Knob on Front for Hand Crank is Wicked Stuck

[FarmallCubGal]

Hi Folks,

I need to hand start my 1948 Farmall H but the pin (knob?) is super stuck, won’t budge. I’ve used a cheater to try to rotate, but I’ve bent every bolt, Allen key and all else I could find that fits through the tunnel. ( It didn’t come with a hand crank when I bought it). Any top tips for getting it to rotate?

Also, I’m wondering how the hand crank system works. Unlike my Cub, the hand crank appears to be offset from the crankshaft, so guessing there are gears hidden below the radiator? I can see a slot with a big spring on a shaft, but can’t see the mechanism that connect the hand system to the actual crank shaft of the engine. Does it push itself across the gap and into the crankshaft, (sort of like a Bendix) then spring back in? Or is there a missing part? I don’t see a connection…. Would love to see a cut away diagram on how this works.

I think the M also has an offset hand crank. There’s one sitting outside just north of me and I drove up and looked at it today and there was also an empty gap between the engine and where the hand crank mechanism would come in. I could see through the slot where a large spring wraps around the shaft, just like my H.

Any and all advice welcome! I’m worried I’ll need to remove the radiator to clean up a rusty mess of gears and spring etc to get this to turn.

Thanks in advance

Lisa

[Jim Becker]

First off, if you do not have a Parts Catalog for the H, you need to get one. In the meanwhile follow this link: https://www.messicks.com/cas/147341. Then select category 01 - Engine and diagram 017 Crankshaft. The crank parts are in that diagram, mostly items 27 through 34.

The main parts:
The ratchet (28) which should push in to engage the crankshaft, surrounded by the spring (29) which helps is disengage from the crankshaft when it starts.
The shaft (32) which is pinned to the ratchet and sticks out the front to engage to crank (34).

Note that 28 and 32 are attached to each other with a pin (43) that is essentially a universal joint to allow 32 to come out at an angle. 32 comes out at an angle because the center space is occupied by the steering shaft that goes from the steering gear down to the front wheels. In normal use, you put the crank on and push it in which pushes 32 in and in turn pushed 28 in to engage the crankshaft.

If yours won't turn, it could be either 28 or 32 (or both) that is stuck. The joint at 43 usually has some slack in it. You should be able to see wiggle 32 a little if it isn't the stuck part. Based on that, you need to get some penetrating oil onto whichever part is stuck. Let it soak and do some moderate hammering to see if it breaks loose.

[Gary Dotson]

Jim has you covered with the parts description. The last “H” I worked on, the crank pin was also pretty stuck. People don’t use hand cranks much, anymore, so they rust in place from non-use. I soaked it good, inside and out, with penetrating oil and tapped in pried out while also trying to turn it. It slowly started to free up. The reason I needed it free was that I was changing the fan belt and it was pushed part way in and I couldn’t get the belt past it.

[FarmallCubGal]

A big THANK YOU to Jim for that essential diagram and walk through and to Gary for the story on the unsticking. It all makes sense to me now.

Gary - did you have the radiator off when you were trying to get the shaft to turn?

[Gary Dotson]

No, the tractor was fully assembled. I was doing an alternator conversion and found the belts were in very poor condition but had the free up the hand crank assembly to install the new belt. I’m sure they will never use the hand crank and if the tractor visits me again, it will likely be frozen again. This is a neighbor that I do occasional small repair jobs for, in return, I buy beef and pork from them.

[Urbish]

The other guys have you covered. Penetrating oil and some tapping on the end of the shaft sticking out of the front of the tractor with a brass, copper, or rubber hammer (to prevent mushrooming the end) and it should come loose eventually.

I hand crank my H from time to time to verify that I have the ignition and fuel mix dialed in perfectly. Usually fires right up on the 2nd pull. The shaft on mine was sticky from rust and lack of use. In that case a little motor oil squirted in there did the job.

[FarmallCubGal]

Thank you Gary and Jim! I found a thread about removing the radiator and saw that was a really bad idea! I’ve got penetrating oil on it and fished out the rubber mallet and will have a go at it again this week when it warms up a bit. Merry Christmas