Jack Shaft
BANNED
https://www.walmart.com/ip/PRECISIO...=sem&msclkid=7b44818a55671f6bee8ade9fdbd4c06c
anyone try this stuff?
anyone try this stuff?
First time adjusting rod and mains
- Thread starter ricconhan
- Start date
Patrick L.
Well-known member
Licensed to kill
Well-known member
Yes, these days i would rather pull the engine rather than laying on my back to do it. Years ago i did a bearing roll on my '57 chevy in the driveway with the engine in the car. Went well but I was in my 20's then. These days i don't do ANYTHING on the floor. Everything is done on the lift.
Patrick L.
Well-known member
I don't have much of a problem still doing things on my back. I just fall asleep and take a little nap. If I can't get up I just fall asleep and take another little nap. [smiley face]
ricconhan
Member
Update on adjusting rods and mains,
Well when we dropped the pan I set it on the bench to investigate the bottom and almost had a heart attack, I pulled 3 chunks of lead ( approximately 1" X 1/2" ) out of the dipper tray and immediately went to see where the hell they came from. Remember, this engine as I was told was fresh rebuild, although the gent I bought her from only bought it to flip trying to help out the older gentleman who's 85 years old and trying to sell his collection, so I'm getting info 2nd hand. So I called the 85 year old fella and he couldn't remember why he swapped engines, but the one in the car was bought from someone who supposedly rebuilt it.
Long story short, whoever rebuilt it did some things great and others to make me scratch my head. When he balanced the rods, instead of using the lightest as your baseline, he used the heaviest and added lead to the rest which obviously didn't work out too well, thank God I followed my gut feeling to have a look see before we had a bigger mess, we pulled the head and rods and pistons to balance correctly, on the upside all the babbitt looks good, we've removed 1 shim from each of the mains and have perfect clearances. We've removed all the lead from the rods, haha he must have run out of lead, one rod actually had a piece of steel tacked to it, and are balancing everything. One of the pluses, someone counterbalanced the crank.
This engine will get me thru the season and this winter the spare/original engine is getting rebuilt by "MY" rebuilder.
1st picture, lead in rod at top.
2nd picture, where there "was" lead that ended up in splash tray.
Well when we dropped the pan I set it on the bench to investigate the bottom and almost had a heart attack, I pulled 3 chunks of lead ( approximately 1" X 1/2" ) out of the dipper tray and immediately went to see where the hell they came from. Remember, this engine as I was told was fresh rebuild, although the gent I bought her from only bought it to flip trying to help out the older gentleman who's 85 years old and trying to sell his collection, so I'm getting info 2nd hand. So I called the 85 year old fella and he couldn't remember why he swapped engines, but the one in the car was bought from someone who supposedly rebuilt it.
Long story short, whoever rebuilt it did some things great and others to make me scratch my head. When he balanced the rods, instead of using the lightest as your baseline, he used the heaviest and added lead to the rest which obviously didn't work out too well, thank God I followed my gut feeling to have a look see before we had a bigger mess, we pulled the head and rods and pistons to balance correctly, on the upside all the babbitt looks good, we've removed 1 shim from each of the mains and have perfect clearances. We've removed all the lead from the rods, haha he must have run out of lead, one rod actually had a piece of steel tacked to it, and are balancing everything. One of the pluses, someone counterbalanced the crank.
This engine will get me thru the season and this winter the spare/original engine is getting rebuilt by "MY" rebuilder.
1st picture, lead in rod at top.
2nd picture, where there "was" lead that ended up in splash tray.
Attachments
Last edited:
Patrick L.
Well-known member
Just when you think you've heard it all !
If the lower clearances are now good and everything looks fine including the bore this monster just may run fine and not need a rebuild. You'll know in short time though won't you.
If the lower clearances are now good and everything looks fine including the bore this monster just may run fine and not need a rebuild. You'll know in short time though won't you.
ricconhan
Member
Patrick L, granted the babbitt and clearances so far are good, we've only completed the mains as of now, the babbitt and crank rod journals look fine also, we're still balancing the rods and pistons and of course wrist pins, we don't get a lot done because we only get a little time during the week to work on this project since we both have day jobs and when we do get together there is the B.S. time to factor in. I'm hoping that by next weekend to have her back together and running. This engine is still going to come out at some point and be replaced with a professionally built engine because of several other things besides the shady previous build, for instance, just from visual inspection there are 3 different style of rods used, they'll be okay and work fine but it'll bug me knowing this. Since I have the original numbers matching engine sitting in my shop I want to get it built and installed. I'll have a lot more faith and trust in an engine done right. This engine will probably run and preform just fine when we're done but my plan is to swap them out this winter.
Patrick L.
Well-known member
I can understand your concern Different type rods would drive me crazy. Having the original engine go back where it belongs is a good thing. Thats a good looking car. Good luck.
ricconhan
Member
Here's what caused me concern and motivated me to open her up for inspection.
https://youtu.be/S1HVAQsxCZ4
And here is one of my granddaughter/daughter and I tearing up the streets of Wayne, NE on Fathers Day.
https://youtu.be/SF62oUL1brc
https://youtu.be/S1HVAQsxCZ4
And here is one of my granddaughter/daughter and I tearing up the streets of Wayne, NE on Fathers Day.
https://youtu.be/SF62oUL1brc
Synchro909
Well-known member
Referring to the pictures in post #25, do I see the skirt of that piston broken away?
Licensed to kill
Well-known member
I think what you are seeing is the counter balance in the way and just to the left of it, a shadow making the bottom of the rim dark and hard to see.
ricconhan
Member
Synchro909, Like Licensed to kill stated, counterbalance in the shot and shadow.. when we took them out besides there being 3 different types of rods, everything looked ok, and when we get done balancing the rods and pistons and get it all back together I should be good to go the rest of the summer. It's a little frustrating, but I love working on these A's so much it's hard to get too down. I just want to get her together so I can be driving her. Again, I'm sooo glad I followed my gut instinct to open her up before it got ugly.
Synchro909
Well-known member
OK, I see that now. Thanks.
Chris in WNC touches on what I feel is the easiest and most accurate way to adjust your main/ rod bearings --- the "go/ no go" method using heavy duty aluminum foil in the place of Plastigauge.
Search Mike V. Florida's 10/31/2010 post "interference fitting of bearings" for a detailed description of this method.
I adjusted main and rod bearings twice in my first engine using the "go/ no go" method with heavy duty aluminum foil and got great results. Helped me get 40,000 miles out of that somewhat worn engine.
Without a doubt this is the easiest and most accurate way to do what I feel is a tedious job.
Search Mike V. Florida's 10/31/2010 post "interference fitting of bearings" for a detailed description of this method.
I adjusted main and rod bearings twice in my first engine using the "go/ no go" method with heavy duty aluminum foil and got great results. Helped me get 40,000 miles out of that somewhat worn engine.
Without a doubt this is the easiest and most accurate way to do what I feel is a tedious job.