Replaceing a rear main

1928Pickuppain

Senior Member
So i feel like my rear main is gone im going to pull my oil pan tonight and check. If it is gone what is my next corce of action. How do i replace it? pull moter flip on its head and pour new babit, or if its not gone i was told i might just need to remove shims (are these shims between the bering clamp and the block)?
 
Oooohh, would it be possible for you to do one step first, tell us what you find, ...and then go from there? It is very possible that shims can be removed and the clearances tightened, --if there are indeed shims there. If you determine that new rear main babbitt is needed, you can get just a cap from some engine rebuilders however it will need to be fitted to your crankshaft, ...which for the uninitiated can be really frustrating at times. Maybe after you get in there and tell us what you find, we can offer some opinions & options.

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What is a Cap??


OUCH

You are in for some fun. Please don't get upset and ask as many questions as you have. Just flipping the engine on it's head and pour babbit is not as easy as you make it sound.

The engine has to be completely taken down, all parts removed. Jigs, boring machines, correct babbit, melting temp, etc etc etc.

Do you belong to a local club?
 
I belong to a local club. and even though i made it sound easey i have been rebuilding enges for about ten years just never had to deal with one that had a babbit bearing. See if it is compleatey gone ill make a true form jig without taking down the engen then por it once i center the crank I realy dont have the time to deal with a perfect jab right now as long as it lasts me the winter (cant get to work without a truck. then come spring ill proble rebuild it once bike season returns.
 
I belong to a local club. and even though i made it sound easey i have been rebuilding enges for about ten years just never had to deal with one that had a babbit bearing. See if it is compleatey gone ill make a true form jig without taking down the engen then por it once i center the crank I realy dont have the time to deal with a perfect jab right now as long as it lasts me the winter (cant get to work without a truck. then come spring ill proble rebuild it once bike season returns.

Well good!! I think we are all gonna cross our fingers with ya and just hope it has some shims in there that you can take out. If so, that will save you a lot of stress, work, and grief. Then like you say, come bike season you can down it and do a through build of it if it needs to be done. Again, hopefully it won't need anything but some shims removed and the pan bolted right back on. Let us know what you find!!
 
Years ago when I removed a rear main cap a piece of it fell out in my hand. I stuck it back in with some high temp loctite and drove it for several more years. Sounds Mickey Mouse but it worked. Back in the depression Model As were often repaired with whatever was available and driven to California.
 
So I pulled my pan and boy was she clean there was no babbit matteral in the oil pan, just the finest traces of some meatal shavings alittle finer than sandbasting sand I only had about half an inch of sluge and everything seemed as tight as posible. I dident pull the crank clamp, or as you guys called it the (cap) becouse of how tight everything feels im going to remove my splash shild on the right that was rotted off were it bolts into my pan. I tell you that sounded a hell of alot like the clunk clunk i was hearing. I still might pull the clamp while Im down there and cheacking my tolerances. then im going to flush it all with dessil clean her up real well and start running modern detergant oil in her. But boy she was looked better than an 05 F350 i put a new oil pan gaskit in reacentley. Honestley seems a little strange to me
 
So I pulled my pan and boy was she clean there was no babbit matteral in the oil pan, just the finest traces of some meatal shavings alittle finer than sandbasting sand I only had about half an inch of sluge and everything seemed as tight as posible. I dident pull the crank clamp, or as you guys called it the (cap) becouse of how tight everything feels im going to remove my splash shild on the right that was rotted off were it bolts into my pan. I tell you that sounded a hell of alot like the clunk clunk i was hearing. I still might pull the clamp while Im down there and cheacking my tolerances. then im going to flush it all with dessil clean her up real well and start running modern detergant oil in her. But boy she was looked better than an 05 F350 i put a new oil pan gaskit in reacentley. Honestley seems a little strange to me

Well good for you and I'm glad it all worked out. Gotta admit that I have never heard of a "crank clamp" before yesterday but now I know what it is!! :cool:

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I dont know Must just be the old guys I leard rebuilding from One was this 80 year old guy who who ran a gradge in the fiftys building custom hot rods and the other was my grandfarther who was the automotive teacher at Everitt Voc in Ma. Both dead now but had a hell of alot of knowledge.
 
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