If crank bearings are going to be subject to extreme stresses then it is
important to get hold of either Vandervall, Glacier LC or the Israeli heavy
duty ones. Standard Glacier bearings are made by the surface material being
pressed into place and under extremes it can literally be wiped off. The
crank thrust problem is slighly different and Glacier managed to make a
problem even worse by supplying their rubbish in place of vastly superior
Vandervall ones when they took over Vandervall. Nowadays Federal Mogul own
them both and probably couldn't care less about investigating crank thrust
problems in thirty year old cars.
Don't forget that for a certain period of time standard Glacier bearings
were packed in Vandervall boxes, check on the steel backing for the G in a
square box.
John Kipping
----- Original Message -----
From: Brad Eells <bradlnss@lightspeed.net>
To: <WEmery7451@aol.com>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 5:10 PM
Subject: RE: Triumph-3/4 Oil Lubricating System
> Part of the problem may be that, as discussed on this list at
> times...bearings aren't exactly what they used to be either...
>
> Vandervell tri-metal bearings are hard to come by and after reading some
of
> the comments on this list, I was very relieved to find a complete set of
> .010 under Vandervell bearings for the TR4A. The factory had trouble with
> bearings and had to upgrade them when developing the engine for the TR2
> (ref: Triumph Guide).
>
> Are you using the modern bearings available today or Vandervells?
>
> While bearing quality may have declined, I think oil quality has gained
> tremendously from the 50's and 60's. I have used Castrol Syntec in the
TR4A
> since it's break in with new pistons and sleeves 15 years ago...
>
> Yes...I am dealing with a spun rod bearing right now, but...that's because
I
> replaced everything in the engine you could without tearing it out of the
> car. That old, out of round crank was going to catch up with me
> eventually...and it did! The pistons and sleeves had virtually no wear at
> all in those 15 years and 40,000 miles.
>
> Just one opinion...
>
> Cheers
>
> Brad
> TR4A - With NOS Vandervells!
>
> <<It appears that I am suffering spun bearing problems more often now than
I
> did with nothing more than the stock system. Maybe I am out smarting
> myself. >>
|