Hello again,
Tonight I finally got a chance to have another look at the crankshaft.
I had posted a note a few days ago explaining that I put the newly ground
crank in the block with new bearings, and could not get the crank to turn.
I took Eric Van Iderstine and Roger Garnett's advice and took everything
apart and measured all the main journals rod journals etc again.
I had previously put in all the caps (including 1 and 5). Scott Hower is
correct when he says that they are a real treat to remove. I also had some
*minor* rusting where the bearings seat on the block and on the caps which I
removed with a wire brush.
I took Chris Reichle's advice and did not overdo the assembly lube. Just a
nice even coating on all the bearing surfaces. The assembly lube I used is
*very* sticky and has the consistancy of syrup (but does not taste as good).
Jim Fink and Ray Gibbons both suggested that things may not turn smoothly
unless everything is torqued to spec. So I torqued all the main caps down.
Things turned a bit easier but still very stiff. So I loosened all the caps
to hand tight until I could turn the crank a couple of times and then
re-torqued everything. Sucess! and much merriment abounded in the shop.
There is a bit of sticking to get it started (probably due in part to the
assembly lube) but once it starts turning Dave Brooke is correct in that it
takes very little effort.
Jim Fink had furnished a "just right" set of thrust washers to me last Sunday,
and there is no noticable end float.
This things gonna be tight!
Many thanks to all,
John Van Valkenburgh
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