Assembling '35 splasher

tigermoth

Hello, my '35sedan has been off the road for 4 years. I finally have the block back and the rotating parts are in..ready for the pan and installation into the car...sooo, before I close it up..i am concerned about my .001" clearance on the mains..as in I do not want it to be less than .001" ...I have little confidence in my micrometer skills..so how easily should the bare crank shaft turn with the main caps torqued? How easily should the crank turn with all the rotating parts installed and plugs removed..does anyone have a rough in/ib value? My lack of confidence is making me very hesitant to close this thing up. Thank you for any assistance. Regards, Tom

bob ward

Tom, probably the best way to check your bearing clearance is to use Plastigauges or similar. 

http://www.plastigaugeusa.com/

Park_W

The service manual discusses a simple way to check . . .  insert a piece of shim stock of a certain thickness onto the crankshaft  journal, and tighten the bolts.  It then describes how easy (or hard) it should be to turn the crank.  Sorry I don't have details accessible at the moment, but you may find them in the manual.  I'll try to check tomorrow and add the missing data.

 

Geoff, you're welcome to jump in here !

Geoff

 Somehow my original reply did not get posted, so in case it doesn't turn up, here it is again:   Cooking foil folded twice to give three layers, to give .0015" thickness, a thin strip inserted into each bearing, the crank should be able turned with a light drag, folded four times to give five layers,  .0025" it should bind.  Do each bearing separately with the others slackened off.  Do for each main and rod bearing.  Foil is softer than shim, and will not cut into the bearings.  With all bearings done up tight you should be able to turn the engine over by hand, with the pistons inserted but no rings.   Rings will cause much greater drag initially, but so long as the starter can turn the engine over on 6 volts you will be okay.  I have just assembled a '27 Essex motor this way, and it started  on 6 volts.   After a few gallons through it, it now turns quite freely by hands on the flywheel. 

Geoff 

tigermoth

thanks guys,
to bob, the problem with plasti-gauge..i found out..is you cannot use it on soft babbit bearings..it will impress itself into the babbit prior to spreading properly. regards, tom

Jon B

Ahh, Geoff, but would that be used cooking foil, or new?  American, or New Zealand foil?  And (if American) are we speaking of Kaiser foil, or Reynolds wrap? 

(LOL!)

Geoff

I'm sure not many of you recycle your foil!  The stuff we get here is .0005" thick., and plain.                  

SuperDave

 Mic the foil and you will find that it is very consistent. I have used Geoff's method on Model a Fords and Hudson eights. It's a little tedious, but very accurate. It's a Go or No Go system .There is no "short cut" when doing the Babbitt  bearings.

It also works on inserts, by placing the foil under the insert. If you are doing main bearings, with the engine in the car, don't forget that the weight of the crank is going to flatten the Plasti-guage on the cap  before the slack is taken up.

Uncle Josh

Good ol American foil is .0007 (New). Mic it to be sure. So the bearing should be free with one thickness, but tight with two. Works for me.