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siezed my engine!?!?!?!?!

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blkcorvair

Jedi Knight
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Well after getting over two virus' vertigo remodling 85% of my house and decapitating my fingertip with a sheetrock knife this winter Im back! Two drafts a new cable box for the garage tv and a nice clean shop floor I cant wait. I tore the nose down today. Tommorow Ill finally get into this engine and get some answers. I know I left alot of you hanging when I started this post three months ago!
 
With cable TV in the garage, how do you expect to get anything accomplished?
Now I know why some guys take years to do what I do in a couple months.
I do not have TV in my garage, but i do have a radio :wink:
 
I guess my two projects never will get done, HDTV, flat screen, high speed internet, Sirius radio, fridge, rocking chairs.......now that you made your comment we do spend a lot of time beer in hand contemplating what we are going to do next, but then that is part of the fun. Seems we BCF'ers enjoy talking about em whether apart or dressed in Sunday best.
 
Glad to hear you're surviving. I worked as a sheetrocker when I was in college....I have the fingertips to prove it!

Hope you are able to get your car out this year.

I'm pretty sure I'll be at the VRG Vintage Celebration (May 16-18)at New Hampshire Intn'l Speedway, NH

Also, I'll be at Pocono on March 28 (a Friday) with the Escort for an open track day.

Not exactly sure what races I'm doing this year....but it looks like my emphasis will be more on VRG vintage events.

I have plans to take my "new" '69 MGB to some 2008 Brit-car shows too.
 
Well the siezure is defenatally a lower end issue. Pulled the timing cover all is good and the upper end moves. More to come.....
 
Outboard thrust washer was worn. Inboard spun half way around and wedged itself. Good news. I think it happened when I backed it into the driveway so very little damage was sustained. Just a little nastiness on the rear main bearing. Think Im gonna send the crank out and have it re-cut and replace all the bearings/ re-size the thrust washers and slap her back together. The long lasted mystery is solved.
 
Could have been a lot worse.
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

I am lookinh at these thrust washers and wondering if they were maybe even installed incorrectly. They have two sides. One looks like a coated bearing type of material with two notches and the other is unfinished looking with the specs stamped on it.

Now I would assume that the unfinished side should ne installed inboard towards the main bearing cap and the side with the notches and finish be installed towards the crank jornals since this is a moving part. The outboard washer is badly worn and the crank surface seemed to take some wear as well with ridges cut from the thrust washer. These washers were installed with the unfinished side and spec stamped facing the rotating crank.. This seems wrong to me. Does anyone know which is correct. Also those ridges Cant be machined down I suppose, so I will need to put a larger washer in its place to take up as much of the slack as possible I assume.
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

You’re speaking of a 1500 engine correct?
If so with a little machine work you can install a thrust washer to the cap side as well as the block side (making a full circle like the A series have).
I have done this for a number of cars. You are correct that the bearing side (notches for oil) face the crank.
But the spinning of the 1500 half thrust washers is "kinda" common. That meaning I've completed the repair to a number of engines over the years for that reason.
Again if this is a 1500 engine the spec for end float is a good deal more than it was for A series. Always found it funny that if you looked in a Spitfire service manual it gave a different end float than the service book under MG midget. Both I thought were too much given the fact that they have only half a circle and narrower than A series thrust washers.
"Dug"
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

It is a 1500, I am worried that because the thrust washer was installed backwards it wore the crank surface down too much. Perhaps I can get it machined and make up the difference with oversized thrust washers, But I fear its too thin. I may just look for a source for a replacement crank.
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

I don't think you need a new crank. But if you decide that is what you want. I have one I can part with. It's in my shed and easy to get to (I think).
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

Morris said:
I don't think you need a new crank. But if you decide that is what you want. I have one I can part with. It's in my shed and easy to get to (I think).
Click to expand...

I may just install new main bearings and resize the thrust washers and let it ride. Other than the wearing of the thrust washer surface the crank is in ideal condition. For $100 worth of parts it may be worth a shot.
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

This is one of those: "WHAT were they THINKING?!?!" issues. Always hidden until it's too late. I never consider a "new to me" car to be all mine until I've gone thru every bit of it. Always waiting for a DPO trick to manifest itself in some catastrophic manner. Also why I hate letting go of one of "my" cars. Then it means I have to start all over again. :wink:
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

Yep! I never consider it done til I been in everything. And then you have to think did I tighten all them bolts!?!?
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

When you order your thrust washers, order one oversized set and one standard set. You may need to mix and match to get the ideal end float. Better to have the parts you need on hand.
 
Re: Thrust washers installed wrong?

Morris said:
When you order your thrust washers, order one oversized set and one standard set. You may need to mix and match to get the ideal end float. Better to have the parts you need on hand.
Click to expand...

yes my plan is to order std, .005 and .015 to get what i need.
 
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