In a message dated 6/1/99 1:13:57 PM EST, Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com writes:
> Guys (and at least two Gals):
>
> Could someone please briefly describe the infamous "thrust washers"
> including: what they do, where they are, how can you check them roughly
> (cursorily i.e. without removing the oil pan - moving the pulley?), and
> how to replace them (although I suppose this is already described in the
> previous e-mail well enough)
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> -John
> 77' Spit
>
Hello John. The thrust washers sit on both sides of the rear-most main
bearing
and control crankshaft endfloat. As they wear, the endfloat increases (which
isn't THAT bad), but eventually they become loose enough to fall out and that
is A Real Bad Thing. Now the crankshaft is riding directly on the main
bearing
cap and block webs, scoring and ruining both and necessitating a new block.
Yuk.
To check endfloat, you just need to push the crankshaft all the way back and
all the way forward and measure the difference. Yeah, that's all ... the
trick
being finding a place to measure it with the engine in the car. A procedure
for TR6s on the VTR web page suggests pushing back on the crankshaft
pulley and pushing forward by depressing the clutch pedal. Visually if the
crankshaft pulley moves forward "the width of a fingernail", then all's well.
The oil pan can be easily dropped with the engine in the car (See the
"Spitfire
Garage" web site) and the main bearing cap removed. From there, the old
thrust washers slide out and the new ones slide in. It's not difficult, but
when
you're in the bottom of the engine where things like to churn around at 50
times a second, you do need to be careful about torque specs, cleanliness,
buttoning everything up right etc., so read your manual several times first.
Not exactly brief as requested, but hopefully of some help.
-Greg
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