Nice work. Do you have a platform for Reggie to sit on the bed of the lathe?
My little dog likes to hang around next to me while I'm running my Bridgeport but I don't like him nosing around in the chips and he's part Poodle and that hair is a magnet to airborne chips:D

That's definitely a LeBlond lathe...my favorite...ran a 19" LeBlond for years and would kill to find a nice one for my shop. Nice work on that bearing, by the way.

That's nice work but I think you need to invest a little more effort in to whether the 6061-T6 is appropriate for the application.

Although there has been a rebirth so to speak in aluminum bearings they are not of this alloy. The current trend is to an alloy of aluminum-tin-silicone.
I could not find any info on a brief internet search recommending the use of the 6061-T6 alloy. There is a fine line between embedability, particle rejection and load carrying ability and I don't believe the material you are using has the best of these features.

Old Magnet,

Your right on the money with what you said.

On an old chart of suggested uses for 6061-T6 that I found, it listed “bearings” as a suitable use for this alloy (as well as making “ash trays” of all things).

It rated this material as “Fair to Good” in the bearing category.

I called Doctor Nick (a materials expert) at the University of Delaware – center for composite materials and he said almost exactly what you said.

(do you also have a doctorate in materials?!?!?)

The question / choice comes down to how much “life” you expect.

I remember when I first got married and we were saving every penny – a fellow gave me his old push lawn that had a seized engine due to running out of oil.

It was a Briggs & Stratton – all aluminum engine - the steel run directly on the Alum.

I freed the badly scared-up connecting rod - filed the bearing surface smooth and used it for 10 (!) more years (until there was no more compression)

I’m still not sure if I should use the 6061 bearing or not in ths 955.

I think could have it Babbitt plated (I’d have to skim the bore a little bigger)

I do believe the 6061 aluminum WILL handle the load as in compressive strength.

Dr. Nick will have some more information for us tomorrow.

Bill Glenn

As I recall aluminum has about half the compressive strength of the later tri-clad bearings....about 12,000 psi vs 6 or 7,000.
What needs to enter into the consideration is the less than ideal finish on the journal that got damaged.
For all the trouble I think I'd wait for Cat to get the bearing. Did you try another source? It's not like there is none available and making your own is a requirement.

I've had my share of bearing experience.....way beyond Cat land where shafts ran at 20 - 30,000 rpm or up to 24 inch diameter prop shafts that had bearings that were hand scraped to fit.

I do some checking on the rear main availability....

The good news is I'll be able to put everything back together with the exception of the rear main bearing.

Tomorrow I'll have all the CAT bearings.

That means I can reinstall the oil pump & balancer.

Side Seat,

No, Reggie is never in the machine shop with me and the CHIPS are the reason!

I don't blame you for not wanting a poodle full of metal chips.

Bill Glenn

PaulA,

Yes, I did mill the edges after sawing it lengthwise. I didn't get a picture of that step.

Bill Glenn

Nice job on the bearings Bill , I was just curious as to you plan to lock them inplace (where the tang usually fits in the cap on the factory made bearing. Personally if the material is up to the job I would try to run the bearingthat you built as a matter of pride ,not just everybody can build things like that ,

Good progress today.

I spent time cleaning up everything and assembling the crank & rod bearings today.

I have managed to get a combination of Clevite, Regal and Caterpillar bearings – to make an entire set.

All of the bearing journals polished up nicely. But I have to say – there are some scratches here and there. Nothing “raised” or above flush. I am wondering what the science is with crank journal finishes. I know that mirror finishes are desired – but – how will “polished smooth journals” with scratches hold up. That’s a difficult question to ask with \out you seeing the journals. I’m sure someone out there must have put a crank into service with less than perfect journals and can tell a story. Remember… this is basically going to be a parade tractor.

Interestingly the rear bearing insert from Regal has a machine bored finish on it and the some of the Caterpillar inserts have a ground finish under the Babbitt plating.

In an effort to clean all the oil passage ways (in case there is any metal residue in there from the fail bearings) I used my “Pipe Bomb” to clean them. I hooked it to the header pipe (first shot) and then the rear main bearing connection (second shot). I put about a quart of diesel & oil (50/50 mixture) in the pipe bomb and put 40 PSI of air on it. Whoooshhhh! I did this BEFORE I put the bearing inserts in. Should be all clean now.

I spent a lot (!) of time cleaning & polishing everything as I reassembled.

Reggie the Dachshund was there as usual.

Bill Glenn