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Yanmar hand crank modifications for the J92 by Cyclone #80
As many of you know the stock Yanmar hand crank does not work on the J92 because of the bulkhead in front of the engine.
The stock handle needs about 4 inches to make it work.
First step is to cut the handle apart by cutting the part that fits in the engine off of the handle part. I used a band saw but a hacksaw would work just fine as alignment will be taken care of by the hole
Next I found some rod that fit inside the hole in the handle. I used a piece about 12 in long. I also found a tube about 8 inches long. This tube will slide over the rod and provide a convenient place for a hand hold while turning the crank.
I TIG welded the part because I could, MIG, arc or gas would work just fine too. Brazing would not be strong enough. I made the rod flush with the back side of the handle and inserted the rod enough to preserve alignment with the engine side. Tube should be able to spin freely on the rod.
Total time not including paint was about one hour. I had the materials in my scrap bin. The rod and tube were just some SAE 1020 low carbon steel that I had laying around. I would guess that a welding shop would hit you $20 and one hour of labor.
Starting procedure. MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS IN NEUTRAL AND AT LOW IDLE SPEED. Turn the key on, make sure that the shutdown lever is in the run position. If you hold the decompression valve open with one hand while cranking with the other you can get some speed up. When you release the decompression valve move that hand to the shaft and get ready you will still have to put some OMMPH into getting over the compression stroke. Engine should start immediately. Be careful not to cross your arms and keep your face and legs out of the way. The Yanmar crank is designed so it will only crank in one direction and the engine will push it out when it starts. However make sure that the handle slides in and out of the engine easily. On my first try the engine did not release the crank and started with the crank still in the engine. Boy does it vibrate when that happens. If it happens to you DO NOT TRY AND STOP OR REMOVE THE CRANK! Just pull the shutdown lever and engine will stop. Starting with the hand crank may seem scary but it you ever hand cranked a Model T or kick started a Harley, this engine is easy.