Getting to Know an Old Jalopy Roadster and Making It Work

[hotrod937]

Just pulled my crank. Left the pistons in place so I could easliy put everything back. There are shims in every clam. I've got everything in exact order so I can put it back exactly how it came out. I'm also gonna plastigauge all the bearings just to make sure they're not too far out. The rest of the babbitt looks good. Just that rear main is beat.

Now how do I get that thrust babbitt off the rear top of the block? Do I machine it out? Would be a bear to put it up on the Bridgeport table. Seems to me that's the only way.

[phartman]

Originally Posted by Richard Wilson

James.....You can lead them to water but you can't make them drink.

Never heard that one before.

I thought the saying was, "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think...."

Did I recall that correctly???

[James Rogers]

Both are correct. One is a northern saying and one is from Appalachia.

[hotrod937]

So any ideas on getting this bronze insert in? Machine the insert to add thrust to the stock babbitt or machine out the babbitt in the rear thrust area of the block? It didn't come with directions.. haha

[dumb person]

Originally Posted by hotrod937

So any ideas on getting this bronze insert in? Machine the insert to add thrust to the stock babbitt or machine out the babbitt in the rear thrust area of the block? It didn't come with directions.. haha

Can you carve off some babbitt & solder it onto the bronze? i added babbitt from an old rod onto a main bearing cap for thrust-face adjustment once and it worked ok. If the babbitt does tin onto the bronze like solder you might be able to solder it.

[hotrod937]

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Originally Posted by dumb person

Can you carve off some babbitt & solder it onto the bronze? i added babbitt from an old rod onto a main bearing cap for thrust-face adjustment once and it worked ok. If the babbitt does tin onto the bronze like solder you might be able to solder it.

This sounds like some surgery. How do I carve off the babbitt? Is it super soft? Could I oxy weld it or TIG weld it? I do have a solider gun. Maybe I could boogger a bunch of the old babbitt off the thrust I'm trying to remove and machine it down to cure my 50+ thou end play. Now how do I get the babbitt off? Do I take it down to flush with the block? How do I do it without cracking the main in the block?

Any tips on TIG welding or OXY welding the babbitt? Could I TIG weld the cracks in the main also? This just got interesting!... My buddy is an awesome TIG welder with exotics. Wonder what he knows? Babbitt melts at 750* How many amps would that be like 20? Would that be DC with some pulse? Oh I gotta know more!

[dumb person]

Babbitt is very soft, like solder, i can scrape it with my pocket knife, just scrape off enough to use for tinning the bronze thing i guess (like i said i have never done this bronze thing before). Ever see the big copper soldering iron that was used with a kerosene torch? i used that but had to take it to a place with an oxy' torch to heat it, all the kero' torches died of old age. Took about 5 minutes for the copper to go cold which was plenty of time to melt some old rod cap onto the thrust face. i then filed it to fit.

As for the cracks in the main i have seen some old posts on the internet where old guys glued the broken babbitt back on the caps when it fell out while doing maintenance to get them through until "next winter" so you might be able to live with those cracks as they are, meddling with them might make things worse.

Good luck!

[James Rogers]

Originally Posted by hotrod937

Babbitt melts at 750* How many amps would that be like 20? Would that be DC with some pulse? Oh I gotta know more!

Babbitt melts at 450 degrees. You cook a steak at that temp. This is why I stated the bronze is junk. I have never had anyone explain to me how to install it. I have seen it used in several motors that were converted to inserts and it is still junk. Be careful working with heat around the babbitt, it will melt and fall off before you even know it is hot. I believe you are headed for a set of mains very soon.

[George Miller]

Originally Posted by hotrod937

So any ideas on getting this bronze insert in? Machine the insert to add thrust to the stock babbitt or machine out the babbitt in the rear thrust area of the block? It didn't come with directions.. haha

Take a small chisel start at the babbitt parting line then carefully chisel it off. Do not chisel the other way or you might take out the babbitt for the main bearing.
This is if you are talking the insert with slinger groove made in to it. If that does not remove all your end play, you can have the block and cap machined for the half round bronze inserts.

If it was me I would go all the way and put inserts in. But I can do that myself.

[Flathead]

Innocent question here. What is the deal with the bronze insert thrust repair thing? I see how it is supposed to work, and I know alot of work is involved. The motor in my car has excess end play but runs good. What problems would I likely encounter? I just wondered if it would be helpful for the end play.

[George Miller]

Originally Posted by Flathead

Innocent question here. What is the deal with the bronze insert thrust repair thing? I see how it is supposed to work, and I know alot of work is involved. The motor in my car has excess end play but runs good. What problems would I likely encounter? I just wondered if it would be helpful for the end play.

You won't know until you take it apart. But the babbitt jobs I have been seeing recently have not been good. Babbitt is breaking away from the block and cap. Was not like that years ago. I think it is a lost art.

[dumb person]

Originally Posted by James Rogers

I believe you are headed for a set of mains very soon.

If he can melt a little babbitt onto the surface without having to use the bronze thing will he have a better chance of getting 5 months running from this engine before needed a proper re-pour?

[Rakuda]

Excellent ride and thread!! I'm working on a similar 31 roadster. Although I'm missing the back half of the body on mine. I'm still looking for a reasonable single downdraft intake for a 97 I have. Working on calibrating the brakes this spring. I bet my wife I could get it on the road in 2 months last spring. It was a marginally safe on the road. . Its great to clip around with the windshield down. Wish I had hair for the wind to blow though

Joe

[James Rogers]

Originally Posted by George Miller

You won't know until you take it apart. But the babbitt jobs I have been seeing recently have not been good. Babbitt is breaking away from the block and cap. Was not like that years ago. I think it is a lost art.

Not lost to everybody.

[Duffy1]

This post is up to 4 pages with no end in sight.

[hotrod937]

So I think I'm going to bite the bullet and spend the money on the mystery "B/C/Diamond" motor today. I'll post up when I know something.

Here's me doing the plastigauge. Didn't even register on the smash! Needs new bearings..

[James Rogers]

Too bad you waited, I sold my B with a factory forged CW crank and almost new rebuild, today. 3500$ funning out the door and the customer heard it run before he bought it. Guaranteed not to leak any fluids from anywhere!

[hotrod937]

Alright. I went to buy the B motor and it had a big weld repair on the front of the block where the water jacket is. There was a 28 A motor that looked real nice (5 cam bearings) but it was burried way in the pile and would take all day to get out. So as the old man was yelling at me I was looking for something to buy and not take up his time. I found this super clean A motor with fresh crosshatch pattern, deck machine and caps and cam for $125. I picked it outa the pile and rolled. I called my babbitt guy and set the ball rolling on getting it poured, machined, balanced and the crank counterweighted. He's a couple weeks out but I think the money is better spent on starting from scratch then on another motor that needs rebuilt.

[Brendan]

Kool, can you start a build thread?

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Cool. Whose gonna do the babbitt for you??