I am doing some work on a friend's 1927 Top Hat saloon, following the breakage of the 2 bearing crank across the No.4 big-end journal. Apart from damaging the No. 4 conrod white metalling, and the end of the oil jet, no other damage was done.

The engine is now all back together after finding a 'standard' 2 bearing 1 1/8" crank on eBay for £11, including p&p! Passed crack testing and is now -0.010" to suit the 3 good rods, and a re-metalled No.4 rod, also -0.010".

Whilst everything is apart, there are some other jobs to be done.

The bearings in the torque tube were in various states of wear, so all are being replaced. When going to remove the rear (pinion) end roller bearing outer race, it was slightly loose in the housing, and retained axially by 3 retaining 'peens' in the end of the tube. It could slide axially by ~1/8", which does not seem right?

Is this the approved way? When I refit the outer race, I was intending to use some Loctite 'Bearing Fit', but should the race be fitted as far down the bore as possible? Do I need to also add the 3 mechanical peens as well?

Richard

Location: Oxford

Should have said 'staked' rather than peened.

Location: Oxford

Surely someone can answer this. I do not know the arrangement on early cars.

I have always considered Loctite akin knurling and tinning but it seems to be accepted (in the right grade). It is unlikely the ring would ever need to be removed. There must be some positive device to stop the ring migrating.

Arisng from recent related post, what is size of early roller? My RP car never broke the original axles but the diff was dismantled at about 30000 and 70000 for replacement of ball pinion bearing. So I assumed the later roller was adopted as more robust. But, prompted by the other enquiry, and although I don’t have the exact tables, it seems the medium duty roller adopted may have much the same rating. So was the cheaper ball pinion abandoned just to facilitate inspection of the teeth on assembly?. (The roller does not have to be driven from its housing. For those resetting 8:42 diffs, the non hunting of the teeth can lead to puzzling mesh patterns with used gears)

Location: Auckland, NZ