Cracked valve seats and half shaft Button/block advice please.

Monkeyspinner
Monkeyspinner Member
in "How To" - Skills, mechanical and other wise
I have cracked valve seats on 3 and 4 exhaust valves, The rest of the engine looks in good shape generally. Someone has recommended that I get it laser welded. Has anyone had experience with repairing or having cracks like these repaired?  

Also, One rear axle... when I was removing one of the drums I noticed there was a lot of movement in the half shaft(in and out), probably around 3/16". I see buttons or blocks being mentioned that can get broken or warn. I have taken the shaft out and looked down the axle tube, I can't see anything broken up so am thinking it is probably badly worn. Are these available and is it a total strip down of the axle to replace them? 

Thanks.  



Comments

  • railknight
    railknight Expert Adviser
    I had a valve seat cracked on my 262.  When the engine was rebuilt, all the valve seats were fitted with new inserts.  
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Ken U-Tx said:
    There appears to be no pin or thrust block in the carrier, as I can see the splined end of the opposite axle shaft. 

    Ken U-Tx said:
    There appears to be no pin or thrust block in the carrier, as I can see the splined end of the opposite axle shaft. 
    It's not the end of the other shaft as that has already been removed... 
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Ken U-Tx said:
    That is a Dana / Spicer 44 rear end. There should be a stack of shims between the brake backing plate and the axle housing tube flange on the right side only. That shim stack is for setting the axle shaft end play on both sides.
    OK, yes, correct, there were these shims on the right side. So if it is set from one side then there would have been play in it when the other side wasn't in? I guess I need to put it back together and check the play once I get the other shaft back from the machine shop. 

    So what is it we can see in the centre of the axle, one of the blocks?  
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Ken U-Tx said:
    On the Dana 44, the adjustment shims are on the right side ONLY. The thrust block on the Dana 44 is of the "floating" style, with an oval center hole for the pin, so it can move right to left between the axle shafts as it takes up the play by removing shim(s) between the right backing plate and the axle housing tube flange.
    Thanks for this information, all makes sense now.

    I was worried that I had damaged thrust block by being heavy handed when getting the drum off but I can see that that isn't what has happened which is a relief! 

Categories

In this Discussion