I learned something this morning. Yesterday we put the crankcase on an engine we are rebuilding. We bolted the crankcase to the block. We have a re-babbited ball cap and we turned the engine nose down on the stand and put the ball cap on the end of the tail shaft. We couldn't get the two lower bolts into the crankcase, but it was off by about 1/16 of an inch to one side. By forcing the bolts in we could not get the 4th main to slide on the bolts.
The closest crankcase straightening jig is over 100 miles from here and with disappointment we thought we would have to make the round trip, and if it couldn't be done the day we arrived, make the trip again when it was done.
I slept on it and then an idea dawned. I put the ball cap on the end of the tail shaft and then bolted to the crankcase before I bolted the crankcase to the block. There was enough slack in the bolt holes to be able to move the crankcase over enough to fit perfectly. I tightened the crankcase to the block and then tilted the engine nose down and it fits and moves up and down on the bolts. Problem solved.
Norm
That's using the old bean. We Model Ter's get alot done in our sleep, dreaming of the other woman in our life... our T. . Congratulations. Jim Patrick
That's a good tip Norm.
Now put on your hogs head and see if it still remains the same.
Out of all several hundred pans we have trued, I have had only one pan that the arms were not out of alignment.
How's your Luck?
I have an original KRW crankcase locator, Lang's sells a reproduction of it KRW-CCL. This should always be used when installing a pan even if it has been straight-en on a pan straightening jig.
We installed the hogs head today and it is still fine. So we went ahead and put the engine back in the car. The ears line up very well too. Got tired, so will have to install the steering column, the radiator, and manifolds and a few other things Monday. Should be running before the end of next week!
Norm
I always use the 4th main as an alignment tool to locate the block on the pan.