TR6 TR6 Engine Bearings

[SkinnedKnuckles]

I just swapped out the engine bearings and the old ones were bi-metal (aluminum based?). Each was marked with a capital G inside a square. Anyone know the manufacturer?

 

[bgbassplyr]

"aluminum based?"

Hit them with a magnet to know for sure.

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

The bearing shell is steel, of course. The bearing material itself looks & feels (as in shiny & light) to be aluminum based, but I could be wrong.

On the big end bearing below the square G is <span style="font-weight: bold"> T/B JB</span> then a capital D inside a circle.

Edit: searched the part# of one, GS2022SA, and it is indeed a Glyco bearing (Federal-Mogul), aluminum alloy on a steel base.

 

[Brosky]

They are steel, not aluminum. The mating surface was another softer material from the shell, designed to contact the steel crankshaft surfaces without doing any wear damage.

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Taken from the info page on the bearing from a search of the part number. Please note "aluminum alloy on steel base" below.


1 x Bearing
Part Number: GS2022SA

Chemical Properties: Unleaded
Component Number: GS2022SA
For bearing clearance from: 0,01 mm
For housing diameter from: 51,33 mm
For shaft diamater from: 47,63 mm
Quantity Unit: Pair
Supplementary Article/Supplementary Info 2: Aluminium alloy on steel base
Thickness: 1,83 mm
To bearing clearance: 0,05 mm
To housing diameter: 51,35 mm
To shaft diameter: 47,64 mm
Width: 17,58 mm

 

[TR3driver]

Weren't the old Glacier bearings also marked with a G inside a squarish circle? It appears that GS2022SA was also a Glacier part number:
https://www.ebay.in/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400237349056
and ISTR they were the first with the aluminum alloy on steel (rather than the preferred babbitt/copper/steel).

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

Randall,

I ran across that same cross ref - seemed that Glacier/AE is USA & UK, Glyco/Fed-Mogul is rest of world.

My curiosity on the bearings was that they seemed soft and somewhat worn after 34k miles, but the softness also meant that the crank surfaces were in great shape.

 

[TR3driver]

That's curious, as my recollection is that the aluminum alloy was harder than the lead/tin/indium alloy used in the tri-metal bearings. The lead/tin/indium babbitt was so soft you could dent it with a fingernail, which supposedly allowed it to conform to the crankshaft better.

There have been so many mergers and whatnot that I can't keep them straight. But Glyco at least used to be a competitor to Glacier (who as I recall got bought by first AE and then later by Vandervell, which in turn is now owned by Mahle). Glyco in turn was bought by Federal-Mogul (who also bought companies like BCA, Bower and part of TRW).

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I recently got a set of MGB cam bearing that were in a Glyco box, were a good looking set of cam bearings, no splits, full circle. FWIW, you can still get new good quality tri metal bearings (King) for your TR6 engine from BPNW at a reasonable price, FWIW, I only use tri metal bearing in my engine rebuilds. I seem t recall the G marking to be a Glacier marking, and they were also bi metal bearing, tri metal vs bi metal is pretty easy to ID with the human eye, bi metal will always be a shiny aluminum look, while tri metal will be dull gunmetal gray look.

 

[Brosky]

I have the King Tri-Metal bearings from BPNW in my new engine.

 

[SkinnedKnuckles]

I also went back with the tri-metal bearings (from GoodParts). I was curious about the bearings I took out because I told the shop that rebuilt it 9 years ago to use the best quality bearings available. The guy even complained how expensive the bearing set was... I think tri-metals may have been harder to find back then.

 

[billspit]

For a while VP II bearings were the only tri-metal out there that I am aware of, and people who had stockpiled them were asking some serious money for them. Now anything marked VP seems to have the tri-metal price, even is not tri-metal.

 

[tomshobby]

I have the King Tri-Metal bearings from BPNW in my new engine.

Ditto and have been very happy with them.

I will add this though. And it applies to every part I use on my car. I check them before installing. Because of this habit that my machinist also shares he found that my new unopened set of bearings were two different sizes in the same box. Considering the manufacturer and the supplier it is a fluke to be sure but it did happen. And because of that habit all turned out well.

Like an old machinist I measure twice and cut once.