TR2/3/3A Piston Fun 60 TR3

[Tinkerman]

I have the pistons in the block, everything is well lubricated and I tightened the rod caps a little at a time so they all got approximatly the same tightening. I kept turning the crank also. After the last tighening sequence I can barely turn the crank. If I go to the proper torque there is no way that I will be able to turn it over. BTW I am using The old timing chain and a very stout beefy pump wrench (adjustable wrench for you young guys)to turm it. Is this unusual, ususal or do I have a problem? I'm thinking that I might have the wrong inserts in it. Anyhow any thoughts would be very helpful.
Tinkerman /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Bugeye58]

Tinkerman, you need to recheck your bearing clearances. Either you have the wrong bearings, or there is dirt or contamination under the inserts.
Try tightening one rod at a time and see if that changes anything. If you can spin the crank until you tighten one that locks it up, you've at least isolated which rod is the problem.
Or, pull the bearings, mike the crank, and check the size on the back of the inserts.
Jeff

 

[cjm]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif when fully torqued/tightened the crank should turn easily( by hand).discounting contamination temporally, how did you/ someone else calculate bearing size?

 

[billspit]

When I rebuilt my Nissan truck engine, I put a small gall on the very edge of the rear main bearing cap. It caused the bearing to squeeze down too much and would bind the crank. Ground it off and all was well.

 

[Tinkerman]

well, guess who has to back and take micrometer reading 101 allllll over again! The way I figured it I needed the .020 bearings and I was wrong, I needed the .010 bearings.
Thanks for help fellows, all fixed and turning the way it should now.
Tinkerman

 

[Don Elliott]

I'm glad you found the answer. I had thought that maybe you had a bent connecting rod or more that one bent con rod.

 

[martx-5]

I use Plastigage to check bearing clearances. In this case, I can't imagine how squished the stuff would have gotten. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

Glad you found out what the problem was.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[Tinkerman]

You know, I forgot about the plasti guage. My engine guy even suggested that I try it and I have some in my toolbox, oh well it came out OK.
Tinkerman /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TRTEL]

I fear those .020 bearings might now be throw aways.
Tom Lains
TS 8651 & 58107

 

[Tinkerman]

Tom, yes, I'm afraid you might be right, sigh. I was thinking I might be able to sell them on ebay but they looked a little the worse for wear. I may put them on with full disclosure and see what happens.
Cheers, Tinkerman

 

[trfourtune]

once a bearing has been installed, it cannot be re used for anything else. ie its used. you should never think that it is still new once it has bee torqued. the edges of the bearing crush where they meet and only can be used in your engine in the location it was first torqued. if you drop them on the floor and mix them up-they are now trash.
Rob