when/what was the last car with a hand crank?

[JACK M]

20 hours ago, Terry Bond said:

What kind of car was that??? Front wheel drive???

Terry

I think it was one of those Russian posts, there was talking but not in english.

Yes, front wheel drive, obviously a manual transmission.

[TexRiv_63]

All of my prewar cars had cranks but luckily I never had to use most of them. The exception was my 32 Cadillac V-12. I had a long and complicated project involving correctly synchronizing the dual points and engine timing. I attempted to use the giant crank to turn the engine to the different flywheel marks needed but it was very funny, It took all I had to turn it a few degrees. I gave up and bought a turning tool that used the ring gear teeth, much easier.

[plymouthcranbrook]

12 hours ago, 40phil41 said:

Both my 1940 and 1941 Dodge cars have crank holes with snap in covers. I have never seen an actual crank handle for these cars. 

I mentioned here a while ago that I remembered my Father having a crank fit his 40 Plymouth.  Several folks here told me by that time there were no crank holes on Plymouths by then.  I am surprised to hear Dodges still had them.  That said my Dad’s Plymouth did what most of his cars did and threw a rod through the block when I was nine or ten so my memory could be faulty.

Edited July 3, 2022 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[40phil41]

2 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

I mentioned here a while ago that I remembered my Father having a crank fir his 40 Plymouth.  Several folks here told me by that time there were no crank holes on Plymouths by then.  I am surprised to hear Dodges still had them.  That said my Dad’s Plymouth did what most of his cars did and threw a rod through the block when I was nine or ten so my memory could be faulty.

I can only speak for my two cars (Dodges) but I would be very surprised if Plymouth, Desoto and Chrysler were any different. I'll check my Mopar parts book tomorrow. 

[Fargoguy]

Dodge trucks in 1950 were still hand crank able- as seen in this pic

[Pilgrim65]

On 6/29/2022 at 10:16 PM, rocketraider said:

Would that crank clockwise or anticlockwise?🧐

I have Mga not sure I have hole in bumper will check , had flat battery recently so would have been good to try 

checked need to get handle now 😄

Edited July 3, 2022 by Pilgrim65
Found cranking hole (see edit history)

[Zimm63]

Truimph TR3s had cranks, as did early TR4s.  Not sure when they phased out.  Very useful for pulling the motor up on TDC to set the timing, but I will admit never having tried to start it with the crank.  

 

[mikewest]

Ive started scores of motors with the stem winder but this is one that you have to pull your pants up and turn ur hat around backwards. I have a 39 Ford that starts easily with the crank.

[keithb7]

I am thinking about the times that my 1938 car sits for a few weeks, unused. The pressure in the fuel system drops. The fuel in the lines flows back to the tank. Fuel in the carb bowl evaporates a bit. The level lower than it should be to start the engine. I jump in, crank the starter and the engine turns over many times. The mechanical lever action fuel pump is doing what it's supposed to. Drawing fuel out of the tank. This take some time. Sometimes 15 seconds. The float bowl fills back up and finally it will start. (I have installed a secondary electric fuel pump to alleviate this issue) The car has a hole for the option to use a hand crank. I suspect few attempted to accomplish this by hand. You could unbolt the air filter, pour a little down the carb. It would sputter and fire a couple of times and then stall again. It would assist in priming the fuel system, making it a lot easier. Yet the risk of the engine flooding it was a concern when doing this.  You'd be going backwards then. If you were in a hurry to get somewhere, that wasn't happening. Imagine a hot summer day, in your suit and hat trying to clean out a flooded engine with a hand crank in 1938, on a car with a mechanical fuel pump?

 

I suppose cars mainly had an updraft carb, placed very low down by the oil pan. That would help with ease of fuel system priming and hand crank starting. A little gravity action to get some fuel moving. The vacuum fuel canister system, I assume retains some fuel in it that does not evaporate over a period of a few weeks? If the car were sitting unused? Henry Ford refused to pay premium dollars to acquire the patented vacuum canister fuel system. Stewart-Warner had the industry locked up and were milking it. The fuel system of Ford cars used gravity to feed the carb. No pump.  The early model T had the fuel tank under the seat. Just slightly higher than the low mounted carb. When the fuel level got low, you hear stories about folks having to drive backwards up a hill, to get fuel to the carb I believe. I imagine it might be challenging to start an early model T by hand if it were low on fuel, parked on an uphill incline?  Later Ford fuel tanks were relocated to the cowl area.  Model A cars had the fuel tank in the cowl too. No more fuel delivery problems. Yet average cars were traveling faster now. Greater in numbers on the roads. Of course accidents were becoming more frequent and ever more deadly. The fuel tank in the cowl would be a serious safety issue in a front end accident. The mechanical fuel pump had been developed by 1928. It was proven to be reliable. By 1932 Ford finally started using a mechanical fuel pump. I believe the electric engine starting system was the norm by now. Mechanical fuel pumps common in the automobile industry. Yet the hand crank remained as an option. As someone mentioned, likely to help the stubborn folks slowly move ahead with improvements.

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by keithb7 (see edit history)

[Akstraw]

Even if you never use them for starting, hand cranks come in handy in setting the timing if you have to remove the distributor.  From time to time I have wished that one or two of my postwar cars had one.

[Bleach]

There was a pull start kit you could get for a VW Beetle.

[LI_BENTLEY]

My 66 Triumph TR4A had the hole in grill but no hole in radiator and no crank in tool kit.  Think Ford was last car to have attached crank in 27.

[40phil41]

18 hours ago, 40phil41 said:

I can only speak for my two cars (Dodges) but I would be very surprised if Plymouth, Desoto and Chrysler were any different. I'll check my Mopar parts book tomorrow. 

Attached is a photo from my Canadian Master Parts Book (covers MOPARS from 1940 to 1947). Based upon this, the last year for a 'Radiator Shell Crank Hole Cover' is as follows:

 

Dodge and Plymouth - 1941 

Chrysler - 1940 

Desoto - before 1940 (my book starts in 1940 and doesn't list a part number for Desoto) 

 

Here is a photo of my 1941 Dodge (D20 Canadian) crank hole cover. I am not going to take it out for a photo op because I do not want to break the spring clips :-). 

[carbking]

1960 Triumph TR-3 had a crank.

 

First car I ever restored, in 1971.

 

I cranked it hundreds of times (anytime there were people around). Wonderful entertainment to watch reactions. Would start with the crank easier than with the electric starter (higher voltage to the coil). With the crank, it would virtually always start on the first attempt.

 

Dad taught me on older cars (and tractors) not to wrap my thumb around the crank handle.

 

Jon.

Edited July 4, 2022 by carbking (see edit history)