> The bearing appears to be worn excessively for only 300 miles
> on the engine. I can see and feel groves in the bearing shell.
> The thrust washers (bottom only) appear to be ok. BUT THE ENGINE
> IS STILL STUCK TIGHT. The crack and the roughed bearing still
> shouldn't be enough to have seized the crankshaft.
Rob :
Obviously, it's time to pull the engine and get it upside down on a bench or
engine stand. Continue to disassemble it, until the crank comes free and
you find the rest of the problem.
> ARE ANY OF YOU
> FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCEDURE HE IS SUGGESTING BE DONE? He really
> is a knowledgeable fellow and he is trusted and respected for his
> work in the machine shop.
Yes, it's called "line boring" and as Barry said, it's the only way to
safely change a main cap. The block and caps were machined this way
originally, which is why you cannot exchange caps between engines even
though they look identical.
However, given the number of good used blocks around, you might consider
simply starting over with a different block. You can reuse the other
components (crank, rods, liners, pistons, etc.) assuming they weren't
damaged by the seizure. Keep track of which pistons went in which liners,
especially if you hand fit each ring to it's bore. My previous offer still
stands.
> CAN THE
> MAIN BEARING CAPS BE DIFFERENT ON THESE ENGINES? COULD THIS BE
> THE SOURCE OF MY "STUCK" ENGINE? (It did run well for about 300
> miles from the finished rebuild. It seized whild cranking to try
> to find an ignition fault.)
It's possible, but IMO it's unlikely given your description. I think you
should keep looking for the problem. The grooves in the bearing shell you
mention sound suspicious to me, I'll bet there's a sizeable chunk that has
broken off somewhere else and is jammed in one of the other bearings (or
possibly even the oil holes on the block side of the one you have apart).
> SHOULD I CUT MY LOSSES AND RUN? I am not sure now when I am
> done if I will really be confident in the reliability of the car.
> (I know, we are never DONE when it comes to owning and
> maintaining an old car.)
Even the professional engine builders have engines go sour on them once in
awhile. Their secret is that they always hunt down the 'why', then never
make that mistake again.
Hang in there
Randall
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