MTFCA Forum

Guys I need help. Engine with the ball bearing 4th main, type that you must turn down shaft leaking out bearing. Brand new double sealed bearing, new to trans driven plate turned to bearing ID with brake drum.
Oil is coming out the bearing not around it or by shaft.
Does anyone have a better bearing for this job?
Less than 2 hours on test stand started leaking.
If you do not want to post, email at address in pictures. Thanks Dan

You don’t say what brand of bearing. I’ve always used a non Chinese name brand like SKF or Fafnir or similar with no trouble.

All this one says is China.

Age old question- is the plug in the tail shaft? Assuming it is, you can take a piece of 3" exhaust tubing and tack weld an oil shield onto the 4th main body over the spring to keep oil off the bearing . Also get a bearing that is both shielded and sealed if possible. Is it an R24 bearing or does it have a bushing on the ID?

Plug is there. R24 bearing. I was wondering about a oil slinger in front of bearing.
Most likely just a cheap a$$ sealed bearing.

I know you will not want to hear this but IMHO a bearing there is the fastest way to break a crank. I have removed those from my T's and gone with rebabited original fourth mains after breaking two cranks.

I've had issues with leaks at the shaft and Babbitt 4th main when using the transmission screen. Does it have a screen?

Jim
I’m pretty sure that Dan has that concern dealt with as I’m pretty sure he is running a “floating transmission shaft”!!

What is wrong with a babbet, or even a bronze bearing? No problems there. There are examples of broken flanges with those ball bearing jobs.

Been building T engines from stock to super high performance for 25 years plus. Only broken two cranks using over 50 ball bearing forth mains were due to me. Those cheap newer ones with Chinese ball bearings not only will leak like crazy but the bearings fail and could cause the crank to break. I had one of the newer ones delivered to me, had a rough spot. I broke the bearing case just to see what was causing it. OMG, The inside of the ball bearing cage look like someone on their rice break made it with a die grinder. Do the math folks.., cheaper items are junk, pay the price for quality and be done with it! For what is worth.


Hank

Customer brought me another bearing, will try that one. Thanks Dan

I have not had any experience at all with the ball bearing fourth mains, but I have had a LOT of experience with other applications of bearings, both ball, and tapered in a past life. Unfortunately, there are a LOT of so called USA made bearings out there that only have a USA brand on them that have been bought out by another company. I have found many pillow block ball bearings among others that had a LOT of play in them, no way would the seals seal. JMHO. Dave

The other issue is "faked" bearings from offshore sources. I pretty much exclusively use SKF bearings because they are some of the best in the business. But there can be problems there as well. This explains the predicament SKF is in pretty well:

https://www.skf.com/us/organisation/bra ... tion[quote][/quote]

Kevin you are so right!

I find NOS in the box, ie SKF, NP, Timken, etc on Tbay from industrial bearing Liquidators. Works for me. Too many big corporations are out sourcing to third world counties.

Hank

When i broke a crankshaft i found the ball bearing 4"th main had gone bad. The bearing had a shield on the back side only and the bearing was exposed to the engine oil.I went back to Ford on rebuilt but i would not put much faith in off shore junk. Often buying the very best is cheaper in the long run!! Bud.