So this all started with a small knock and the need for me to look inside and see what was what . Per my other posts, I found 2 pieces of Bendix from a prior starter problem and some babbit from my 2nd rod cap.
First I need to check my mains before addressing the rods. Here are pics of the 3rd main and cap. Comments? I need to now plastigauge it . there are currently 3 shims, 2 thick and one thin. I dont know what side the thin one was on...is that a problem?
nothing looks wrong with it. it all depends on what the plasti says. so long as its together and you can adjust your clearance run it.
but if your rod thrusts are cracking then i would seek out some re babbitted rods.
i know a very reputable babbitting outfit here in socal, where are you located?
I agree with Matthew.
The only "problem" is going to be how many times you're going to have to install and remove that cap before you get it right.......
LORD I hate shimming........
Matt, I live in Santa Cruz.... By the way, how the heck do you keep those shims from falling off the bolts? Grease? Or stick them to the cap ? I had it in with plastigauge and took it apart and I guess my plastigauge fell out before I put it in ...DARN! Tired of laying on my back till 10 PM so I'll tackle it tomorrow.
Craig, you are correct...it is a pain, especially laying on your back at night !
I agree, it's a killer and all I did was the rods. One of the rods didn't have anymore than about half the babbit making contact on the journal so I had to do a little scraping and a little filing on the top of the cap to get my clearance correct and to get it to have better surface contact. By the time I was done the arthritis in my shoulder was the worst I've ever felt and I couldn't sleep because of the pain.
usually i keep them on the cap, only thing with grease is it could cause a false reading.
well if you dont know anyone local to do rods i know a couple guys in escondido called Antique Engine Bearing service, they do excellent work, and at a good price.
Thanks Matt.... good to know !
There appears to be an inclusion or more likely a blow hole in the Babbit and also looks like the bearing has a textured surface rather than a smooth surface, but pictures can lie. The thrust surfaces appear OK. Don't put it back in until you have determined if the length of the cap will maintain a consistent magneto gap. It would be a shame to go to the work you've done so far and not check end-play of the crank. That cap is the only thing constraining the location of the crankshaft.
Why is there a flywheel bolt missing and no safety wire installed?
As for the plastic gauge, lay a short length on the cap and bolt it up. Try the 2 thin shims one each side and see how that measures. How much end clearance do you have on the crank? If it's more than .005 I'd start with a new rebabbited cap.
Can't pull the cap down with the bolt in place - one has to be removed to gain clearance for cap removal.
Dan,
Just a word of caution. If you are checking the mains, you can't check the fit of the center main while the engine is in the car. The reason is that the 1st and 3rd main tend to wear in the cap. This allows you to remove shims and tighten up the clearance. The center main tends to wear in the block. If you have wear in the center main and remove shims to tighten it up, you will be pushing the center of the crank upwards and forcing it out of alignment. This increases the chance of breaking the crankshaft.
The only way to really check the mains is to remove the engine, flip it upside down and put blueing on the journals. Lay the crank in the block and see what you have for contact area on the bearings in the block. If all three bearings show good contact, then go ahead and adjust the caps. If the center is not showing good contact, then it's time to rebabbit.
Dave S.
Model A's will wear the center main more, because the flywheel not being supported on the rear.
But, not the Model T's, they wear the rear main from the Transmission weight between between the Rear cap, and the ball cap.
I hate to display my ignorance, and I am not trying to hijack this thread, and I know this has been discussed before, but my memory fails me and I can't easily find it, however, why is the chamfer on the edge of the cap not carried out to the edge so that oil can better get in?
Roar
The oil comes in from the top of the bearing, and if the oil well would go clear to the end of the cap, the oil would run out the length of the cap. It still does, but only the gap thickness the shim pack makes.
But with the oil wells, you always have a oil wipe, in a reserve pocket.
Herm
Thanks, Herm!