[Fot] Doug Still Guides Me...

Mon Mar 23 20:46:24 MDT 2020

Habit from a long long time ago error made me mark each main cap in my
engines with a  center punch and the side of the block area with a simular
mark so that reassembly would always be  correct & easy.  This came from my
work in the very early 50's and unknown engines for all over the world
where you'd better have a clue on how to put that devil back together.

*Never be beaten by equipment.*

On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 7:36 PM Bob Kramer via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
wrote:

> Don’t all the main bearing caps go in with bearing notches on the same
> side as the notches in the saddles in the block? Or is that just a TR4
> thing?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 23, 2020, at 6:59 PM, Enquiries Road & Track via Fot <
> fot at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> 
> firstly, are you 100% sure the caps are correctly fitted both round the
> right way and in number order?
>
> you need to decide if the caps are misaligned across the block or if the
> tunnel is simply oval because the hole in in cap is too far up or down.
> this will need a combination of feel and measurement
>
> if the alternative caps have a significant step to 1 side, so you will
> clearly feel a ledge at the mating faces when they are tightened up
>
> if the stap is very minor, like a few thousandths of an inch, then the
> faces of the cap are machined down to create an oval hole, then it it is
> align honed
>
> if it is really bad, like many tens of thou, then you have to firstly move
> the cap sideways by machining the register on 1 side and peening it on the
> other, and effectively moving it sideways, followed by boring/honing
>
> sometimes, the bolts are too neat a fit to allow this and if thats the
> case, its usually easier to find some other caps or make them
>
> if the tunnel is simply an oval because the cap is too far up or down,
> this is usually easily fixed by facing the cap mating surfaces and reboring
> the tunnels
>
> not all engine machine shop have a line borer...mine did not, so
> subcontracting the job is not uncommon
>
> the end result should be a perfectly round hole with a super fine hone
> (cross-hatch) mark on the bearing faces, to ensure perfect bearing
> shell contact
>
>  Terry
> Australia
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 1:32 AM Bud Rolofson via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Speaking of main caps I bought a block that turned out to not have the
>> original main caps. The caps on there did not match up with the block but
>> I’ve been unable to find a machine shop that can machine them so there’s a
>> round hole for the crank. The shop I had do my last block (and they do 427
>> race engines among others and are well respected) told me that the result
>> would be ovaled out holes (not round) which obviously is not good.
>> Certainly there’s a way to make this work but I haven’t found it. I
>> checked out another block shop but said they subcontract line-boring to the
>> the shop that said they couldn’t do it.
>>
>> Has anyone else encountered this problem? I’ve heard that steel mains
>> might be an answer but they’d still have to be line-bored to make them
>> match. I hate to ship a block to get this done before I have reassurances
>> that they can make it work but does anyone know of that has successfully
>> made main caps match the block? Given I’m spending a lot of time these days
>> staying home and catching up on car projects in the shop I figured it would
>> be a good time to start building the next engine.
>>
>> Solutions or recommendations?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Bud
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 22, 2020, at 9:33 PM, Brad Eells via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Amici,
>>
>> In typically rookie race engine builder mode with the block I selected
>> for rebuild, I pulled the main bearing caps (with my new fancy DeWalt 20V
>> Impact Wrench) and then couldn't remember which way around they went.
>>
>> This led to visions of catastrophic failure somewhere down the road. Yet,
>> I had several other blocks I could flip over and make a determination if
>> need be.
>>
>> I was examining one of the caps when I discovered the faintest engraving
>> on the surface of each cap:
>>
>> Eng #2 Front Fwd
>> Eng #2 Mid Fwd
>> Eng #2 Rr Fwd
>>
>> Doug Brown, my original owner/builder/driver extraordinaire had engraved
>> each cap for me to make sure a mistake didn't occur. He rotated 3 engines
>> during each season in a quest for Divisional and National Championships.
>>
>> I guess that is the way a aeronautical/mechanical engineer and very
>> successful racer thinks.
>>
>> Thanks again Doug!
>>
>> <IMG_8745.jpg>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>>
>> *Brad Eells*
>> *Chino CA*
>> *#72 FP 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mk3*
>> *#35 DP 1962 Triumph TR4*
>> *1965 Triumph TR4A IRS...for the road!*
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>> Bud Rolofson
>>
>> Extreme Parts Racing (more than just a haircut)
>>
>> 71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
>> 71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
>> 69 Spitfire MK III (back up FE engine/dinghy car)
>> 93 Minnie Winnie Race Support Vehicle
>> 77 Z-50A Hardly Davidson Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)
>>
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