Steven, flip the rod for another pic if you would. Let's compare the big end chamfer from one side to the other. I'm going to see if my TA billet rods have the same asymetrical feature. Devon
I really cant get a picture of that right now, theyre on the engine... Ill take one when i start switching the rods out. Im pretty sure it looks similiar if not identical.
The reason it's important to know is that the un-chamfered sides of the rods must face each when paired on the journal as Ray mentioned. Here are the TA Billets so you can see the difference from one side to the other. Big chamfer on this side, http://home.comcast.net/~shinzan/billet1.jpg Very small one on this side. http://home.comcast.net/~shinzan/billet2.jpg Devon
Im guessing by chamfer youre referring to the angled part around the crank journal on the rod, one sides large and one side is barely visible. I am going to switch the rods around, i will make sure with the dimples that way the chamfer is correct. thanks
Yep, that's it. The reason it's important is mostly due to a high-performance crank being reground with larger radii at the jounal for more strength, thus the rods & bearings need to have clearance for that area. It might not matter with your standard crank but it's best to go by the book. Devon
Although i forgot to take pictures of them, they do have that large and small chamfer difference, and while rearranging the rods to match the cylinder number i did install them with the small side in, which coincidently was with the dimple on the rods furthest from eachother. I also had time to install the timing cover and my old water pump, just to seal up the water passages (although there arent heads on it...). It looks good with the stainless bolts i bought for it :Brow:
Wilt the cover installed, i wanted to put on my oil pan to seal the bottom (will get a new one) and heads to seal the cylinders. If i just mount the heads with the orange crush gaskets, without torquing it all the way (maybe 40 ft/lbs), will they still be fine for the new heads? And with the girdle, there came 2 alluminum seals, one for the front and one for the back. What do i put in between the front piece and the timing cover, it didnt come with any extra gaskets, but it did have bolts. thanks
If you are just sealing the cylinders to avoid potential cyl. wall rust I would use plastic wrap between the old heads and block. I have those orange crush gaskets too. They are expensive so I wouldn't risk bolting different heads on them. Others may say different but I would rather install a super clean head gaskets with super clean mating surfaces. I would give TA a ring for the installation procedure of the front/rear spacer. I haven't got that far yet. I still need a pan modified.:beer Ray
sounds good, i forgot i have alot of that plastic stuff laying around. And the timing cover seal, it has some threaded holes and some straight through holes, the straight through ones screw into the timing cover, the threaded ones go to the oil pan. Now i have to get another oil slinger (engine shop threw mine away with the crankshaft timing gear...), then take the cover off and put it on and put the cover back on again, maybe check intake center line one more time, had to take the cam out to mly lube it, put it in the same but better safe than sorry. Anyone know if there is a problem with running two different types of bearings, as long as the clearance is fine? I dropped one of my clevitte 77 bearings and bought a replacement for it, same size (standard), but i dont think its a clevitte 77, it appears to be the same material also. Its the front lower (in the main cap). Should i just switch out the upper and lower with this bearing (take some work, it would be hard to lift my crank up with all the pistons on it) or run just the one that i damaged? thanks
You should have no problems if the clearance is good with a different 1/2 bearing. But measure to be sure. As long as there is oil between the bearing and journal no wear should occur. Ray
Put the bearing on today, clearance at .002 (what it was meant to be), all is well. Put silicon on the rear main seal (neoprene). Also tightened the girdle down for the last time, and put the rear girdle seal in. I covered it (almost literally) in silicon sealer, and hammered it in as hard as i could, but there was still about a 1/16 " gap on one side between the main cap, girdle, and the sealer piece, so i just filled it with silicon as well, any problem with this? The girdle came with one less oil pan bolt that it should have, if i cant find one ill request one on my next TA order. Then i put some plastic over the cylinders, put the heads on (stock heads, just on to seal it up), and the oil pan, looks nice. Now i need to check to make sure the balancer reads 0 correctly, check the cam centerline one more time (took it off and replaced it), then i can wait to order the heads.
Are you hammering the rear spacer? Say it ain't so. I just fit mine to one off a 430 and it fits better one way than the other. The dots to the inside. Also the tabs are deeper than the cap by about .020". Perhaps it needs to be trimmedo No: I figured I'd call Mike Phillips when the time came to install it. He did tell me how when I picked my block up but I forgot. TA will tell you how to do it properly or someone in the race section. Anyway the front cover needs to be centered with the damper and bolted on first before the bolting on the pan. Also the pickup to pan clearance should be checked. BTW I will be using a mod. pickup with a screen with a larger cross sections. I heard with the fine screen can cause a restriction. All the Best.....Ray
mine fit a little tighter than that, the right side (driver side of the car, engine is upside down) was all the way close, the other side had a small gap (less than 1/16") so i tried to tap it down more, didnt work. But it did slide right on, until the point where it got that low. I will be running an aftermarket pan (and the pickup that comes with it), but i wanted to put this pan on right now to seal it up better. I still need to take of the timing cover when i get an oil slinger to put in. I will center the timing cover with the dampener (didnt know it needed to be done before now) when i install the oil slinger, and will check the pickup to pan clearance when i install it. And just maybe ill take off that seal and file the pass. tab down slightly. thanks
havent posted in here in awhile. Not a whole bunch done to the engine since the last post. Tried putting on the harmonic balancer and it doesnt fit, so what am i supposed to do now? i measured the crank snout and the inside of the damper with an ever so accurate tape measure (dont have access to a caliper right now) and the balancer does appear to be near 1/32 smaller than the crank. Also, thought i had all bases covered before putting together the short block, but reading recently how not to put oil under the bearings when checking clearances. I did put a small film under every bearing i put in. So i would also like to ask, with the engine sitting for 4 months now, at least 6 more to come under full torque, will the oil eventually squeeze out or do i have to take it apart and clean that out? thanks
i figure oil will get between the bearings and the crank, but what about the oil under the bearings (betweens bearings and block)? will that cause the clearances to be low, and will it go away after sitting for quite awhile? if they balanced my crank, wouldnt the harmonic balancer fit? im thinking i may just not have it lined up right (timing cover, etc) how much force can it take to put it on (hammer or not?) thanks
I never put anything between the bearings and block, the last thing I would ever want is anything that would make it easier to spin a bearing. Unless something has changed I was told to keep it clean and dry so the bearing seats properly for start up. My balancer was put on with an installing tool that presses it on to the crank. I paid too much for it to ever hit on it, It was a very tight fit so we honed it slightly before installing it. If they spin balanced the crank then they should of had the balancer on at that time, it should be a press fit. Steve
NO oil under bearings. You don't want any aid it helping the bearing to spin. The balancer should not be a press fit, at least on our Buicks. It should be a snug push fit. Apply a thin film of oil on the crank snout to help it slide on. Measure the snout and ID of hub and make sure it'll fit.
ok, i thought i would be able to slide it on with my hand. i guess a new tool is in my future :Brow: and a bunch of work cleaning oil out of under all the bearings... but if i take the first few off and theyre dry, im stopping there :grin: thanks
