Farmall C hand crank

[stdsch40]

I would like to fabricate a hand crank for my 1949 Farmall C tractor with 113cu in engine, since I don't have one. Does anyone have dimensions from an original IH hand crank they could share? I think a hand crank would be very useful for a number of reasons. I know that I could probably buy one from somewhere but that is not a viable option for me considering how expensive it would be for shipping to my location. Rather just make one that does the job. Thanks for any information on the subject.

 

[560Dennis]

Farmall C Hand Crank - Yesterday's Tractors

Are the dimensions the same for a C hand start crank as they are for the Cub. Someone posted dimensions a few days back on the Cub.I would like to ha

www.yesterdaystractors.com

old post talks about cranks
I don’t have one now out at farm .

 

[used red MN]

Here’s one offered by the YT parent company, $70 and if you live in the lower 48 $15 gets it to your door.
ASAP Farmall C hand crank

 

[stdsch40]

Thanks for the reply, not much useful info in that discussion though.
Even a picture of one would be helpful. Showing the engagement end. I wouldn't be using it for starting just to slowly turn the engine over for valve adjusting ect.

 

[stdsch40]

Here’s one offered by the YT parent company, $70 and if you live in the lower 48 $15 gets it to your door.
ASAP Farmall C hand crank

My tractor has the wide front, the add mostly says for tricycle front. If I bought that crank the price delivered to me would be well over $250 and I could certainly make one with my scrap steel for far less. That's why I'm asking for pictures and dimensions. I'm not in a hurry.

 

[used red MN]

My tractor has the wide front, the add mostly says for tricycle front. If I bought that crank the price delivered to me would be well over $250 and I could certainly make one with my scrap steel for far less. That's why I'm asking for pictures and dimensions. I'm not in a hurry.

Then you should put BFE on your location.

 

[tomtinker]

Thanks for the reply, not much useful info in that discussion though.
Even a picture of one would be helpful. Showing the engagement end. I wouldn't be using it for starting just to slowly turn the engine over for valve adjusting ect.

Put tranmission in neutral, engage pto , use a pto yolk and use a tire tool to turn engine.

 

[Charlie M]

When you finally get the dimensions keep in mind the crank for a wide front end tractor is longer than a narrow front tractor, I believe the difference is 4 inches.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Here's how I'd go about it: The descriptions say the crank is made from 3/4" bar stock, so I'd start with a piece of 3/4" bar stock. That's really the only critical dimension in the whole works.
Grind or turn a light chamfer on the end to facilitate it engaging the crank pulley.
Shove 'er in the hole and make sure it's fully engaged into the pulley.
Eyeball the first bend a couple inches beyond the tie rods. Make your first bend.
Eyeball the second bend where it looks about right. Make your second bend.
EDITED TO ADD: I would make the crank part of the handle about the same as the width of the battery box. As I recall the crank stores up against the battery box with the handle across in front of the battery box.
After it cools, grab the handle end with your four fingers and mark it maybe an inch beyond your hand. Cut the handle to length.
Finally cross-drill a 15/64" or maybe a 7/32" hole for a 1/4" pin near the end. From the picture it looks like it's about 1/2" from the end. Cut the head and threads off a Grade 5 or 8 1/4" bolt. Press into the hole.
The 1/4" pin is just a guess on my part. It can always be drilled out for 5/16" if you think it needs to be bigger.

Betcha it'll work like a treat.

You can get an idea of dimensions from a picture like this, knowing the diameter of the bar is 3/4". Make yourself a scale using the diameter of the rod to be 3/4".

 

[560Dennis]

Take a look at this one , it what I call extra length, cultivator crank ,On eBay . the seller was kind enough to tape the tool.
I have a long crank for the wfe super c.
out at farm I can’t measure what I have for ya.

Farmall - IH tractor long cultivator hand crank to start engine | eBay

LOOK at all pictures for SIZE and Condition.

www.ebay.com

good luck

 

[stdsch40]

Thanks a bunch. As I said I'm not in a hurry, frozen in for the next few months. Thought I'd make a crank over the winter, maybe use it to turn the C over once in awhile over winter too instead of putting the battery back in. The PTO would work also but in my mind a front crank seems better. When I did the ignition timing last year a hand crank would have been great, instead I had to crawl under the tractor, look for the timing mark on the flywheel, then get up and turn the fan belt, then crawl under again, awkward to say the least. Plan on doing the top end in spring.

 

[old]

Thanks for the reply, not much useful info in that discussion though.
Even a picture of one would be helpful. Showing the engagement end. I wouldn't be using it for starting just to slowly turn the engine over for valve adjusting ect.

If the fan belt is as tight as it should be you can turn the engine over using the fan blades I've done it that way 100s of times over the years

 

[Dave BN]

I'm not sure that my crank is factory but it is what I use. I'll try to post pictures but the dimensions are 21 inches long and sticks out past the grill 8 inches. The throw is 8 inches and the handle is 6 inches long. It is made of 3/4 inch stock. The pin diameter seems to be 3/8 but is kinda chewed up so hard to tell.
Dave

 

[Dave BN]

One last picture.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Save all the work and just watch for one at a tractor show and buy it there for a reasonable price length could be measured so you know if it fits by putting a rod into the crank pulley and then checking the crank you are looking at/for.

 

[old]

Save all the work and just watch for one at a tractor show and buy it there for a reasonable price length could be measured so you know if it fits by putting a rod into the crank pulley and then checking the crank you are looking at/for.

Or very simply ask is any one might have one they would sell. I'm sure some one on the forums have one if not a number of people having one

 

[grandpa Love]

I'm not sure that my crank is factory but it is what I use. I'll try to post pictures but the dimensions are 21 inches long and sticks out past the grill 8 inches. The throw is 8 inches and the handle is 6 inches long. It is made of 3/4 inch stock. The pin diameter seems to be 3/8 but is kinda chewed up so hard to tell.
Dave

And we have a winner!! DaveBN actually read the post, understood the question and posted a helpful answer. It may have used up a few minutes of his time to take the pictures and post them but I appreciate him doing so. Gives me hope that there are good people left here. ***** On a side note,I have 5-6 crank handles that would work for the original poster,I didn't offer to sell ,ship or even give him one because he stated shipping would be expensive, leading me to believe he didn't live in the US.***** Again, thanks DaveBN!

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

And we have a winner!! DaveBN actually read the post, understood the question and posted a helpful answer. It may have used up a few minutes of his time to take the pictures and post them but I appreciate him doing so. Gives me hope that there are good people left here. ***** On a side note,I have 5-6 crank handles that would work for the original poster,I didn't offer to sell ,ship or even give him one because he stated shipping would be expensive, leading me to believe he didn't live in the US.***** Again, thanks DaveBN!

I don't like the "just answer the question exactly as asked" mentality. Quite often an OP has "blinders" on and can only see one path to a solution. It does not hurt to offer alternative solutions that the OP may not have already thought of.

For example, what harm was there in offering alternative ways to turn the engine over by hand? That was the OP's stated reason for needing the hand crank. Heck, unless it's been built up as a psycho-high-compression pulling tractor, a C engine can be turned over with the fan belt!

Maybe the OP was simply balking at normal shipping charges, and all they need is a little nudge to get them to crack open their wallet and let the moths out?

...and if the OP just wants something convenient to turn the engine over by hand, why does it need to be exact dimension? I belong to the "figure it out generation" and I described exactly how I'd go about figuring it out. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a "figured out" handle and one made to exact dimensions. Neither one would pass as "original" due to the lack of a spinner grip.

 

[Jim.ME]

He is in Canada.

How handy it would be at times if people weren't afraid to put at least a state, or province/country (if not in the USA) in their profile. It would explain something like the shipping issue here, or someone near him might have one. Just my thought, each to his own on this.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Thanks a bunch. As I said I'm not in a hurry, frozen in for the next few months. Thought I'd make a crank over the winter, maybe use it to turn the C over once in awhile over winter too instead of putting the battery back in. The PTO would work also but in my mind a front crank seems better. When I did the ignition timing last year a hand crank would have been great, instead I had to crawl under the tractor, look for the timing mark on the flywheel, then get up and turn the fan belt, then crawl under again, awkward to say the least. Plan on doing the top end in spring.

For next time, there's a much easier way to find TDC: Remove the #1 spark plug. Make like the "Little Dutch Boy" and stick a finger or thumb over the hole. Crank until it puffs air past your finger. Shine a light down in the plug hole, and you can easily see the top of the piston. Turn the engine back and forth until the piston is at TDC. No more crawling under the tractor!