starting crank

[tomstractor]

I went to set the timing on my Lowboy and the crank does not fit in the ft casting. I tried the crank on another Cub and it fits just fine. It seems that the casting is too small. Anybody ever see this problem?

[Barnyard]

Yes, I have seen it on occasion. You might need to grind a bit off each end of the end pin.

[tomstractor]

would it be safe to try to grind the sides, where the pin goes, to open it up or would I hit water?

[Bob McCarty]

The pulley is on the end of the crankshaft. No where close to any water jacket. Here's a picture from TM Tractor: http://www.tmtractor.com/new/en/5761fp.htm

[Waif]

I'm not recommending...Due to the odds of hitting the crank on something by not removing it after starting..

My 48 Cub has an ear broken off the pully the crank fits into. Standard pin slips off trying to grip it to crank.
So , I have a longer pin than standard , (and maybe just a tad greater diameter , but the need to be sure it's not tight in the pully remains) which means installing the pin with the crank handle pin end put through the front bolster first. And having to remove pin to remove crank.
So I leave it in and don't bump it against anything...

With yours I'd try Barnyards suggestion. You might want to have a spare pin just in case.
Relieving the casting to allow your existing pin instead , will take some grinding effort exceeding trying the reduced pin first. And pins are a better risk in altering , vs castings..

[Barnyard]

The pulley is on the end of the crankshaft. No where close to any water jacket. Here's a picture from TM Tractor: http://www.tmtractor.com/new/en/5761fp.htm

Bob, Tom said it isn't fitting in the casting, which I would think means the bolster not the pulley.

[tomstractor]

Yes it was in the bolster that the crank would not fit. I used a long carbide burr in my die grinder and cleaned the hole. It now fits.

[SamsFarm]

This definately sounds like the best option!

Yes, I have seen it on occasion. You might need to grind a bit off each end of the end pin.

Who knows maybe someone changed out the pin years earlier and put a longer one in!
I have 2 cranks and the pins in them are both 1 1/4 inch long. How long is the pin in your crank?

But......
Double check that there is not some obstruction or casting flaw in the crank key hole under the grill and radiator!

[Barnyard]

:thanx: Yes it was in the bolster that the crank would not fit. I used a long carbide burr in my die grinder and cleaned the hole. It now fits.

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

[Bob McCarty]

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I have over the years seen several cubs a standard crank would not fit, but a homemade one I purchased on Ebay did fit. ON practically all of the ones an original crank did not fit I could see signs of freezing on the bolster, the most common one being the top of the bolster not being flat.

[tomstractor]

I have 3 cranks and 2 look to be factory and 1 maybe homemade. The pins in all of them are 1 1/4 x 5/16. They all fit now. It looks to have been a flaw in the casting of the bolster. I would have thought that in all the years since this was made that somebody would have fixed this problem. When I decided to fix it, it only took about 1/2 hour.

[Dale Finch]

I have over the years seen several cubs a standard crank would not fit, but a homemade one I purchased on Ebay did fit. ON practically all of the ones an original crank did not fit I could see signs of freezing on the bolster, the most common one being the top of the bolster not being flat.

This is what I have also seen. Freezing can cause the bolster to bulge.

[SamsFarm]

Glad to hear you got it and it was a simple fix!

I would have thought that in all the years since this was made that somebody would have fixed this problem.

YOU just might be the first one to put a crank to it.

It may be that I was the first one to ever crank start my 68 cub. Bought mine around 2003!

I carry the crank" just in case", a weak battery, or when a battery droppes a cell, the starter might not work, but usually there is enough juice to run the coil, and with the crank you can be back in business!

Had someone told me when I was younger that I would be crank starting tractors when I get (got) older, I woulda told them, yea right, your full of it!

But now I think its kinda cool to have that option!

[k hutchins]

Samsfarm
That is exactly the reason l prefer mags to distributors. You don't even need a batt with a mag.
I've cranked a lot over the years when the batt was dead and l didn't have the funds for a new one, or the starter needed work and again short on funds.