> The bearings are .010 undersize, and CANNOT be used on a
> standard crank.
That's right, but there's always a chance your crank has already been ground
once. No sense buying bearings until you know for sure since there are 4
different possible sizes.
> Randall can answer better than I as far as changing bearings
> without removing the crank, but I can't see why you would want
> to.
It's quite possible, I've done it several times. Pulling the engine from the
car is a major project on a TR3, but the rod & main bearings can be changed with
the engine still in the car, in just an hour or two. I regard changing the
bearings as preventative maintenance, not just part of a standard rebuild. Kind
of like changing the oil filter, except I only change bearings every 50,000
miles or so (or when the hot oil pressure gets low enough to make me nervous).
One of the service manuals even recommended doing the rods every 30,000
(although I don't recall which one offhand).
> You would still want to measure the end play for the thrust
> washers
Which can be done even without removing the pan. However, TRactor motors almost
never wear out thrust washers so unless you make a habit of riding the clutch,
or have some other reason to suspect them, I wouldn't worry about it.
> and check the timing chain, etc.
Another operation that can be done with the engine in the car & the crank in the
engine. But again they last almost forever (mine's probably close to 200,000
miles) so not a priority to me.
> Can you really get all the Mains in W/O removing the
> Crank? What about
> > that front top half one?
I don't recall having any particular trouble with it. Only take apart one main
at a time, so the crank is always supported by the other two. I partially
flattened one of the old (lower) shells to use as a drift to gently tap the
upper shell out of place (working from the end opposite the key and with the
clean, soft side of the insert towards the journal) until perhaps 1/2" of the
upper shell was protruding. Then I pinched the protruding end against the crank
journal, and turned the crank with the other hand to roll the shell out. Worked
slick, I've done it several times.
Another trick I've read of is to take a cotter pin and bend it so it will slide
snugly into the lube hole in the crank. Insert it so the head only protrudes a
little bit, then turn the crank so the head catches the end of the insert and
rolls it out. Cotter pins are fairly soft, so they won't damage the crank or
block if the pin gets misaligned.
Note that the insert only comes out one way. If you look at the ends where they
are exposed on either side of the journal, you can see that one end is bent like
_______---. That end must come out first. Reverse the process to install the
new one.
Randall
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