loosing my bearings

[tdafforn]

Spent today taking the engine out of my +2.
Anyhow took 4 hours and went swiminingly.
Only problem, once removed I noticed about 10 small ball bearings (2-3mm diameter) huddling in the bell housing.
When I was runing the car last summer I had no problems with the gearbox, clutch.
The only reason I have the engine out is that it needs a rebuild.

Anyone have any ideas where these ball bearings may have come from?
Cheers
Tim

[1964 S1]

Mass dampers? Did Mr. Chapman have that figured out too?

[types26/36]

Sounds a bit odd, there are not too many place's for the balls to come from.
Unless you have some special starter motor we can rule that out, cant see how they could come from the gearbox as the balls in the front bearing are much larger and there is no way to get out without major gearbox damage.
So that leaves the the spigot (pilot bearing) or the release bearing, now unless I am mistaken you have the 6 bolt crank and that takes needle roller bearings ......so and as you say they are balls this would exclude the the spigot bearing.
This leaves us with the release bearing and if the release bearing had disintergrated I think you would have known about it while the car was being used! as you say the balls are quite small it doesn't sound like the release bearing anyway so......I dont know
I am assuming you have a 4 speed gearbox as I know nothing about the 5 speed and dont know if there is anything associated with it that the balls could come from.

[tdafforn]

Quite correct I have a 4 speed with a six bolt crank.
Starter is a special (preengaged) but it is only 1000 miles old and was working fine..
Had been through 2 starters in 2 years before then. Could it come from the front bearing of the starter?
Tim

[john.p.clegg]

Tim
I suppose it would be daft of me to suggest the release bearing as this would be obvious if the front plate had fell off during disassembly...

Or would it (be daft of me)?

John

[types26/36]

Had been through 2 starters in 2 years before then. Could it come from the front bearing of the starter?Tim

If you are refering to the first two (original lucas type) then the answer is no, the lucas starter does not have any ball bearings, it has bushes.......the mystery deepens

[elansprint71]

Sounds like Chapman might have fitted you up with a Sturmey-Archer gearbox

[tdafforn]

just got home and measured the ball bearings (my guess was a little bit out eg 100%)
they are 6.4 mm and I have 8 of them..
Does this suggest anything?
Cheers
tim

[types26/36]

j(my guess was a little bit out eg 100%)
they are 6.4 mm and I have 8 of them..
Does this suggest anything?

Yes! you are not good at estimation

[types26/36]

Just had another thought, you have not said anything about the condition of the release bearing so I presume it looks O.K.......now here's a thought, what if the balls have been laid in the bellhouseing from a previous release bearing that disintergrated when the previous owner had the car? they just never saw/took them out then?

[tdafforn]

Release bearing seemed fine when I ran the car last summer.
Haven't had a chance to look at it since the engine came out, will have a look tomorrow!
Could well be from the last DPO, the clutch looks in reasonable condition considering the car has a documented 67K miles, so it looks as though someone has been here before.
Now I have got the bearing size right, could they have come from the gearbox?
Tim

[types26/36]

Now I have got the bearing size right, could they have come from the gearbox?Tim

I cant see how, there would have to be major damage to the gear box for them to have come from there and the balls in the gearbox front roller bearing are much larger then 6.4mm.

[tdafforn]

gearbox front roller bearing are much larger then 6.4mm.

well thats good news at least!
So I guess the current release bearing or a past release bearing is the best guess
Tim

[M100]

Are you sure your balls are truly spherical?

If they aren't then just about any debris such as road gravel etc that gets caught up in the ring gear will eventually end up roughly ball shaped. I've noticed something similar a few years ago - possibly on a Mini but I can't be absolutely sure. I do know that the balls were in the clutch housing and nothing in that area had anything remotely near the size of balls I found. Obviously the size of your balls may vary depending on the pounding they have experienced and also cold weather will make them shrink.

(why does this post sound like a carry on sketch)

[gjz30075]

Are you sure your balls are truly spherical?

Obviously the size of your balls may vary depending on the pounding they have experienced and also cold weather will make them shrink.

(why does this post sound like a carry on sketch)

So true!