Thanks Dick, now here's the rest of the story.
My engine was completely overhauled 2700 miles ago. The thrust washers were
put incorrectly and when I set the end float, whilst on the engine stand, I
measured .004" and thought that a little tighter was OK as it would wear in,
......right?
Well, we had a club tech session at my house this past weekend and I thought
it would be good to see how much I had while we were all at it. I thought I
would be OK but as it turns out, I had .040". Disassembly showed the rear
thrust washer was just about down to the base metal and it appeared to have
been hot on the top edge (metal discoloration). Some "pot" metal was
present in the channel when I took it out.
Currently, the crank's rear thrust bearing face is not completely flat as it
turns out. (The front face is fine.) It has a very slight ridge in the
middle, perhaps 2-3 thou. and a llip on the outer edge, I'd say about 3-4
thou. Discussion with a club mechanic yielded that the outer ridge was
probably not going to matter as the thrust washer stays down and doesn't
ride up on the crank.. He thought that my initial set up was too tight,
hence the overheating and failure. (I used assembly lube at that time
too.) So when I got the .007" earlier tonight, I thought I was set fine.
So, no, Dick, it's not buttoned up yet. I used a micronometer on the thrust
washers to get the gap I thought I wanted. Can't explain what happened
after retorquing the rear main.
I've got another washer combination whereby I can get it down about .005
before retorquing the cap. Maybe afterwards it will be within spec. Think
this would be OK?
Ya know Dick, this may be related to that "squeal" we discussed a few months
ago when exchanged emails on the Toyota throwout bearing. If you'll recall,
mine squealed whenever I wasn't on the clutch and that lasted from about 400
miles up to about 700 miles.
Thoughts appreciated,
Gary Klein
Sally or Dick Taylor wrote:
> Gary---If you have the engine already buttoned up, the .010 float is OK.
> But the more float you have, the sooner it will grow. I can't explain
> why you picked up the .003. Adding the assy. lube should have lessened
> the clearance, if only by a little. If it were my engine I would do
> what's necessary to get the clearance down to .005 or even less. (Mine's
> at .003 and has been for years) Mixing and matching the available
> washers, as you know, is the key to coming up with the end clearance
> that you want. You might have to get one washer that's too thick, and
> grind down the non-action side to achieve this clearance.
>
> Thrust washers is the topic of many conversations among TR owners. Some
> have even gone so far as to use exotic materials to keep these from
> disintegrating. I have found it to be a non-isssue with my motor. I took
> the advise of long-time TRiumph guru, Len Renkenburger, who said
> .006-.008 is too much clearance and permits the crankshaft to hammer
> back and forth. I believe this to be true, and have proof of it in the
> longivity of my own thrust washers.
>
> For those not familiar with this repair, it's really a simple one. Just
> be sure that the oil grooves in each washer go towards the rotating part
> of the crankshaft.
>
> Starting the engine with the transmission in neutral (with the clutch
> engaged) takes the load off the thrust side of the washer long enough
> for fresh motor oil to reach this area, adding to washer life.
>
> Dick Taylor
>
> tick tock, Berry?
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