The Ford Barn

mantta · 02-04-2011, 04:33 PM

I got into it today and on #1 connecting rod I used The aluminum foil method of checking the clearance. Ifolded a piece of foil inhalf and it measured just under .002". I tried it in the cap and I could still turn the engine crank by hand. I removed a shim, .004" from one side and retightened it, could not turn the crank by hand, I removed the tinfoil and I could turn it by hand so I figure it is about right. My first question is, is it okay to remove shims from just one side? Next, I noticed that the drain tube on therear main bearing cap is loose in the cap. It appears to have been brazed in at one time. I would like to re-braze it but will this be too much heat for the babbit in the cap or should I try to lead solder it?
Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Dave in MN · 02-04-2011, 05:53 PM

It is okay to remove a single lamination from the shim pack from one side when adjusting. If you need to adjust tighter remove one lamination from the opposite side. Good practice: Before you remove your first lamination, measure the two shim packs and remove the first shim from the thicker pack.
Attaching the Rear main drain tube: Brazing...If you work with a small but very hot flame you will be able to braze it....just be careful to avoid overheating.
Do you know someone with a wire feed welder? If so, placing a spot of weld between the tube and the cap works great. If you do this, remove the previous brazing with a grinder first. I do it all the time when rebuilding engines.
While you have the cap off, you should clean the oil passage. If you use the wire feed welder method, you will be removing the tube for brazing removal. With the cap off and with the oil pipe removed, place a small punch through the threaded oil pipe opening against the back side of the galley plug and drive it out with light taps from a small hammer. Put a rag over the cap to catch the plug or it may fly out of sight. With the plug removed, insert a drill bit into the cap by hand and twist to clear any debris from the oil return passage. Flush out the passage and blow clean. The galley plug can be driven back into the opening with a ball peen hammer. Deform the edges of the cap ever so slightly to secure the plug. If the plug seems to small after driving it out, place it on an anvil and give it a hit with a hammer...it will straighten and expand to fit. Lots of leaks are caused by partially restricted rear main oil passages. I've found everything from babbitt to timing gear bits blocking them.
I'm not sure if I show one but you may be able to see a cap with the welded pipe on my website.
Good Day!
Dave in MN
www.durableperformance.net

Ron in Quincy · 02-04-2011, 06:02 PM

Regarding the removal of shims on main and rod bearings; I personally prefer, when possible, to remove shims from each side to obtain the proper clearance, rather than from just one side.

Ron

Kirby1374 · 03-27-2011, 06:12 PM

Just going thru this myself, I 've got the mains done now onto the rods. I guess I did ok on the shims, Thats the way I did it.
I to have a loose drain. Can I spot weld it on the motor? (I already got the shims just right)Does the tube aim staight towards the front?
Thanks, Aaron

pat in Santa Cruz · 03-27-2011, 08:50 PM

[ Can I spot weld it on the motor? (I already got the shims just right)Does the tube aim staight towards the front?
Thanks, Aaron[/QUOTE]

yes, tack it with a wire welder, just keep it cool. Do short bursts with time to cool in between. It does not need to be welded all around, just a few tacks will hold it. The tube faces forward. If its really wobbly, be sure its not set out in the path of the crankshaft before you weld it .

Kohnke Rebabbitting · 03-27-2011, 09:44 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mantta

I got into it today and on #1 connecting rod I used The aluminum foil method of checking the clearance. Ifolded a piece of foil inhalf and it measured just under .002". I tried it in the cap and I could still turn the engine crank by hand. I removed a shim, .004" from one side and retightened it, could not turn the crank by hand, I removed the tinfoil and I could turn it by hand so I figure it is about right. My first question is, is it okay to remove shims from just one side? Next, I noticed that the drain tube on therear main bearing cap is loose in the cap. It appears to have been brazed in at one time. I would like to re-braze it but will this be too much heat for the babbit in the cap or should I try to lead solder it?
Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Mantta, Always alternate your shims, that is the way it is done. You said you took out .004, I have never seen a shim pack with a .004 shims, you might have two pieces of .002, stuck togather and that would be a normal thickness. Some times it is hard to find the edge to peel. In any case, you have to course of an adjustment. When you get down to it if the last shim, say is .002, and it is to loose, and with it out it is to tight, leave the .002 out, and make a shim out of .001, It will put it right where you want it. As Dave said make sure you start with the biggest shim pack, if there is one. And, DO NOT weld the pipe in place on the engine, just one little slag beed gets in your engine and goes in the oil pump, or any of the bearings, there won't be a need for any future bearing adjustments. Dave said, check the main drain for obstruction, always good to do. Herm.

Ed in Maine · 03-28-2011, 08:36 AM

Excellent comments on main bearing shims and drain tube. My Town Sedan always has a good oil leak at the rear when the car is cold. I eventually dropped the oil pan to clean it up and took a close look at the rear main drain tube. The previous engine rebuilder had crimped the end of the tube and then dropped a ball bearing down the tube to partially block the tube. Was this done to be sure that the rear main was flooded with oil? Would removing this tube blockage reduce the leakage I am seeing and still allow plenty of oil to stay at the rear main bearing?

Dave in MN · 03-28-2011, 09:08 AM

Ed in Maine,
The drain pipe you have discovered on your rear cap was a FORD part. It was installed on truck engines. Some unloading facilities (grain, coal, sand & gravel) would lift the front of the truck to cause the load to spill out the rear of the box. The steep angle needed to dump the load would cause the oil to flow out from the oil pan through the rear main cap. The little ball in the pipe you discovered was actually a "check valve". The ball would roll back against an internal stop in the pipe when the engine was placed at a severe angle stopping or greatly reducing the oil leakage from the rear main. The crimp you see was to stop the ball from falling out of the assembly. I replace these pipes with new unrestricted pipes when rebuilding an engine and keep the originals for show and tell.
Good Day!
Dave in MN

02-04-2011, 05:53 PM	#2
Dave in MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Jordan, MN Posts: 1,411	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube It is okay to remove a single lamination from the shim pack from one side when adjusting. If you need to adjust tighter remove one lamination from the opposite side. Good practice: Before you remove your first lamination, measure the two shim packs and remove the first shim from the thicker pack. Attaching the Rear main drain tube: Brazing...If you work with a small but very hot flame you will be able to braze it....just be careful to avoid overheating. Do you know someone with a wire feed welder? If so, placing a spot of weld between the tube and the cap works great. If you do this, remove the previous brazing with a grinder first. I do it all the time when rebuilding engines. While you have the cap off, you should clean the oil passage. If you use the wire feed welder method, you will be removing the tube for brazing removal. With the cap off and with the oil pipe removed, place a small punch through the threaded oil pipe opening against the back side of the galley plug and drive it out with light taps from a small hammer. Put a rag over the cap to catch the plug or it may fly out of sight. With the plug removed, insert a drill bit into the cap by hand and twist to clear any debris from the oil return passage. Flush out the passage and blow clean. The galley plug can be driven back into the opening with a ball peen hammer. Deform the edges of the cap ever so slightly to secure the plug. If the plug seems to small after driving it out, place it on an anvil and give it a hit with a hammer...it will straighten and expand to fit. Lots of leaks are caused by partially restricted rear main oil passages. I've found everything from babbitt to timing gear bits blocking them. I'm not sure if I show one but you may be able to see a cap with the welded pipe on my website. Good Day! Dave in MN www.durableperformance.net Last edited by Dave in MN; 02-04-2011 at 06:13 PM.

02-04-2011, 06:02 PM	#3
Ron in Quincy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Quincy, CA. Posts: 1,708	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube Regarding the removal of shims on main and rod bearings; I personally prefer, when possible, to remove shims from each side to obtain the proper clearance, rather than from just one side. Ron

03-27-2011, 06:12 PM	#4
Kirby1374 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Coquille, Or Posts: 280	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube Just going thru this myself, I 've got the mains done now onto the rods. I guess I did ok on the shims, Thats the way I did it. I to have a loose drain. Can I spot weld it on the motor? (I already got the shims just right)Does the tube aim staight towards the front? Thanks, Aaron

03-27-2011, 08:50 PM	#5
pat in Santa Cruz Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: santa cruz, calif Posts: 2,011	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube [ Can I spot weld it on the motor? (I already got the shims just right)Does the tube aim staight towards the front? Thanks, Aaron[/QUOTE] yes, tack it with a wire welder, just keep it cool. Do short bursts with time to cool in between. It does not need to be welded all around, just a few tacks will hold it. The tube faces forward. If its really wobbly, be sure its not set out in the path of the crankshaft before you weld it .

03-28-2011, 08:36 AM	#7
Ed in Maine Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cty., ME or Flagler Cty., FL Posts: 1,106	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube Excellent comments on main bearing shims and drain tube. My Town Sedan always has a good oil leak at the rear when the car is cold. I eventually dropped the oil pan to clean it up and took a close look at the rear main drain tube. The previous engine rebuilder had crimped the end of the tube and then dropped a ball bearing down the tube to partially block the tube. Was this done to be sure that the rear main was flooded with oil? Would removing this tube blockage reduce the leakage I am seeing and still allow plenty of oil to stay at the rear main bearing?

02-04-2011, 04:33 PM	#1
mantta Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Keweenaw Bay, MI (Michigan's Upper Peninsula) Posts: 218	Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube I got into it today and on #1 connecting rod I used The aluminum foil method of checking the clearance. Ifolded a piece of foil inhalf and it measured just under .002". I tried it in the cap and I could still turn the engine crank by hand. I removed a shim, .004" from one side and retightened it, could not turn the crank by hand, I removed the tinfoil and I could turn it by hand so I figure it is about right. My first question is, is it okay to remove shims from just one side? Next, I noticed that the drain tube on therear main bearing cap is loose in the cap. It appears to have been brazed in at one time. I would like to re-braze it but will this be too much heat for the babbit in the cap or should I try to lead solder it? Thanks for any and all suggestions!

03-28-2011, 09:08 AM	#8
Dave in MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Jordan, MN Posts: 1,411	Re: Shim Removal and Main Bearing Drain Tube Ed in Maine, The drain pipe you have discovered on your rear cap was a FORD part. It was installed on truck engines. Some unloading facilities (grain, coal, sand & gravel) would lift the front of the truck to cause the load to spill out the rear of the box. The steep angle needed to dump the load would cause the oil to flow out from the oil pan through the rear main cap. The little ball in the pipe you discovered was actually a "check valve". The ball would roll back against an internal stop in the pipe when the engine was placed at a severe angle stopping or greatly reducing the oil leakage from the rear main. The crimp you see was to stop the ball from falling out of the assembly. I replace these pipes with new unrestricted pipes when rebuilding an engine and keep the originals for show and tell. Good Day! Dave in MN Last edited by Dave in MN; 03-28-2011 at 05:08 PM.