The Ford Barn

Patrick L. · 07-06-2013, 01:06 PM

I've finished the third in car adjustment. I mentioned before I hate doing this job, but, it is fun once those #%%$* cotters are out.
Anyway. Has anyone come up with an average on how much they have to take up ?
I haven't had to take up the rods much at all. The mains I've found a bit different. #1 about .001". center, the most, [at average for my 3] ,.003-.0045". Rear about .0015-.002"

The one I just finished didn't need anything on the rods [ .0015"]. .001" on front. .0035" center. .002" rear to get all to .0015"

Mike V. Florida · 07-06-2013, 03:08 PM

When I first bought my car I had to take out 17 shims from the engine.

Jim Brierley · 07-07-2013, 11:17 AM

Yours is a normal amount. The center main takes the most load, try running a quarter-inch line directly off the pump to the center cap. This puts more oil, more quickly to that bearing. I throw away the castellated nuts and put on regular nuts. This makes it easier but more importantly it gives more thread contact. I have been using ARP #300-8333 nuts, this is a 10-pack of 12-point nuts. I don't use cotter keys and have never had one loosen up. Any good nut will do, grade 8 preferred.

hotrodA · 07-07-2013, 05:18 PM

^^^^^Thanks for the ARP number! Do you replace the oe studs with grade 8 bolts also?

columbiA · 07-07-2013, 05:24 PM

The rod studs are one piece,forged with the nut.

columbiA · 07-07-2013, 05:26 PM

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Correction-The rod BOLTS are forged in one piece with the rod.

columbiA · 07-07-2013, 05:38 PM

As for brg adj,I have usually adj the brgs at 25,000mile intervals.One time I bought an A many years ago.It had a decent cosmetic resto but the bearings were noisy & I remember taking up the mains about .015" or so.The rods were loose also.I didnt mind that it was mech very poor,As I was an HD mechanic & any chassis work was easy for me But it was nice to get a car with a good body as I am an amatuer when it comes to that,altho I did a good job on my present 30 coupewith with but welding in patch panels etc.I would not do body work for anyone else as I feel I would not do a perfect job.

Patrick L. · 07-07-2013, 06:13 PM

Thanks for the replies. The first bearings I adjusted were on mine [the critter in the avatar] That was a 1961 local rebuild which I did about 4-5 years ago. I hate removing frozen/stuck cotters and the way most are installed. I put them back so that maybe they can be removed a easier. I too doubt the nuts would ever come loose. What I found interesting was the rods really didn't need anything, so, I took them up .0005". The front main .001", center .0045" and rear .003". I thought this thing had a main 'thunk' at speed which I thought would have been a lot more pronounced being that loose. It didn't/doesn't leak oil, which I thought it would have if the rear main was that loose.
The other 2 engines were roughly the same. Just goes to show that those little 'scoops' on the rods work very well.
The pans all had about 3" of sludge in them and the oil pump end plates were worn about the same.

hotrodA · 07-08-2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by columbiA

Correction-The rod BOLTS are forged in one piece with the rod.

Since the op, and Jim's response, was related to MAINS, so was my question about the MAIN bolts.

07-06-2013, 03:08 PM	#2
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll When I first bought my car I had to take out 17 shims from the engine. __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

07-07-2013, 05:18 PM	#4
hotrodA Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Rogersville, TN Posts: 797	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll ^^^^^Thanks for the ARP number! Do you replace the oe studs with grade 8 bolts also?

07-07-2013, 05:24 PM	#5
columbiA Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,746	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll The rod studs are one piece,forged with the nut.

07-07-2013, 05:26 PM	#6
columbiA Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,746	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Correction-The rod BOLTS are forged in one piece with the rod.

07-07-2013, 05:38 PM	#7
columbiA Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,746	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll As for brg adj,I have usually adj the brgs at 25,000mile intervals.One time I bought an A many years ago.It had a decent cosmetic resto but the bearings were noisy & I remember taking up the mains about .015" or so.The rods were loose also.I didnt mind that it was mech very poor,As I was an HD mechanic & any chassis work was easy for me But it was nice to get a car with a good body as I am an amatuer when it comes to that,altho I did a good job on my present 30 coupewith with but welding in patch panels etc.I would not do body work for anyone else as I feel I would not do a perfect job.

07-06-2013, 01:06 PM	#1
Patrick L. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Largo Florida Posts: 7,225	I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll I've finished the third in car adjustment. I mentioned before I hate doing this job, but, it is fun once those #%%$* cotters are out. Anyway. Has anyone come up with an average on how much they have to take up ? I haven't had to take up the rods much at all. The mains I've found a bit different. #1 about .001". center, the most, [at average for my 3] ,.003-.0045". Rear about .0015-.002" The one I just finished didn't need anything on the rods [ .0015"]. .001" on front. .0035" center. .002" rear to get all to .0015"

07-07-2013, 11:17 AM	#3
Jim Brierley Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 4,089	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll Yours is a normal amount. The center main takes the most load, try running a quarter-inch line directly off the pump to the center cap. This puts more oil, more quickly to that bearing. I throw away the castellated nuts and put on regular nuts. This makes it easier but more importantly it gives more thread contact. I have been using ARP #300-8333 nuts, this is a 10-pack of 12-point nuts. I don't use cotter keys and have never had one loosen up. Any good nut will do, grade 8 preferred.

07-07-2013, 06:13 PM	#8
Patrick L. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Largo Florida Posts: 7,225	Re: I'm curious. crank bearing adjustment question/poll Thanks for the replies. The first bearings I adjusted were on mine [the critter in the avatar] That was a 1961 local rebuild which I did about 4-5 years ago. I hate removing frozen/stuck cotters and the way most are installed. I put them back so that maybe they can be removed a easier. I too doubt the nuts would ever come loose. What I found interesting was the rods really didn't need anything, so, I took them up .0005". The front main .001", center .0045" and rear .003". I thought this thing had a main 'thunk' at speed which I thought would have been a lot more pronounced being that loose. It didn't/doesn't leak oil, which I thought it would have if the rear main was that loose. The other 2 engines were roughly the same. Just goes to show that those little 'scoops' on the rods work very well. The pans all had about 3" of sludge in them and the oil pump end plates were worn about the same.