Off Topic Poured Babbit Bearings

NoDakInMN · Jul 22, 2017

My youngest son, while interested in JD tractors, also has gotten quite a hobby going for himself in hit and miss engines. What this means to me though, is that I too now am having to learn about these engines as well. But that's all to the good as the two hobbies tend to complement each other.

So I am now learning about pouring babbit bearings and I am finding that there are different grades of babbit and I was wondering if anyone here knows what grade should be used on the mains for a 6 hp engine?

Mike(NEOhio) · Jul 23, 2017

I was researching Babbitt for my H a few years ago and emailed JD's historical department. They didn't have records of what Babbitt material was used but the guy asked some engineers and all agreed that it should be a Grade 1, 95% tin, 2.5% copper and 2.5% antimony. Not sure if the hit-n-miss would be the same, though. Try emailing Hit-N-Miss Enterprises in Orwell, Oh.

MARV2015 · Jul 23, 2017

I just got the main bearings out of my "A" and was also thinking -Does anyone actually do this anymore?? Is there anyone out there that actually can do the job of pouring a babbit bearing????
I understand the technique and would certainly love to try -with the help of an expert -or at least someone whom has done it!
The next step after pouring the bearing would be machining the surface to fit a crankshaft main. Sounds like it is a total dying art!

Jaden · Jul 23, 2017

Where would you get the babbit material?

skip33652 · Jul 23, 2017

almost any grade will work even the lead based material .if you can still find it google magnolia metal.had a very interesting book. hints on how to pour. it is kind of like body work not hard but lots of preperation. good luck Paul

travis miranowski · Jul 23, 2017

I collect engines and have poured several of my own bearings. I have never purchased babbit but rather melted down some old bearings and used that material. I
think any babbit will work, heck lead would even work. Its not like these engines have much of a load on them. The first time I did it I was a little nervous
about temperature, cleanliness of the journal and block but its not like you are building a race car engine!!

oldhousehugger · Jul 23, 2017

I read an article on an antique wood working machine site where the guy documented repouring the bearings on a crescent band-saw.
Very good article. I got babbet material at an industrial machine shop after asking around to see who had the broadest variety of
machining clients. The young guys don't know about it but the older guys do. They got some out of a cabinet in the back and just
gave me several pounds of the stuff. I melted it together with the bearings I dug out of my machine and repoured it using the
techniques written in the article in Old Woodworking machines.
http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=175519&p=1202222&hilit=restore+crescent+bandsaw#p1202222

oldhousehugger · Jul 23, 2017

Here's that article I was looking for on babbit pouring etc.

http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/CrescentBandSawRestoration1.ashx

Dave Sherburne, NY · Jul 23, 2017

Mcmaster Carr has it, but you have to start saving up now.
I took a Kohler engine to a guy north of Cazenovia who does machine work
when I left he told me the different things he does in his shop, pouring
Babbit was one of them. He had a crankcase from a Franklin Auto he had
just done beautiful job, no air pockets and smooth as could be.

NoDakInMN · Jul 24, 2017

Thanks for all the replies. It is my understanding that the rating of the babbit coincides with the horsepower of the engine. I will post back on how this goes when we do it.

Richard G. · Jul 24, 2017

I have poured lots of bearings. I have a setup to pour and line bore Model T main bearings.
The babbitt without lead is the best. Any lead in even small amounts tends to pound out quick. The last I bought was from Magnolia Metals. It is the same as Ford used in the Model T's.
Caterpillar used aluminum bearings in some of their dozers in the 50's.
I have poured aluminum bearing for slow speed jobs.
And never throw away old babbitt. It can be used again if needed.

Richard in NW SC

buckeye al · Jul 25, 2017

I've scraped a few then re-shimmed 'em. Worked out fine but have never poured one! Ya gotta be patient. Try a little scrape a little, try again & scrape again. Try yer best to never say oops!

Off Topic Poured Babbit Bearings

NoDakInMN

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Mike(NEOhio)

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MARV2015

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Jaden

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skip33652

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travis miranowski

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oldhousehugger

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oldhousehugger

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Dave Sherburne, NY

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NoDakInMN

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Richard G.

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buckeye al

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