Cam Bearings and Hello from new forum member

[perksy]

New member just saying hello

I've been following the forum for awhile and decided to register as It's been a good read and source of information

I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and in the process of building a 1968 TC for a friend to fit in a Mk1 Escort

I'm struggling with the jackshaft bearings though and wondered if anyone can help?

The ones I've removed were FORD part numbers: 105E6261A 105E6262A 105E6263A
Which I believed were FORD standard sized items, I fitted the standard ones from BURTON and the jackshaft is tight

Before I start clocking the jackshaft up for straightness, I wonder if anybody has any suggestions or might have had this problem before?

Thanks in advance for any help

[512BB]

Its very simple. Once new jackshaft bearings have been installed, they often have to be reamed to fit the shaft.

I have been lucky on occasion, and this has not been necessary, and unlucky, and it has. And it does not seem to be consistent with any particular brand of bearing either. ACL, original Ford, Vandervell. They sometimes need boring, and sometimes not. If the jackshaft turned okay in the block before removing, there wont be anything wrong with it, unless you dropped it

Welcome to the Board.

Leslie

[perksy]

Hi Leslie

Thanks for the quick reply and the welcome

Jackshaft definitely not dropped, so it looks like a trip to the machine shop might well be in order

I've built a few engines now, but I'm enjoying the TC so far, Its nice to work on some 'old school' technology

[perksy]

Local machine shop are aware of this issue and mention doing several before

Trouble is they want £180 plus VAT for machining and then the price of the bearings on top

I've just checked the jackshafts machined surface with a file and it doesn't appear very hard, Has anyone successfully span one of these in a lathe to correct the issue?

I'm thinking now of carrying out the short jackshaft conversion method and then spin it in the lathe to achieve a nice fit on the two remaining bearings?

[Craven]

IF you install in shaft bearing by bearing you may be able to find just one is tight or misaligned, it’s a white metal shell and any high points can be easily scraped to size.

[Andy8421]

I'm thinking now of carrying out the short jackshaft conversion method and then spin it in the lathe to achieve a nice fit on the two remaining bearings?

The rear bearing has an oil feed that needs to be plugged if you shorten the jackshaft. The usual technique is to fit the bearing shell, but to make sure the oilway in the block doesn't align with the hole in the bearing. So if you go down this route, I am afraid you will be replacing the rear bearing.

Good luck.

[512BB]

'Trouble is they want £180 plus VAT for machining and then the price of the bearings on top '

No 1, you are being ripped off. The company that I use on occasion, charge me £40 to get a jackshaft to fit new bearings that I have already fitted. No 2, why do you need further new bearings? I understand that you have already fitted them.

'I've just checked the jackshafts machined surface with a file and it doesn't appear very hard, Has anyone successfully span one of these in a lathe to correct the issue?'

You can't do that, that's butchery. The problem is with the bearings, not the shaft.

'I'm thinking now of carrying out the short jackshaft conversion method and then spin it in the lathe to achieve a nice fit on the two remaining bearings?'

You can't do that, that's butchery. The problem is with the bearings, not the shaft.

Craven wrote 'IF you install in shaft bearing by bearing you may be able to find just one is tight or misaligned, it’s a white metal shell and any high points can be easily scraped to size.

I think he meant to write 'If you install the bearings in the block, bearing by bearing' or even, if you insert the shaft in the block gradually, with the block in the vertical plain, you should be able to deduce which bearing is tight.

Have you tried that Pesky? I have sucessfully scraped, or more accurately, rubbed a tight jackshaft bearing with 1000 wet and dry, soaked in oil, to relieve a tight bearing.

Leslie

[rgh0]

I have hand scraped bearings to get the jackshaft to spin sufficently freely. You can see the high spots on the bearing if you turn the shaft a couple of times and need to scrape very carefuly on these high spots as the top layer of white metal is very very thin. Just spining theshaft by hand a few times can get the shaft freed up.

cheers
Rohan

[2cams70]

Just do yourself a favour and get them line bored by someone with the proper equipment. Yes the amount you have been quoted is way over the top. Take the shaft you will be using with you when you ask them to do the job.

If it were me I would not try rubbing soft bearings with any kind of abrasive. Particles of abrasive are liable to break off and embed themselves in the bearing

[rgh0]

yes if removing high spots on a bearing by hand, scrape with the edge of a flat blade such as a small 150mm steel rule, do not use abrasive

cheers
Rohan

[alan.barker]

You will need a half-round Scrapper.
I used to make them from old Files. Soften old File, make into Scrapper, re-harden. Apprentice job.
Alan

[perksy]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts

Spoke with the owner of the engine and he didn't want the jackshaft shortened and the block is now at the machine shop along with the jackshaft having new bearings fitted and will then be line bored and checked

The chap at the machine shop recognized the issue straight away and said they'd done quite a few TC blocks

I wasn't suggesting "Butchery" of the jackshaft, merely there was an opportunity to shorten/modify the jackshaft and remove the mechanical fuel pump at the same time (It seems a few owners have done this)
Only two bearings would have needed some work then
I appreciate that the rear bearing would still need fitting, but it wouldn't of needed scraping or boring

I'm amazed that anyone can get this done for £40 and fair play to anyone who can
Having worked in both a light & heavy machine shop, I can't see how they would make any money doing it for that with set-up time etc

Considering some of the prices of the parts and the design quirks I'm starting to see now why many classic car owners fit Ford Zetec's and Duratech's and not TC's
Fully appreciate that originality means a great deal to some folks though...

[elanman]

Hello Perksy,
There is nothing wrong with your crankcase being out of line or indeed your jackshaft. When you knock in new bearings the knocked in edge sometimes pick up and that causes the stiffnessof rotation, The bearings need to be honed gently on the edge and you will find it will all free up.

A little more help .......as the jackshaft bearings in the Twink engine were originally for a camshaft in the Ford engine the loadings are considerably reduced and the wear on these bearings is minimal. It is not always necessary to replace at every strip down. Something to think about when these bearings are difficult to install. I hesitate to add that all 3 bearings are different and need to be installed in line with the oil galleries............please!!!!

Brian Buckland