VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc babbitting

looking for a reasonable source to have rods & mains rebabbitted :confused:

EM,
I have had local F**d friends recommend:

Babbitt Pot
1693 Route 4,
Fort Edward, NY 12828
(518) 747-4277

Good luck.
Dan.

Yes, it has a good reputation. The owner's name is Zigmont.

I dropped off my rods up there last month, but he wants the exact micrometer readings off the crankshaft before he starts any work. I'm kind of stumped since I don't own one. Anyone familiar with a source to rent such an instrument?

Take your crankshaft to any local machine shop and they can make the measurements for you. Having a "mike" is just part of the problem. Accurate 'reading' is much more important.

And, YES, the shop can't do anything to pore your rods and mains without the exact measurements.

You should consider having a good machine shop either 'turn' all journals and mains to same measurements, or if they are in reasonable specks have the crank 'polished'.

That would be the smart bet, but that means taking the crank out again.

I understand that aspect. If you do borrow a 'mike' be sure to check each throw for roundness. The crank has a tendency to become oval after a long period of operation so measure several spots all around each throw. The small size of the oval usually is in line with TDC for that rod. The measurement the company that is doing the pouring needs is the wide portion of any oval.

Thanks Ray - excellent points! Now I just need the dang tool.

I'm going to a car show this weekend in Central NY. Perhaps if my Chev luck is working I'll come across a used one...!

You might want to take the crankshaft to the fellow doing the babbiting, and go from there. and the cylinder block, with mains,and pan just in case.

Macky, you're giving me a whole bunch of work here..!

Seriously, to get mains rebabbited I'd have to drag the whole block out to be rebored. I just don't have the heart, gumption, or cash to do all that. I already had the car out on the road for a couple of years, but a couple of the rods were just too worn even with all the shims removed. Taking them out alone was a much easier prospect.

If the crankshaft is standard size--never been turned--you could perhaps get lucky and find some NOS or NORS rebabbited rods in standard size.Install-remove necessary shims to adjust bearings-and you will be back on the road.The only problem is that the rods fit 1932 only and may be a little difficult to find.Also if standard the old rods could be rebabbited back to standard size and as long as the shim packs are put back-as a new rod would have-they can be adjusted to fit your worn crank.If its badly worn there will be a high spot (unworn) in the center of the rod journal when the rod journal (or piston) is all the way up.This is because the center of the X in the rod does not contact the crank journal at this point and does not wear in this area.Will give you a good indication of the crank wear.

Didn't mean you should have new mains poured, I also don't relish spending hard earned cash un-necessarily But the Babbit guy's requirement for good measurements would be satisfied if he is the one to make the measurement, Some of these shops require the crank be sent with the rods, and if you had a doubt about the mains....Who would you trust? Probably the babbit guy.

My question is:
Do they have digital mics now? I know that half the problem of measuring was the skill level of the operator.

Yes there are digital mics-have been for 20 years or so.So simple to read.

Also the eletronic digital calipers are available today for about $30.00-imported -available from parts stores.I have sold many of these and they function well no problems.They will not be quite as accurate as a micrometer due to their narrower jaws but they measure inside, outside, and depth.I used one to measure a 216 crank journal and was accurate enough to determine that it was .010" under.

FYI,

I just got my EGGE catalog and they are in the business of 'babbitting' also.

I wouldn't go there (Egge) if I were you. :( :( :( :(

JYD, I knew you had some problems with their aluminium pistons; babbitt problems too?

I had never seem their catalog before, so I just wanted to pass the information on.

JYD, I knew you had some problems with their aluminium pistons; babbitt problems too?

I had never seem their catalog before, so I just wanted to pass the information on.

I was thinking of sending mine their for babbitting. Who would you use???

Yep! :( :(

Who would you use?

I don't know of anyone in your area. :( :( :(

Just to interject...I found a 1" - 2" micrometer on EBay, and finally made my measurements. I sent them on the Babbit Pot, and now I have to wait another month. Sigh. :(

Let us know how everything works out with the babbitting. OK?

I also bought and about to mail a set of shims to him. These are thicker than the original shims - about .100/inch apiece, as opposed to the originals that are very thin and pliable (sort of like aluminum foil).

Anybody have any concerns or kudos about using these replacement shims?

New connecting rod shims are available from Chevs of the '40's...#3692517-$4.00-looks like a pak of 10-says that they are .009" thick.When the rods come back rebabbited you can remove the thick shims and use the thinner ones.I assume that their shims are .0009" each - not .009" as they must be removed by .001" at a time for final adjustment-which would not be possible with .009"-----The original shims were brass at .002" and silver at .001"-a few of each were used on both sides of cap.

I believe the shims I got a couple of years ago when I rebuilt my 216 were made by Federal-Mogul. Although they do look like one piece, they peel apart, into 3 or 4 separate shims. They are kind of hard to get apart and you'd swear they were one piece. I soaked them in laquer thinner and used an X-Acto knife to carefully peel them apart.