Starting handle wont go in square.

Rob Needs

Rob Needs

Member
I'm chewing up the end of the handle while trying to line it up, can i move that bracket that the handle goes through?
 
Yes you can move the bracket but you next question would be about why is the crank tearing up the radiator shell? Easiest solution would to be to fix the problem. How long have you had the problem? Did you recently replace anything dealing with the front or rear motor mounts? Are the mounts correct? Pictures?

Charlie Stephens
 
As the other have said, there is usually wiggle room for moving things around to try and get everything lined up correctly.
I wouldn't recommend trying to start it by hand until its fixed.
 
Could be the wrong cross member or maybe the cross member was cracked and they welded it like mine which threw off the hole. The radiator should have thin rubber pads with the springs on top of the radiator bracket. Like they said, if the motor mount isn't sitting down in the cross member properly, it could be throwing it off. Take photos of the motor mount if you can. I only use the crank to turn the motor during the timing process and you can safely do that but don't start it as it will whirl around like a propeller.
 
The radiator can be moved around and adjusted a little bit in its mounting holes. Try that first.
 
Also, a bent frame sideways. You can look at where the front lower motor mount bolt comes thru, and see if it centered in the frame hole, or not. That will tell you about your frame, side to side. The guy that "restored" my car back in the nineties, never straightened the frame. When I repaired things (body off) after I wrecked it, the frame motor mount hole had worn sideways about 3/4".
 
Sunnybrook,
The hand crank will not "whirl around like a propeller" when the engine starts.
The crank pulley is designed to cam out the crank handle.
I have hand crank started my Model A many many times with no such problem.
 
I've only used it for the timing. Has anybody ever made a tool to crank it over on the inside of the rad. Like the end if a crank handle welded to a socket bar that could be used with a ratchet, or is there just not enough room.
 
If it is not working properly and doesn't kick it out it because it isn't in straight, it will mine has done it so I know what I am talking about.
 
Rob Needs said:
I've only used it for the timing. Has anybody ever made a tool to crank it over on the inside of the rad. Like the end if a crank handle welded to a socket bar that could be used with a ratchet, or is there just not enough room.
Click to expand...

Parts houses sell the perfect tool to rotate the crankshaft or to tighten and loosen the crankshaft front cranking bolt. It's a 1 3/8" wrench with a couple sharp bends to fit around the crank pulley.
 
I use this
 

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Something is not sitting right causing your troubles. Take a good hard look at your front motor mount to see if it is installed correctly, or just has too much wear and tear on it. Front cross member could be bent, cracked or broken. U-bolts holding the crank bracket and the front springs could be bent/broken or out of position.
Do you have Les Andrews book? It has good information on these areas.
 
Sideways (horizontal) misalignment between the crank, bushing, and ratchet-nut is usually due to issue with front motor mount and / or crank bushing.

Vertical misalignment is usually due to front motor mount elevation.

This assumes that the front frame rails and crossmember are not bent out of alignment.

Take a long, careful look at the situation, and go from there.

Some pictures of the situation might help us help you...
 
1-3/8" short socket with ½" drive, about a 12" or so ½" extention with a ½" ratchet does the job for me. You have the advantage of tweaking it backwards when you inevitabely overshoot TDC.
 
FWIW, not all of the crank nuts are 1-3/8", the one on our '31 CCPU is 1-5/16", I suspect that it's aftermarket.
 
I had a similar issue with my 29 and blamed it on an aftermarket spring under the front engine mount - turned out the bushing bracket was on backwards and the locating pin was not symmetrical for some unknown reason. Once I flipped the part around and replaced the J. C. Whitney parts it lined up fine.
 
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