Starting Crank Handle

Does anyone know how the jaw end is held onto the main shaft?
Anyone ever take one off?
I don’t see a dog pin or threads. My guess is shrink fit.

image

There is a tab washer 3 to wrap around the nut flats and is there not a little tab facing inwards that locates in the slot in the pulley? I don’t think it’s totally essential.

Peter

No, I meant the cranking handle in the tool kit.

Ah! In that case I don’t know.

Peter

Hi Rob.
Think there is one at my shed that the end has been removed. I’ll check.

To be honest, the weather was bad and I suspected the fact that the previous owner had chrome plated my handle so it wouldn’t show any attachment but the sun’s out now and it appears to have a set screw retaining the business end.

Peter

Mine also looks like it has a pin through the head and shaft, perhaps hammered or pressed slightly over at the ends.

Thanks, friends. If there was a pin or screw in mine I certainly should be able to see it, and in fact this question thread would not have been necessary.
Graham, anything to add?


Hi Rob.
Yes agree with them being pinned on.
Regards Graham

For what its worth. the Factory Contract Drawing for the C2655 (Mark V Starting Handle) illustrates/describes a “1/4” diameter Pin Brazed" for both the Starting Dog at the end, as well as the similar diameter support/guide collar towards the crank end. (as per Grahams pic of Mark V handle shows)

Two Mark IV handles I have definitely have a 1/4" pin.

I don’t have factory Drawing for SS Jaguar Starting Handle, so can’t comment precisely, but on checking an actual 1936/7 SS-Jaguar Tourer starting handle in my tools collection (longer than saloon/dhc but same characteristic pre-war long starting dog) its very hard to see/confirm but does look like a pin (of about 1/4" dia) head one side, and a tail at 180 degree opposite, towards the top end of the dog.

Ok so I ran all over the end with a fine file, thinking it would reveal a pin somewhere. Nope. So I went back to my original thought that it was a shrink fit. Tried the torch on it, got it to a low red hot, and a faint round circle appeared, but not 1/4", more like 3/16". So I guess there is a pin after all, the torch revealed it. I wasn’t doubting you folks, just allowing for all possibilities.
Tried a hammer and punch, succeeded in dimpling in the circle, but nothing is revealing itself on the back side. Could it be a pin in a blind hole? Drill press tomorrow.

Hi Rob.
Is your crank handle from your Mk V or the SS?
On mine there was a ground flat on each side where the pin went.

Its the handle for the SS. No flats at all. The guy that made this really hid the pin well. Looking at it today in daylight I’m not even certain I’m trying in the right place.
starting handle

Looking with a magnifying glass, I saw I was trying the punch in the wrong place. I found the right place and tried hammer and punching, no go. Drilled into one end of the pin and hammered some more, tried bigger hammers, it moved about .002", enough to see it was a 1/4" grooved pin like this.


The hammer and punch was just making it tighter.
Drilled out both ends of the pin and got the damaged end jaw piece off. Drilled out the remainder of the pin.
I’ve made a new end jaw piece.
I may use a different type of pin.

Done. Used a roll pin.


And it works.

Now…has anybody figured out a good way to get the hand grip off to get it re-chromed?

1 Like

Well , one could leave it on and mask off the rest of the handle with duct tape, I thought it was nickel platd not chrome.
Those horns??? Hmm.

Looks like chrome to me.


I think there must be a wire ring inside, like steering columns have to hold the wheel.
I’m going to try to buy or make a split collar for a gear puller to pull against.

What, Ed, no compliment that the engine is no longer pastel green and pastel yellow two-tone? :grin:
I know it looks blue in the shady photo but its gray.
IMG_20191211_152414745
I’m liking those horns. They play a nice mellow chord.

Hi Rob,

The groove in the handle tube is a swage line rolled in to match a machined groove in the stock, and the interference of this is the only method of retention. This interference is not much. I have removed a handle by doing something similar to what you’ve proposed, to swap it for an undamaged and unrusted one. Once you hold the inner end near the bend securely without clamping the stock, you can drive down through the end of the tube onto the crank handle end. When refitting, the groove in the tube may still have enough ‘spring’ to lock into the stock groove. If not, a little gentle tapping around the groove circle with a neatly profiled tool will close it up enough.

But I agree with Ed, it should be nickel, not chrome. The two finishes look similar when old. The replating would look better with a ‘satin’ finish rather than bright. Nickel would be preferred as it would not have the same sharp edges as chrome does when it begins to break down. Also, factory economics would err on the cheaper nickel side too and tools were never needing a high quality cosmetic finish. The handle can easily be re-plated in-situ with thorough wrapping of the remaining parts. The open end does not need sealing up, as plating will not take in this recess. It is quite successful done this way, but have a talk with your plater as you’ll probably find they have done countless of these and similar combinations. Traces of the chemical bath liquids are retained inside the gap but you can easily flush these out upon return, then follow up with a small amount of oil after drying. It is amazing how nicely this handle rolls with a bit of oil added.

Greetings All,

Any chance its a tapered pin?

Thanks, Peter, I’ll give that a try. The grip moves along the main shaft about 1/8".

The pin on the jaw end was like the McMaster drawing I attached above, with 3 grooves, so it was not really tapered in the usual sense, except if you call the grooves a form of tapering. I suspect it was hammered at both ends by the factory to expand it and hold it in place like a rivet, never expecting that 80 years later somebody would want to take it out.