<VV> Missing Bearing Update

[Rex Chivers]

Thanks Dan,

<snip>
If the journal damage is severe enough that repair by welding is suggested, 
I'd look for a good used crank.
<unsnip>

    I agree about the welding option only as a last resort (e.g. only crank 
left this side of Cairo <grin>).  When I was a machinist I had to remachine 
shafts that had been welded up, they were never the same.  Both distortion 
and metalurgical changes were encounterd you can get the shaft dimensionally 
(is that a word <grin>) correct but the metal is never the same.  For many 
applications I would do it and have no fear, but not on a crank unless I 
absolutely have to.  I am sure that there are many people out there who have 
done it with no problems, but for me it would be a repair of last resort.


<snip>
Bearings spin for a reason.
Why did yours fail ?
<unsnip>

As to why I am not sure, the 'son in law' had been driving that vehicle for 
the last 6 months.  He is mechanically inclined and not a bad 'wrench' but 
sometimes a little forgetful...  They had dropped a seat in the right hand 
head # 5 cylinder, a couple of weeks prior, had just got it back on the road 
when this hit.  The failing bearing #3 cylinder, might be a further symptom 
of whatever caused the seat to drop or some kind of collateral damage.  I 
understand that dropping a seat in a 95hp is kind of rare or at least that 
is what I am told.  Don't know if they threw a belt and overheated at one 
point or what.  The bottom end on this engine was an unknown quantity as I 
have never been in it.  I did do a top end about 30K miles ago so I know 
that it has at least 30K on it.   Bearings on the other rods did not look 
too bad...

     Everthing else has looked pretty good so far coming apart, be easier to 
tell once it is all cleaned up ...  Guess I will go ahead and pull the 
engine out of the 62 sitting in the yard and stick it in while we rebuild 
this one.