Con Rod Bearings vs Cosmoline

Overkill-F1

Overkill-F1

Senior Member
Have I wrecked a set of NOS con rod bearings or where they damaged before I got around to using them?
I unwrapped a set of con rod bearings that where packaged in West Germany in 1965. They were covered in Cosmoline, wrapped in wax paper and put in a sealed box.
I gently removed most of the wax paper that was stuck into the cosmoline on the bearings, tried a little paint thinner and it seemed to soften the cosmoline. So I soaked the bearings in a tray of paint thinner overnight.
I wiped the backs of the bearings (thinner soaked cloth) and it came up clean, but just touching the bearing surface with a wet finger tip seemed to wipe off the bearing material. Where the cosmoline was thickest, the bearing coating seemed the softest.

Did the thick coating of Cosmoline or the overnight soaking of paint thinner soften the bearing material?
They are definitely not usable.
...Terry
 

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The bearing material is babbitt, thinner would not harm it. If they were mine I would try a light polish with very fine steel wool just out of curiosity. It would be interesting what Ford would say was the cause.
 
"Paint thinner" is a very broad term. There are a lot of different chemicals used to thin paints & other organic finishes depending on what kind of paint or finish it is. There was either some organic coating on the bearings for bedding in purposes or there was some acidic quality to the thinner used. Acid will eat babbitt pretty quickly. PD680 was what I used in the military to remove stubborn cosmoline and I don't remember any non organic coatings being damaged by it.
 
In the past I found on occasion the same thing when I removed cosmoline from surplus flathead rod and also main bearings I used mineral spirits to get that stuff off. The bearing material was eaten away from the long time being covered by the cosmoline. I just threw the bearings away.
I have also found no problem with other surplus flathead bearings covered with cosmoline so its a crap shoot in my opinion what you will find. Problem may be caused by some inferior product being used so long ago.
Ron
 
Same experience, cleaned cosmoline from bearings... REAL bad, sent them back to supplier. He told me he thought I was a crook... but refunded my money -told me not to come back. Oh well.

(Not anyone that would be remembered here as a large supplier)

Karl
 
I was considering sending them back to my supplier, but they were purchased a LONG time ago and I would probably be blamed for the damage.
I'll feel them out with a email, maybe they have had a few of these returned.
...Terry
 
Yes, I've had a similar problem. I used Hot water to remove the cosmoline, also in the esrly days we used very hii oil pressure and this caused flaking of the bearings. So this may have been caused by the cosmoline, or??? Going to a full flow filter nad reducing the oil pressure cured the problem
 
Dang it. I just checked a set of 59ab .010 mains that I have that we're wrapped up in cosmoline. They don't look as bad as your, but there definately some odd spots on the surface. I guess I should clean them up and see what I got. What the heck is in cosmoline that would cause it etch metal?
 
Now I'm worried...I too have a stock of military issue parts all 'preserved' in Cosmolene.
 
"Chemically, cosmoline is a homogeneous mixture of oily and waxy long-chain, non-polar hydrocarbons." "essentially the same as vaseline"

Shouldn't hurt bearings but perhaps the stuff was acid treated when they made it back in the 1930s. The refinery I worked at had ancient unused any more buildings in the lube plant called "filter buildings" where they acid/clay treated lube oils before the 1970s when a modern hydrofinisher was built.

I know how vaseline is made and it shouldn't contain any corrosive chemicals at least if made today.
 
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[/I After the battle of Midway, it was becoming apparent to our military, the war would only last another two or three years. Never in their wildest dreams did they think collectors would be unwrapping this stuff some 70 years later...]
 
I took all my spare bearings out of their wrapping and cleaned then using eng oil,then dipped then in eng oil and individually wrapped them in denso tape,Brian you should do the same,
It's a messy job and they don't look as nice as they where in their original packaging,But at least I feel happier.
Lawrie
 
If you´re storage is dry there´s no need to cover the bearings with anything like wrapping.
I´m wondering if there was leftovers from the tinning process of the bearing eating the babbit, some acid/flux that if not sealed up would evaporate ?
 
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