Series "A" drive side ball bearing and engine build.

[greg brillus]

This one seems to be a slide fit, no play on the shaft and slight movement in the steel housing. I've decided to go with a sealed bearing and leave the outer seal only in place. Remember on these that the crank is anchored from side movement from the timing side once the E 80 nuts (two of) are done up tight. I had to muck around with some one inch shims under the right side main roller to get the crank/rod aligned central to the bore. The good old kitchen oven to the rescue again, changed the timing side bearings and didn't even burn myself..................Got a few odd looks from the Misses though, hammers and punches flying everywhere............

 

[Garth Robinson]

This one seems to be a slide fit, no play on the shaft and slight movement in the steel housing. I've decided to go with a sealed bearing and leave the outer seal only in place. Remember on these that the crank is anchored from side movement from the timing side once the E 80 nuts (two of) are done up tight. I had to muck around with some one inch shims under the right side main roller to get the crank/rod aligned central to the bore. The good old kitchen oven to the rescue again, changed the timing side bearings and didn't even burn myself..................Got a few odd looks from the Misses though, hammers and punches flying everywhere............

Greg, next time the Council has a kerbside clean up keep an eye out for a large Weber barbeque. I got one last time up here and it's perfect for crankcases and heads,and amateur stove enameling. The benefit is that you can fit bearings while the cases are situated in a horizontal position under you and you don't get the problem of third degree burns wangling the cases out of the kitchen oven. The club hammer and crowbar can stay in the shed like mine.

 

[david bowen]

When we built my Brothers A Comet in the UK, we used the sealed bearing,best thing since sliced bread,

 

[chankly bore]

Incidentally Garth, there was a fine detailed technical article in M.P.H. many years ago which indicated the position on a Comet exhaust pipe where a foil-wrapped sausage could be wired to cook whilst the rider was touring the Continent. It obviously makes the Weber redundant.

 

[vibrac]

Incidentally Garth, there was a fine detailed technical article in M.P.H. many years ago which indicated the position on a Comet exhaust pipe where a foil-wrapped sausage could be wired to cook whilst the rider was touring the Continent. It obviously makes the Weber redundant.

I am sure there was another one about distilling wine on the move

 

[Vincent Brake]

Hi there, Is the drive side ball bearing supposed to be a neat slide fit into the steel housing. If so is it ok to use some bearing mount loctite or leave it as is. Due to the large one inch ID Thackery type spacer washer between the two bearings it seems like it might need to move perhaps, given the end loads on the crank are taken by the smaller ball race on the timing side. Any help would be great, as I'm about to reassemble as of tomorrow..............Cheers...........Greg.

Greg what i always dois machine hardend oversise PD2 with a flange to thrust against outside and a bigger ET77 scroll, now you can really nip the nut up.
one can also machine the inner race of the bearing narrower to make the hudge radius smaller and so get more surface for the thrust.
but to say in truth, i dont know what you mean....

 

[A_HRD]

Nice work Vincent, very impressive.

But I think you are confused because this discussion is about the Series A engines - a completely different main bearing and sprocket arrangement.

Peter B

 

[greg brillus]

Ok ...on another note.............Does anyone remember if the cambox and/or oil pump assembly having small 1/4" ID alloy washers under the heads of the 1/4 BSF nuts. This one had them under the nuts presumably to assist with oil leaks I'm guessing............Does this sound original or added by some previous owner............Probably Marty who added many Aircraft bolts to many of the frame fixings............Cheers...........Greg.

 

[A_HRD]

This one seems to be a slide fit, no play on the shaft and slight movement in the steel housing. I've decided to go with a sealed bearing and leave the outer seal only in place. Remember on these that the crank is anchored from side movement from the timing side once the E 80 nuts (two of) are done up tight. I had to muck around with some one inch shims under the right side main roller to get the crank/rod aligned central to the bore. The good old kitchen oven to the rescue again, changed the timing side bearings and didn't even burn myself..................Got a few odd looks from the Misses though, hammers and punches flying everywhere............

Greg,

My take on this relates to the expansion and contraction of the cases in an axial direction. Yes the timing side shaft is fixed, but there will need to be some give at the d/s outer main bearing to account for the expansion/contraction movement. It will try to press itself against the "tin-hat cover". If the sprocket boss, once tight, can arrest this movement to prevent the bearing pressing against the tin hat then that would be advantageous. After all, Phil put the spring there for a reason, a solid spacer might be a recipe for disaster.
Peter B

 

[A_HRD]

Ok ...on another note.............Does anyone remember if the cambox and/or oil pump assembly having small 1/4" ID alloy washers under the heads of the 1/4 BSF nuts. This one had them under the nuts presumably to assist with oil leaks I'm guessing............Does this sound original or added by some previous owner............Probably Marty who added many Aircraft bolts to many of the frame fixings............Cheers...........Greg.

I've never seen alloy washers used there. But, on the cam-box especially, why not? Dowty washers might be even better... It depends how 'original' you want to be...

Peter B