[SEL] Bronze main bearing

[Jack Watson]

===
There is a technique known as "upsetting", used to be well known and 
practised by the gentlemen of the Blacksmithing Guild. Basically, it 
consists of rendering a metal object thicker by pressing or hitting it 
on one end.

I have used this in extremis to make a bush "fatter" (albeit slightly 
shorter) to reduce its internal diameter slightly. If the shortening is 
critical, shims may be applied.

Technique requires turning up a couple of mandrels and a sleeve to keep 
the whole plot in alignment, and giving it a calibrated bash on the 
sleeve on one end, against a shoulder on the inner mandrel.

Sounds brutal, and is probably best suited to Land Rovers and BSAs.

JW²
===

> What is the best way to fix a situation where you have a bronze main
> bearing and there are no shims to remove.
> 
> 1. Have a new set of bronze bearing shells made.
> 2. Have the crank journal built up so the old bearing shells can be
> used.
> 3. Have a layer of Babbitt added to the bearing shells.
> 
> I'm leaning towards adding a layer of Babbitt to the existing shells as
> it is something I can probably do.
> 
> Having the crank journal built up would be probably the best way to go
> but I have no idea how expensive it is to have done.
> 
> George