Main and Rod Shim Sequence ???

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

I don't know about millions since there were only around 5 million made but I'm sure a lot of them were shade tree repaired. A lot probably ended up in scrap iron drives during the war too. If a crank broke, you just went to the junk yard and bought another engine or you went to the used car lot and bought another car. It depended on how much money you were making at the time. During the war, folks had to make due with what they had since auto manufacturing dried up but there were still used cars available from service men going overseas. My Pop sold his 35 Tudor in Florida before he and his crew left for the ETO. He bought a 41 Tudor after he got back in late 1945.

Adjusting the bearings was an accepted service procedure back then. In fact, the Model A Instruction Book says "If a bearing has become loose it should be adjusted by an authorized Ford mechanic." Many A's, probably most, needed at least a valve and ring job during their lifespan which included adjusting the bearings unless it was a backyard job. My question is, How many broken cranks resulted from the resulting "bowing" effect? In spite of all the adjusting that went on, A's did not have a reputation for breaking cranks (such as Chevy's reputation for broken axles at that time).