Babbitt Bearings

I believe all babbitt places only do both the block and caps together. There aren't many places that still do babbitt as many shops now used inserts.
 
I think I seen a post in the last couple of months about some one that does re babbitt of just main & rod cap bearings. I tried to do the research on it but don't really no how. I would like to know also.
 
Do you want the caps poured and align-bored, ...or just poured? If you just want them poured, I would imagine James Rogers would do it for you (he is in North Carolina and you are in Utah?) but the price will likely be what you won't like in that there is just about the same amount of work as doing a complete block if it needs to be bored.

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Bill Barlow from Bend Oregon does an excellent job. You send him your caps via USPS, with the measurements form the crankshaft, and with-in a week of him receiving your order, you have the three best pieces of jewlery in ever bought in your life. I have usd his bearings in engines, with absolute satifaction. Bearing caps come back machined to dimensions including shims at the correct thickness
 
Thank you very much Glenn and also Harold for the phone number.He is probably the same person that was mentions in an early post. That is besides the one above. Richard/Ca
 
Question: How can you just have the caps poured and get a round bearing surface? It would seem that you would get 1/2 new and 1/2 worn.
 
Peter J said:
Question: How can you just have the caps poured and get a round bearing surface? It would seem that you would get 1/2 new and 1/2 worn.
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There is no way they will fit right, blocks are not bored on the exact center line on every engine. They will be close, they will have to be hand scraped to get full contact. Other wise you will have to adjust them often for a while. For those who say they did it and it ran great, good for you, but I bet you have not drove it many miles. It is possible to get real lucky. How do you mike the center mains when the crank is in the block, you might get close.
 
Quite often, the bearing surface, including the thrust surfaces in the engine block,are in perfect, or next to perfect condition. Babbit might also be tight to the block.
If the bearing bores of the engine block are in alignment, and the crankshaft is true and straight, the crankshaft basically rides on the surface of the bearing caps. Especially during engine starting, run-up, and shutdown. That is why oil pressure to the mains is very critical, which without a full pressurized system, the "oil wedge" machined into the side of each main bearing babbit is critical to maintain as much oil lubrication as possible. Main bearing caps are "tinned" prior to the pouring of the babbit. The babbit in the engine block side, is poured into the engine block bearing pouring mold, and hammered tight against the bearing surface journal. The block bearing journals have 5/16' shallow holes drilled into each bearing saddle that hold the babbit. The engine block is not tinized to receive the poured babbit.

Bill Barlow, is very particular on receiving very accurate measurements, of all main bearing diameters, and accurate measurements of the distance between thrust faces. Pictures of your crank, and condition of the babbit in the block, is without question of benefit to him also, for condition evaluation.

Question then is; Why change the babbit in the block, when it is not reguired ?
 
If that were the case, all anyone would have to do is send their caps in and despense with sending the block in for work. I agree with George.
 
I have also used Bill Barlow. He uses your old caps to make sure the alignment on the new caps he makes is matched. My situation is that the babbilt in my rear cap was cracked - every thing else was good. So far so good.
 
George Miller said:
There is no way they will fit right, blocks are not bored on the exact center line on every engine. They will be close, they will have to be hand scraped to get full contact. Other wise you will have to adjust them often for a while. For those who say they did it and it ran great, good for you, but I bet you have not drove it many miles. It is possible to get real lucky. How do you mike the center mains when the crank is in the block, you might get close.
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How many ways can you say it George, Herm.
 
How many ways can you say it George, Herm.

People that are not machinest, do not realize how much .002 is. The average hair is about .003 thick. Lets say they were only off the center line .002 then you would have a .004 gape if it was to one side. or if the crank was below center line the bearing would be to tight. Which you could shim for. Or if it was to high the bearing would be loose. Or to big across the top of the cap. I would bet there are a lot of engines out there off the center line more than .002, It is very hard to get it .0000

Herm I'm sure you get request for caps all the time, how does it work out for you.
 
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George Miller said:
How many ways can you say it George, Herm.

People that are not machinest, do not realize how much .002 is. The average hair is about .003 thick. Lets say they were only off the center line .002 then you would have a .004 gape if it was to one side. or if the crank was below center line the bearing would be to tight. Which you could shim for. Or if it was to high the bearing would be loose. Or to big across the top of the cap. I would bet there are a lot of engines out there off the center line more than .002, It is very hard to get it .0000

Herm I'm sure you get request for caps all the time, how does it work out for you.
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I would say about 40% of babbitt jobs, it goes like, (( Well my cap has the babbitt falling out, translation FELL OUT, can you just fix cap, but I just tell them they are just wasting there money, as it cost me just the same amount of labor to bore caps, as it does a whole babbitt job. 'WHY" because the only way to get close at all, is pour a junk block, set it up in the align bore, center, and bore the caps, as with out the babbitt in the block, there is no way in H%*& you would be able to get even close to the bore size you are making. Then like you say, you would have a better chance of getting struck by lightning twice, on the same stump, in the same day then hitting it with in .004, 1/2 thousand is to far off, we just don't do that kind of work. My dad always said, if you don't have time to fix it Right, when are you going to have time to do it over. Like you say, how in the world, would you get a reading on the shaft, and using the old cap for a guide, useless information, we have a 6 month, or 6,000 mile guarantee on all our bearings, never had a bad one, even any time after the 6000, but with that kind of job, you would be on your own, and besides I would never try to sell a job to anyone like that, as I know God would get me. Herm.

"Monsieur" George, I think I have read all of your posts, past, and present, haven't found a thing to debate you on.
 
My rear main cap is crack right down the middle but all my other caps have I would say almost perfect babbitt on them. They look like they have very little wear on them so what should I do have them all done again. Sorry I am not trying to be a smart (a:eek:) but I don't no what to do. :confused: Richard/Ca
 
Richard/Ca said:
My rear main cap is crack right down the middle but all my other caps have I would say almost perfect babbitt on them. They look like they have very little wear on them so what should I do have them all done again. Sorry I am not trying to be a smart (a:eek:) but I don't no what to do. :confused: Richard/Ca
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Well as George said, there is no way to get a cap as close as when it was when it was original align bored, I couldn't even align bore a Model A, and take it out of the align bore, put it back in and get a o alignment again, close, but no Cigar, you would be off, 1/2 to .001, at best, and thats a mile. There are about three things that can bust up your rear cap. First, it MAY have been set up with to much clearance. Second, It is not uncommon to see redo's come through here with .030 thousandst end play, that will break it up. In my opinion, the worst thing is not peening, block, or cast rear cap right. After poured, they will shrink form .002 to as much as .010, away from the block. You have to peen while it is just under the molten stage, the colder its gets, you will fracture the babbitt. I have looked at many videos, and pictures of guys doing Model A, and T babbitting, and most of bearings show no signs of any, or feeble attempt to peen. If you peen badly, or not at all, what happens is the crank shaft peens the bearing for you, and at that temp., it will break up, and why you have all the excess clearance. The reason that the front, and center stayed, is they must have some of the surface tinned. I have said it before, and I will say it again, K.R.Wilson babbitt hammers cover to much area, to peen good, look at some of my peening on the 35 ford in the albums. It is a tight over lap pattern,and it also makes a non compressing babbitt. Richard, the only thing you can do to protect your self from bad bearings is to choose wisely. thanks Herm.
 
Thank you very much for your great advice Herm. It will probably be to my advantage to have the block and all re babbitted since I want to keep it original. A man once told me (To do a job big or small do it right or not at all ) This is one of those times there is no other way around it. Thanks again to all. Richard/Ca.
 
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