Main and rod bearings

[colt45sa]

I saw a '58 Cadillac Eldo which had had it's engine rebuilt, drive a couple of hundred miles, and then parked for 25 years. The acid build up in the oil had completely wiped out the bearings on the bottom end. I suppose the cylinder wash allowed by new rings had allowed enough fuel to get into the oil to cause an excessive amount of acid to be formed, and that acid really took it's toll over the years.

[Jeffry Cassel]

People often neglect the cambearings. You can dump a whole bunch of oil past worn cam bearings, thus starving the rods and mains (and every other moving part!)

[Ron Dame]

Crank is in, waiting on a new bolt to put the damper on and check end clearance. This bolt is beyond hope. And a thread chaser is on it's way as well to clean the crank threads up.

So today, I turned my attention to the pistons. The shop decided to put the pistons on the rods for me, so I double checked their work, both with the direction of the pistons and oil holes, and for correctly seating the pin retaining bolts. Everything checked out fine, but took as long as doing it myself.

The pistons I bought are hypereutectic, and the instructions say that the top ring end clearance must be increased by 40%, or from 0.006-0.016 to 0.012 to 0.022. None make the grade, though the second and oil rings are fine. I need to knock of .003 to .005" to get to the tight end of the specs.

So how do I file them to remain perfectly square? Is hand filing acceptable or is it CASO?

[PackardV8]

So how do I file them to remain perfectly square? Is hand filing acceptable or is it CASO?

Hi, Ron,

Thing to remember is 'perfectly square' is a non-issue. The ends never touch anything. Only reason to try to stay square is it makes it easier to measure with the feeler gauge. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Having said that, borrow a ring filer. It's worth the trouble not to have to worry about holding them straight with one hand and filing with the other.

jack vines

[Ron Dame]

Today will be the last good day for a while to work in the garage, and I doubt I'll find a ring filer today. I'd love to get the pistons in today, but we will see.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Here's an easy way to file rings without a ring filer gizmo.

(See all the pic's here)

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2072708

[Ron Dame]

That looks like a plan! Thanks!

[Ron Dame]

So a big THANKS! to Jeff Rice on a good method to file rings without a ring filer. Since only the top ones needed filing, the eight went pretty quickly, maybe 5 minutes each with checking and rechecking.

All the rings are on, I hope I can get the pistons in the bores and check rod clearances tomorrow before the cold sets back in. This old wooden shack of a garage does not respond much to heaters, the heat just leaks right back out.

[Ron Dame]

FML. I have the crank and pistons in, and was installing the cam. As I was CAREFULLY, pulling the gear on, first with a longer bolt then with the correct bolt, I felt a pop. Oooh, I thought, it was bound up but popped into place. another quarter turn and the whole nose of the cam, well beyond the bottom of the bolt hole, fell off in my hands. I guess my Christmas money goes towards another cam. Dadfrigginggummot!

[tsenecal]

Sorry to hear about the camshaft. Sounds like two steps forward, one step back. At least you're making prgress, and the cam is not hugely expensive. Good luck with it all!

[PackardV8]

Was it an aluminum gear? Sometimes those repop aluminum gears require heating to go on easily.

We have reground cams, but need a core return. Maybe Phil Harris will still sell you one without a core charge.

jack vines

[Ron Dame]

It was the original gear. The cam broke just ahead of the journal and the break had oil in part of it, so it must have already been cracked somehow.

[jclary]

It was the original gear. The cam broke just ahead of the journal and the break had oil in part of it, so it must have already been cracked somehow.

Merry Christmas, Ron! How fortunate to discover the problem this way! Much better now than to reassemble the engine and have it grenade on you traveling at speed on I-40 and giving some inattentive texting driver an opportunity to plow through your Avanti as they blast you into a guardrail or down an embankment.

Back in the 1980s, I had a timing gear disintegrate on me running about 70mph on I-85! It was a 1960 Lark 259V8. I had rescued it from under a huge oak tree, nearly buried under a pile of leaves. I was much younger then and instead of taking the time to carefully check the car out properly, I got 'er running and foolishly went blasting up the interstate. The failure was sudden and a shock to me. There I was, grinning from ear to ear on a beautiful sunny day. One moment, I was passing cars, with the solid lifter engine singing and then...silence...as I coasted to the side of the road. Dead silence...Except for the rocking of the car from the turbulence of traffic as it flashed by. One of the loneliest places on earth is sitting disabled on the side of a crowded interstate highway as the rest of the world zips merely by.

So...I know this has not been all that happy for you, but (pun intended) it could turn out to be the luckiest break you have had in this project.

[Ron Dame]

I hear you John, I've beeb turning my thinking to how glad it roke now instead of on the road. Merry Christmas!

[Mrkelly]

Hi all, sorry but I am still looking for the answer to Ron’s original question.
Where is the best place to acquire good quality main bearings for a V8. Thanks