MTFCA Forum

Anybody ever use a lead test kit to check babbitt? The gun at the scrap yard is broken.

Bob:
probably the only sure way to know the composition of a material is to purchase from a verifiable source … I think it is safe to purchase ingots that are labeled as " government genuine" or "nickle xxxx" or trade names that can be researched and verified as a suitable alloy … some materials will show up for sale that just can not be identified … probably too risky at any price and lab testing too expensive to be worth while … Magnolia Metals and N-F smelters are good current sources for verifiable alloy Babbitt … always an optimist ...Gene French

I’m with you when you say, know what you are buying. And not too long ago I lucked into 200+ lbs and got the MSD sheet. But I have been given and found a lot of Babbitt over the years. The Lead Test kit showed the Frictionless and the Magnolia not to have lead. The other pieces did have lead.

Here is a place that sells a Ford mix of Babbitt. http://stores.acrosales.com/fordbabbitt/
Dan

BobShirleyAtlantaTx wrote: ↑

Fri May 03, 2019 9:51 am

Anybody ever use a lead test kit to check babbitt? The gun at the scrap yard is broken. image.jpg

Sold by the Magnolia Metal Corporation, Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal is still available for purchase today. Introduced in 1886, Magnolia Metal (as it was commonly referred to) was advertised as "the best bearing material known to man and far superior than any other Babbitt." While there is no doubt that Magnolia Metal has it's applications and does generally perform well, it also has some limitations. Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal is a primarily lead based material but with the addition of graphite for to make it somewhat self lubricating.

Composition (approximately):
Element Percent
Lead 80.00%
Tin 5.00%
Antimony 15.00%

This product is equivalent to the following specifications:
ASTM: B23 Grade 8


According to the Magnolia Metal Corporation, Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal "meets all requirements for general use. Offers good resistance to compression and has the lowest co- efficient of friction of any known bearing metal... 1/3 that of genuine babbitt. Is graphite treated and largely self-lubricated. Typical Applications... Line shafting...electric motors 10 to 250 hp.... winches... pumps... propeller shafts... cement mills ... general machinery."

Pouring temperature for Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal is 750-825 degrees F.

Don't use it.

Herm.

Quick test for any lead content........drag the Babbitt across a piece of clean, white paper. If it leaves a gray mark it contains lead.

You can have babbitt assayed for $100. If you get a 30# ingot for free, this might be worthwhile.

This is a question that I’ve never really understood. With all the time that is required to babbitt & linebore, do other machining, assemble a short block, cost of other new parts, an engine gasket set and cylinder head gasket, grinding a crank, assembling the pan, hogshead, installing the engine in the car, installing radiator, manifolds, fuel line, etc, etc... Why would anyone use anything other than fresh, new, babbitt of the proper grade from a commercial bearing metal manufacturer? If your alloy is less than correct for the job, you run the risk of having to pull the motor apart to the last pieces and do it over again, possibly in a short while. The T main bearings account for maybe 2 pounds of babbitt. If you pour your own rods and don’t have some big sloppy moulds, then the rods maybe account for another 2 pounds.

Another thing that should be considered is that there are babbitt ingot moulds out there, and there have been for decades. Just because an ingot says something, doesn’t mean thats what the metal is. People have been pouring just about anything into old moulds and selling as decorative items, curiosities, paperweights, or just plain deceptively for decades...

[/attachment]. Got about 150 lbs left that nickel this is not about that. This is about the first picture, I was asking is, has anyone used the lead test kits to see what they have.