Well, Bob, I can assure you that the thrust bearings are Oilite, and I
can also inform you that grease should NEVER be used on Oilite bearings.
The trick of Oilite bearings is that they are porous, and that the pores
are filled with oil before assembly. If you want to re-oil an Oilite
bearing just put it in a small can filled with engine oil, heat the can
(and the oil) till no air bubbles escape any more from the bearing and
then let the can and the oil with the bearing still under oil cool down
to room temp. That's the only proper way to re-lubricate an Oilite
bearing. Grease will smear the bearing surface and prevent the oil to be
transported to the shaft under capillary action.
(I used to be the Oilite sales agent in The Netherlands).
Furthermore in my view you are comparing 'normal' needle bearings (like
on the valve rockers) to needle thrust bearings - and they are
completely different animals.
Kind regards,
Jack Aeckerlin, The Netherlands
Bob Spidell schreef:
> Tom,
>
> I am totally unqualified to answer this question, but that's never
> stopped me ;)
>
> Generally, I have heard--and this makes mucho sense--that needle
> bearings aren't a
> particularly good idea on (for lack of a better word) "reciprocating"
> pivots. Usually, this
> is in reference to using needle bearings on valve rockers, but the
> principle is the same:
> since the bearing doesn't rotate completely about the shaft, the needle
> bearings are
> essentially rocking back and forth on the same limited surfaces (also
> you are
> "concentrating" the friction and pressure on less surface area than for
> a bushing).
> Obviously, this can cause excessive localized wear, even to the point of
> wearing
> grooves in the shaft or flat-spotting the bearings themselves.
>
> Given that the bushes are (should be) regularly lubed with quality
> grease (I don't think
> they're oillite, BTW), I'd expect them to last 100K miles or more. The
> needle bearings
> might make steering a teensy bit easier, but who doesn't need a little
> biceps workout?
>
>
> bs
>
>
> Tom Rech wrote:
>
>> I'm thinking about rebuilding my front suspension and using the AH Spares
>> needle bearings (I'm assuming they're needle bearings) in place of the
>> original oillite washers. Before I buy, I would like to hear the list's
>> opinion. Are they worth the expense?
>>
>> Tom Rech
>> 59 BT7
>> _______________________________________________
>> bspidell@comcast.net
>>
>> Healeys@autox.team.net
>> http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/healeys
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