Actually Graham, I have taken all this into consideration. While my pocket
book does not like it, I will more than likely have to align bore the block
with the new cap. No this is not fun. ;^(
Patrick Bowen
-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Stretch [mailto:technical@iwnet.screaming.net]
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 7:32 PM
To: Bowen, Patrick A RP2
Cc: List Spitfires
Subject: Re: update from restoration in a hurry
Hi Patrick
Not wishing to be the one to "throw another spanner in the works" but do you
realise the folly of using the bearing cap from another engine, these are
line bored (all the holes for the bearings made at the same time) and there
are slight differences in the location of the holes in different blocks. the
replacement cap could be responsible for as much damage or more to your
engine. The only really correct way forward is to start again on the block
from which you have the cap. Alternatively if you have access to the
equipment you could try checking the hole with the new cap on for round and
steps using a dial test indicator. If it is round and aligned correctly (no
step at the join line) then you should be OK.
Please don't risk wrecking all the other new bits in your engine for the
sake of getting it checked!
Graham.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bowen, Patrick A RP2 <PABowen@sar.med.navy.mil>
To: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 6:50 PM
Subject: update from restoration in a hurry
>
> OK, a lot happened this weekend, both progress and setbacks. Sunday
Morning
> around 2 am, I finished painting the tub of the car. Man does it look
> nice!! It is amazing the sins that Clearcoat will cover up.
>
> Then on Sunday, the local Triumph club held a tech session at my house to
> rebuild the engine. Well, we got a lot done, and then we had a problem,
> the Crank would not turn, it was locked solid. Sure enough what had
> happened is someone had placed a bearing in the main bearing cap
backwards.
> This damaged the bearing, which luckily I will be able to fix with some
> emery cloth (steel side, not the bearing face) But more important while
> examining this problem (which was found by me on accident) I noticed that
> the bolt hole on the cap had some cracks (one not so small either) I
turned
> it and saw three more running parralel to each other.
>
> Apparently when the engine died seven years ago, it dropped a valve seat,
> bending a push rod, a valve, breaking a rocker arm, and wedging a piece of
> valve seat in between the piston and the cylinder wall. Yesterday we
found
> out it apparently damaged the bottom end as well. While this severly
> defeated my morale, it was also very lucky. If we had not put in the
> bearing backwards, we would never had found this problem until the engine
> had blown right after starting it up or pushed hard the first time.
>
> So now a replacement cap has been found, and hopefully the engine will be
> togethor this week sometime. Major morale here is that damage in one area
> can and will affect other areas and to check them out for such damage.
> Painful lesson almost learned the very hard way.
>
> Patrick Bowen
> '79 Spit, Coming along.
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