Hi all.
Just finished replaceing all the crank bearings in my 75 daily driver.
I just wanted to share some observations that relate soley to the 1500
engine, as placed in a RB Midget.
A) on the 1500 there is one timing cover screw that goes into the metal bar
under the front main cap. When replaceing the timing cover, make sure it is
one of the slot head screws, not a bolt. The crank pulley is very close, and
a screwdriver will turn it, but a socket wouldnt,and a wrench is out of the
question, unless you remove the pulley or raise the motor. (I didnt, I used a
long screwdriver that would fit into a 1/4 inch drive twelve point socket at
an angle and managed to remove the bolt. It was the most time consuming part
of the whole ordeal!)
B) wear a hat if you do this while laying under the car. The smelly oil that
comes out when you remove the bolts from the mains stays with you. I had
forgotten about that. Until I was done and by then of course, it was too
late. (ew!)
C) remember to pull out the oil dipstick first. I use "ultra blue" silicone
in place of an oil pan gasket. To remove the pan I run a putty knife around
the pan to cut the seal, pushing it with a small prybar. Of course I had
completely forgotten about the dipstick, and it is REALLY close to the edge
of the block. So close I bent it while pushing that putty knife. Once bent,
that bugger is a trick to get straight again, lemme tell you.
Other than those three items, the job went without a hitch. I replaced all
the bearings because Im paranoid. This engine burned up the #3 rod when it
belonged to the PO four years ago. I had helped him replace the crank and the
rod. I replace the rod bearings every two years, and inspected the mains.
This year I wanted to do the mains as well. The thrust washers which I had
replaced two years ago were the only bearings with serious wear. Some of the
babbit had started to break off the rear "eyebrow" and was sitting in the
bottom of the pan.
Seemed a shame that some of the rod bearings I was replacing didnt even have
shiney spots on them yet! Looked exactly the same as the ones I was putting
in!
Sorry this is such a long post. I drive this car everywhere, and I do just
about everything I can to make it as reliable as possible.
Thanks for reading!
Gary
75 Midget daily use
75 Midget project (no engine yet)
|