Crankshaft wobble

["Slack Alice" Simon]

Simon

Be carefull with the projection of the bearings at the front. You can easily pop the bearing lip off.

Having been brought up with Austin 7 engines being rebuilt on the kitchen table, and had a fair few built by others in pieces on my own, I would suggest that you have nothing to worry about overly.

I have noticed the ball and roller set up at the front is liable with very little running to give what most normal engine rebuilders would consider far too much end float, and the very nature of the bearings mean that the back of the crank wobbles round a good bit with no bearing in.

If you have no end float its a good un!.

Thanks again.

I am of the "kitchen table rebuild" and "they will tolerate abuse" school too, Hedd.

Loctite 641 claims it will fit bearings, etc. but is removable with "normal tools", which is all I need.

The ac bearing housings were designed to let the bearings project 1/64" as I understand it, the front plate will probably bend enough to accomodate this without too much push back on the lip, I think.

I am incline to introduce a 2.5 thou shim, just to give a little preload - it is the only shimstock I have, anyway, and 5 thou feels too much.

I used a 2 part fine dye crack detector kit, Bob, which is far more than I have ever used before.

I do not really trust it, but have done three tests and still can see no cracks, and, as I say, the engine is relatively low mileage, and it hasn't been bodged - yet!

I was going to use an engine sold to me as "rebuilt".   It came with the bills for the work done.   On checking it - yes, the crank was ground and the rods re-metalled - but there is evidence of welding all round the rear roller bearing journal to the rear crank web - why would anyone regrind a welded crank?

Break over - back to the workbench.

Simon