Spindle bushing reamer

Gary Gregory

Gary Gregory

Senior Member
Ok...Model A repair manual gives the reamer to be .812...one of the parts venders sells one thats .814. Will .814 work or is that a typo in thier catalog? Reason i ask is i bought a .814 reamer for $1 yesterday at a Flea Market and wondering if it would do the job.
 
If you try to ream the reamer needs to be "piloted"---long enough that one end is in the other bushing to guide it, and the flutes of the reamer should not match the angle of any oil grooves---this happened on my car when I used a cheap kingpin reamer, it caused chatter, the kingpin fit very tight in the beginning, then got very loose in 10,000 miles.

The next kingpins I did on a Sunnen hone, they were still tight at 50,000 miles, and worked easy and smooth from the beginning.

Most kingpins I hone --except ones with 2 sizes, for those i have a set of reamers with adjustable pilot bushings, this way both bushings have the same centerline ---the pilot bushing is put in one bushing, it guides the reaming of the other bushing

Have you measured the diameter of your kingpin? , tried a test reaming? ---an old .814 reamer could cut a .812 hole if it is worn, or damaged, it could also cut larger ---xtra bushings don't cost much, give it a try.
 
you need some clearance for the kingpin to be able to move. A .812 pin in .812 hole is too tight. However, I prefer the bushings be honed. Reamers cut unevenly, the high spots wear down quickly and you have loose pins too soon. Its worth the cost to have it honed to fit the pin by a machinist if you do not have access to a hone.
 
The reamer in Brattons catalog is listed as .814 . I bought one in the early ninties and have used it on my stuff. I doubt that anybody within a hundred mile radius of me has a sunnen hone .
 
I take my to our locate engine shop and they hone them for me. I think he charges me $10.00 for each spindle. I have used reamers in the past but not as nice as the shops hone job. I have never tried the brake hone method.
 
Before I had a Sunnen pin hone machine,I used to use a Snap On adjustable reamer with a long pilot shafts& sleeve to keep both bushings aligned & it worked very well.I found that with the reamers that the vendors sell,the fit was too loose.
 
I hate reamers! Especially hand reamers! Reamers under power aren't too bad, but it's almost impossible to keep a hand reamer straight 100% of the time. And when it's not straight, it's gouging a low spot and as has been said this leads to hi and low spots, which wear out faster. Why they're even necessary is beyond me. Why can't they machine a bushing that's on size and press it into the bore and have it hold size? Why must they have an undersize hole in the first place? Yeah, I know about them collapsing, But it seems to me.... Dammit, I just remembered! I have an old manganese bronze prop shaft, 1" dia. Hmmmmm I wonder. Anyone ever try that? That Mang. Bronze is tough stuff. I think I'll try it.
Terry
 
Purdy Swoft said:
The reamer in Brattons catalog is listed as .814 . I bought one in the early ninties and have used it on my stuff. I doubt that anybody within a hundred mile radius of me has a sunnen hone .
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Purdy, you would have to live 50 miles offshore to not be able to find a machine shop with a Sunnen or other hone system. I know of 6 or 7 just in a 10 mile radius of mine. Almost every machine shop HAS to have some kind of hone system, reamers just are not close enough in tolerance for precision work.
 
The problem is that there are no automotive machine shops near by. Usually a person can't get anything done at a machine shop while they wait. If I took something to a machine shop in mobile it would mean two trips and a wait in between. Come to think of it there is a halfazz machine shop about 30 miles away. I took a block there to have it bored a few years ago, after waiting three months, I ended up takeing it to another place and waiting another three months. I'm not so sure that either one of them had a sunnen hone. I avoid them and get by the best that I can with my reamers.
 
Purdy, Jist tell'em that NECESSITY is the MOTHER of INVENTIONS/IMPROVISIONS! I remember when you spent a whole day, with a BIG file, surfacing your "AA" manifolds to PERFECTION! Bill W.
 
Since you have the reamer give it a try If you are not happy with the results you can always get it redone. My thinking would be if you are going to drive it locally it should be ok (kurt in post above got 10,000 miles with a hand reamer ) , If it is a touring car then get it done with the correct machine.
 
I feel that the .814 reamer is the correct size, but I too, would be concerned a worn reamer. I use a Sunnen hone because I prefer to use original king pins if at all possible, and if you use the adjustable hone you can 'sneak up' on the bore diasmeter to be able to use an original kinpin that is .001 to .002 undersize. I am also of the opinion that a hone will hold its diameter/fit for a little longer than the rougher reamer.

Just a thought.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Purdy, Jist tell'em that NECESSITY is the MOTHER of INVENTIONS/IMPROVISIONS! I remember when you spent a whole day, with a BIG file, surfacing your "AA" manifolds to PERFECTION! Bill W.
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Yo Bill, There use to be a shop here that could plane manifolds and shave heads, it closed a few years ago. I did do my manifolds by hand with a large file. Usually its either the front or back ear of the exhaust manifold that kicks in from heat and over tightening. Automotive machine shops are few and far between in my area. Most shops no longer rebuild engines. I've reamed my spindles since Bratton started selling reamers.
 
I will never figure out why it takes some shops so long to get anything done. I have built 3 engines since last Wednesday. I just don't like to have customers badgering me to get things done so, I just do the work. The slow way is why so many shops go out of business, I guess. Just have to be work motivated.
 
It's funny that you say that James, it took over 2 1/2 years to get the engine done for my '34. That didn't include bearings or pistons and now I'm still chasing an issue with it. When I get to doing the front end I will just go to a machine shop and have them hone the bushings.

Red
 
Reds34 said:
It's funny that you say that James, it took over 2 1/2 years to get the engine done for my '34. That didn't include bearings or pistons and now I'm still chasing an issue with it. When I get to doing the front end I will just go to a machine shop and have them hone the bushings.

Red
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reds,
yep having them honed is the way to go. i think it cost me about 50.00 to have them installed and honed at the machine shop. it sure beats screwing around with a reamer.
 
James Rogers said:
I will never figure out why it takes some shops so long to get anything done. The slow way is why so many shops go out of business, I guess.
James,
From my observations, slow is caused by:
1-Plain old inefficiency.
2-Too much B.S. & constant babbling about NOTHING!
3-Jobs that have HEAVY deposits already paid, are pushed aside for quick, cash jobs.
4-"Workers" who don't seem to know the meaning of the word, WORK!!

Fortunately, for me, I can practice inefficiency, B.S. all I want, sleep in 'til noon, chase old ladies, etc, and do it with a CLEAR conscience,:D----I'M RETIRED!:D Bill W.
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