splat1955 Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Hey James......I'd read some of this thread a short time ago.....and with the additions finished reading the whole thread today.....and with all the different opinions, the ups and downs....by the time I got to the end and read that you'd reversed the placement of the front main bearing halves, well, for some reason I felt better.....not because you'd made the mistake, but because after reading the whole thread and all the tension and stress that seemed to accompany some of the writers, well, in the end, you'd found the issue and sounded like you had a real positive feel about it, about repairing it....You just sounded a whole lot better about it than you had at the beginning of the post when the problem occured. Anyway.........when I read you found the issue...even I felt better. Not sure why other than the fact that I have been there too......finally just closed up the tool box or parked the vehicle....left it alone for a while. Then came back to it, tore it apart again and found that it was what I expected, but what I expected wasn't really as bad as I'd expected. I know that doesn't make much sense. The 2 points I'm trying to make I guess is that first, I felt better cause you sounded like you felt better...and I'm not even the one with the engine problem....but it just felt good to hear that positive tone in your post. And second, you've found the issue and it's pretty easily fixed...although some work involved....but you should be able to get the flattie fixed & back on the road pretty quickly and it will still be all new. Again, I've felt like you did at the beginning of this thread...just worn out, tired of working on something after a failure and looking at other options....I've learned the best thing, for me anyway, is to walk away, get my mind off of it, what ever it takes...then come back at a later date..weeks, maybe months, and get after it again. Anyway, good to know you've found the issue, know you can fix it and look forward to your post that your up and running again, no matter what engine you drop in 'er. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james curl Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 I already have my other crank turn .010/.010 and new rod and main bearings on the way just in case. I am going to try to buy just one rod bearing in -.020 size for the damaged one and reassemble the engine. The crank mics .001 to .0015 out of round and I think it will run a long time if the oil pressure holds up, going to try it anways, only cost the cost of the rod bearings and 5 quarts of oil. If it doen't work then I still have the option of pulling the engine and replacing the crank and bearings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normspeed Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Good show James! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 57plymouth Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 I have another alternative that would really make everyone happy: Find a kid. If you can find a teenager or younger that would be willing to help you so he can learn about working on cars, you can do the hobby and yourself a favor. I have offered several kids younger than me (cuz I'm a kid too!!) to help me so I can teach them. It is quite rewarding and you spend less time leaning over into tight areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Good idea. He's a little young yet to really do much "work" but a 6y.o. son of a good friend of mine hangs out in the garage with me sometimes. Soon enough he'll be ready to actually work. He already tries to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat1955 Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 There are a couple of good ideas James....Kids, Grand Kids, etc. I'm 52, and like many here, getting on the ground is just not as fun as it use to be...but naturally, I still have to sometimes. But, I've got an 11 year old, oops, 12 year old (tomorrow) daughter who helps me with nearly every project around the house....but enjoys the projects we do on the cars the most. She helped me with most of the restoration of our '69 Jeepster Commando...but sold it about 6 months ago after 4 years of work. Well, after it was sold, it was my daughter that pushed the envelope at the dinner table one night after the Jeepster sold and she said..."So dad, what are we going to get to work on"....A couple of months later we had the '48 sitting in the driveway and she had a bit more enthusiasm than I did for getting started on it. Well, her enthusiasm actually built my excitement up a little and in the last 3 months, her and I have gotten a ton of little projects done on the Dodge. And I have to admit, when I'm on the floor under the car on one side, and she's under the car on the other and we find I didn't bring the right size wrench down, or we need something else under the car....well, she's a whole heck of a lot faster to get out and up to get the correct tool than I am....If I had to get up and out everytime I needed a different tool or something, I'd be worn out before I got the project done. She's not my Gopher though......I teach her everything I can when we are laying under the car, under the dash, looking under the hood...and what's really cool is that she retains everything! And she enjoys it! Anyway, nothing beats having a kid around to help and teaching them could be the doorway to future for the child. Hmmmm, since tomorrows her birthday, maybe I should buy her a tool box as a present....man, I'd never hear the end of that from the wife though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Flat Head Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 I also vote for the kids. At 58 my 12 year old girl helps out and she can not keep from asking question. Even if she is in a female swing mood, it just melts away and she becomes human again. It is real satisfying when we get something done, even if it is just tearing down, to watch her smile with pride. When I was younger (long ago and in a far away galaxy) a older person help me on my 40 Desoto. I would have never been able to do as much as I did with out his encouragement or help. My parents would have nothing to do with an older car. I am sure that most of us had a person to show us the ropes. Now it is my turn as a older over the hill person to pass on what I know. Hopefully I will have two kids out for four who will have older tin around and beam with pride. HELP! For Christmas she wants to go to Italy this summer with a group from her school. A tool box now that has possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james curl Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Mine helped me to when she was in high school, she even took auto machinics her last year in high school. I thought she might become an engineer or an architect as she had gone all the way through honors calculus. Ended up as a language arts major in Spanish and minored in Chinese and needed 9 hours for an art major, spent a year teaching in China and works at Texas State University as a academic adviser. I taught her enough that she can hold he on with the new car salesmen and other car related trades people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.