steel rod from an old hay rake that looks to be about the right size to work with.

 

So, I'd like to have it if no one else needs it.  But if someone else needs that baby for an actual crank-start car by all means give it to them.

[Guest]

Ant/Craft,

                      Don't worry about it. I live in the California desert. Today it is 115 degrees in the shade. My car is a 1938 and I can promise you I will NEVER crank my engine by hand. That's what Triple A is for. I just want to have the correct crank handle because my car came with one originally. PM me your mailing address and I'll get you the shipping cost.

Greg

[JFranklin]

I have crank started my Model A and had to crank my non starter '16 T Fords but never cranked a 6 cylinder car.

[Paul Dobbin]

GregLaR, 

Thanks for sharing,  a pleasure to see it's not always about the money.

[Marty Roth]

Greg,

 

Thank you for continuing to be an example of how we like to think our FORUM works,

and thanks also to Mopar Scott for his generosity 

[wayne sheldon]

FYI, Number one appears to be a model T Ford handle used from late 1914 into early 1920. They were of course originally kept on the engine and use a different coupler to engage the crankshaft. It looks like yours has a pin in the hole to be removable and used for some other car. That likely was done by someone needing a hand crank for some other car. The way to know for sure, would be to look for a very small hole right at the beginning of the first bend in the crank which would have had a small spring to push the handle away from the motor when not being cranked by hand therefore to avoid rattling against the running motor when going up hills (btdt). That little hole can be hard to find as it is small, often filled with dirt or rust, and there was no one specified location for it.

[Guest]

Wayne,

               You have a good eye for detail. The shaft does have a very small hole near the first bend. I spotted it while cleaning and just assumed it was a flaw in the steel. Further inspection (and probing with a paper clip) shows it to be about 3/8" deep. I've added pics. Thanks for the help.

Greg

 

[Guest]

Handle number 5 is no longer available. It has found a new home with AntiqueCraftsman.

Only 4 left!

[Guest]

Number 4 handle has gone to Roger Frazee (Thanks Rog!)

Only 3 remaining.

Please check and see if you can use one of them.

Greg

Edited July 26, 2018 by GregLaR (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

Yours is not the first model T handle I have seen modified that way. Ford crank handles were intended to be used, that is why they remained connected to the engine until the end of model T production. That is also why, in spite of Ford's well known efforts to squeeze every penny out of production costs that he could, Henry left the handle with a functional handle-grip that spun on the crank instead of in the cranker's hand. I suspect that when some car owners of non-Ts fell upon hard times, unable to afford proper maintenance, they sought out model T crank handles and fitted them with a simple pin to work in their other cars. I have crank started a few non-Ts over the years (a few model As, my '29 Reo, a Studebaker, among others) ( not counting other horseless carriages, of course). Some, just for kicks and giggles, others because of a failed starter or battery. It doesn't take many tries with the typical "back-up crank" to raise a nice crop of blisters on one's palm. A glove or a rag can help a lot. But a simple (and in those days readily available) modified model T handle was much better yet!

 

Thank you for passing these along to people that can use them!  And if nobody wants the model T one, I could use another, but you did say you thought it was already spoken for.

[Guest]

Thanks for the in depth information Wayne. I never would have guessed that just from looking at this particular handle. It is certainly shorter than all the rest, but clearly a little better quality as it has the rotating hand grip. I have since done a Google search of the Model T handles and Yes, they look identical to this one.

Another member here thought it may work for his 1928 Chrysler and asked for additional pictures, which I sent. I haven't heard back from him yet, although I did send a follow up PM to him yesterday. If I don't hear back from him tomorrow, I'll let you know. Then you can PM me your address and I'll get this handle over to you.

Best, Greg

Edited July 26, 2018 by GregLaR (see edit history)

[Guest]

Handle number 1 has gone to 28 Chrysler.

Only two handles remain. Numbers 2 & 3.

Please check and see if one of them might work for you.

Greg

[Guest]

I have edited my original post to delete all the images of the handles that are already claimed.

Maybe a little less confusing. Hopefully the last two will find homes here as well.

Please let me know if you need any further info.

[AntiqueCraftsman]

My new crank came today.  Thank you Greg!

 

It fits the car perfectly.  It must be an exact replica or the original crank.   I stuck it into the engine and cranked her over!  (without the key on!)

 

I'm a little chicken about trying to actually start the engine with it yet.   I just wanted to see what it's like to crank over this big old 6 cylinder engine.   It's not easy, that's for sure!  But it is doable.   To have any hope in starting the actual engine the engine would indeed need to be very well-tuned and easy to start on potentially a "half" of a crank, because that's about all that can be realistically done.

 

All I'm willing to do is position the engine crank so that the crank handle is at the bottom.  Then pull it up as fast as I can to obtain one-half turn.  I'm not about to try to push it down on the other side.   So if it won't start on a half-turn then I won't be able to start it.

 

In the meantime I actually have the front bumper off the car at the moment.  There's plenty of room for the bumper so there won't be any clearance problems.  However, the car doesn't appear to have anywhere for the crank to actually ride against.  In other words it's a 2 foot long crank and the only place it contacts the car is at the engine crank itself.   That makes it difficult to pull the crank up with a lot of power.   So I'm going to make a special fitting to attach to the bumper that I can slide this crank through.   Just a short round piece of pipe to stick the crank through.  That way I'll be able to just pull straight up on the crank and that piece of pipe on the front bumper will hold the crank level with the engine crankshaft. 

 

I'm not going to attempt to actually start the engine until I have this additional support for the crank fabricated and installed, which will also require putting the bumper back on the car.  So it's going to be a while before I'll be able to actually try to start the car with this crank.   But at least I got a feel for what it's like to turn over this engine manually.   With that added support I'll be able to pull up on the crank with a lot more power.  With a well-tuned engine that's ready to start on the first crank I think I'll be able to do it.

 

Only time will tell.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to report the experience at this end.  It's a beautiful crank!   Nice and heavy duty.   It looks and feels much heftier than it appeared in the photo.  I was afraid it might have been a bit flimsy, but I was sure wrong about that.  It's super solid.

 

So I just wanted to post my thanks and appreciation.   This crank will be valued both as an additional period accessory in the trunk, and possibly as a bit of highway insurance should my starter motor happen to give out somewhere along the way.

 

I'm definitely going to add the additional support piece on the bumper just to make this crank more practical to use,   I'm surprised the car wasn't designed with additional support for the crank.  It would be quite hard to crank the engine with only the very tip of the crank in the engine.   I wouldn't want to try to start the motor like that.  Gotta have that extra support closer to the handle end.   So there will be a little piece of pipe on my bumper that isn't period correct.  But that's ok, it will become a conversation piece when people ask me why it's there. ?

[Guest]

Glad to hear it worked out for you. Member Hwellens shared these pics with me over on the Chysler forum. Perhaps this could be the answer you seek as well.

 

[AntiqueCraftsman]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who sees the engineering advantage for this additional guide.   I wouldn't even try to start the engine without this additional stability.

 

Thanks for sharing detailed photos of this example.   I was thinking of using a piece of pipe about an inch long.  But for all the more it would be used that flat metal plate would be all that is needed.  It's not like this crank is going to be used on a continual basis.   So thanks for the tip.   I'll go with Mr. Hwellens' design.  That looks perfect.

 

Tell Mr. Hwellens' thanks for sharing his photos.  I appreciate it.

 

 

[Guest]

Agreed, it looks quite simple. And apparently it just folds behind the bumper when not in use.