Can someone please post how to build-up babbitt on the rear bearing cap using a soldering iron?
Thank you in advance!
Here's an article from Fun Project's website: http://www.funprojects.com/pdf/Excessive%20Crankshaft%20Endplay%20Repair.pdf
You can do some training first by soldering on a worn out rod or main bearing cap from the scrap heap most of us T-addicts has accumulated
Charles, your going to need a good heavy soldering iron. Somewhere up around 200 amps. It may be a little hard to find an iron that big. I found mine at a stain glass shop that I worked at for a few years.
Mike
I hope you mean 200 watts. Not sure they make a home outlet that will supply 200 amps. ;o)
schuh
Charles, an old copper iron that you heat with a torch works well, I have all sizes I've found at the local flea mkt cheap. KB
I have done this - successfully so far (2 years and 4000 miles ago).
I have a 240 watt soldering iron - you do need a big one for this job.
I obtained some white metal turnings and melted these in an aluminium angle to make a pencil-sized bar.
I only built up metal on the front end. Almost all the wear occurs on the front face. (Last time I posted this, some people disagreed, but most agreed).
I measured the length of the cap before starting (with a micrometer). Knowing I had 0.018" endfloat, I set out to make the cap 0.015" longer without touching the rear face. Applying it is just like tinning - everything must be absolutely clean. I ended up with a cap which looked like Photo 2 in the article in Roger's link.
Then I filed it down smooth and used the micrometer to get not only the correct length but also the same length everywhere. If you go too far, or you find you have 'pits' you haven't built up sufficiently, you just have to plug in the iron and add some metal. When it's right, you also have to file a radius to match the shape of the end of the crank web. I aimed for 0.003" float because I guessed that my surface would not be perfect and early running would quickly get it to 0.005".
If you find that with the crank fully forward you don't have enough magneto clearance, you could build up both ends with this method, but you will have to do one end at a time.
Bud, when I typed that I was half asleep. I meant 200 watts. Although that much current may prove interesting. If Charles is going to use my type of soldering iron, I hope his breakers are in good shape. 110 volts, 200 amps = .55 Ohms.
Now to determine watts, heat (work done), (P), where P=1joule/1 second 1joule=...
Wow joules and watts and resistance and ohms and voltage and my head hurts. I can't believe I took a year of tech college to become an electronics tech only to forget everything I ever learned. And I received a 4.0 through a couple semesters and was named to the presidents list. Now I can't tell you how many watts my little mix up would cause but i can't help but think that soldering iron would get kinda hot.
Mike
Figured it was just a brain fart. When you reach my age they occur several times a day! LOL
Tell me about it. My brother told me, when I turned 60 he was going to laugh at me. Well apparently at 65 his memory is shot because I'm damn near 63 now and apparently he's forgot to laugh. My question is this. I supposedly retired 4 years ago. When does the work stop and retirement begin? I'm still getting up at 5:00 A.M. every morning and I never get everything done that was supposed to be by quitting time when I have to go to bed. And why have my knuckles got these huge arthritic bumps on them and why does my shoulder hurt if I lay in it and why can I never find my glasses and what ah why did um what were we talking about. Last week I asked my son when was the last time he had been at my house and when he was going to come back again. He said; "Dad we're in your living room right now". I had to go lay down
Thanks for the help!
However, I was only going to build up the rear of the rear main bearing cap. Will this be okay? I don't run a magneto.
If you follow my method, above, you can build up either end, or both ends, but only do one at a time. I suggested the front because this is the face that reacts the end load when you disengage the high gear clutch - so it takes load in low, reverse and neutral. So it wears.
If you don't have a magneto, it's not too critical. You want to end up with the rods central in the pistons, but I doubt you will be able judge less than about 0.010" offset by looking up inside.