TO 20 Rebuild Dilema

maxazillion · Mar 8, 2015

Hello All,
I am in the process of rebuilding my TO 20 engine and have run into a snag with the thrust washer pins. The machine shop removed the old pins. I replaced with hardened steel pins because that was all I could find. Not knowing any better from lack of experience I drove the pins in to far. Now I cannot remove them or drill them out. Is it possible to reassemble the engine without the pins or do I have to get a new block. Thanks for any replies.

miner09 · Mar 8, 2015

You have to have pins so it will not spin. Can you grind ends off to right length? Maybe someone else has had this problem and help solve the problem.

Jubilee · Mar 8, 2015

I have worked on several different engines that had the cap half of the thrust washer secured and the other half “floats” in the block.

It has been a number of years since I’ve worked on a TO-20 engine. Mentally I see a flat C shaped thrust washer that may or may not have an oil groove or slot. I hope the washer(s) fit into a groove in the block and cap. My suggestion will not work as planned unless the washer fits flush into a groove.

Consider properly placing the thrust washer into the groove in the main cap. Purchase a brass welding rod, preferably without flux, close to the size of the original pins. Drill a pilot hole in the cap about 20 degrees from the original and a “smidgen” smaller than the welding rod. Drill the hole in the thrust washer a “smidgen” larger than the welding rod. Use a method you feel comfortable with to make the welding rod fit snugly into the hole in the cap and shorter than the thickness of the thrust washer. In my humble opinion, if wear in the thrust washer allows the brass pin to touch the crankshaft thrust surface it would not damage the surface. Do the same on the other side of the cap.

Dieseltech · Mar 8, 2015

I'd just turn the washer and drill holes in another location, staying away from the oil feed hole to the main bearing if the original holes can't be used..

Steve@Advance · Mar 8, 2015

No, you haven't ruined the block. I agree with
Jubilee, turn the washer to a new location if you
can't get the pins out.

But, I can't remember, are the pins in the block
or the main cap, or both? If they are in the cap,
they can be drilled out in a Bridgeport mill. Or
relocated, drilled, and reamed to size in a
Bridgeport.

Just be very careful trying to hand drill into
the block or cap. Getting them in the right
place, drilling straight, and on size is a near
impossibility with a hand drill!

If the pins are in the cap, or could be moved to
the cap, I can fix it for you.

Email is open.

maxazillion · Mar 9, 2015

Steve,
Thanks for your reply. The pins are in the block. If they can be moved to the bearing cap and you could fix it I could send it to you. Just let me know how much and your email address. Thanks.

Steve@Advance · Mar 9, 2015

My email is [email protected].

I wish I could take a look at a picture or see that page of the shop manual, see if they could be moved to the cap.

Anyone got that you could share?
Thanks

Ark68SS · Mar 10, 2015

(quoted from post at 12:54:58 03/09/15) My email is [email protected].

I wish I could take a look at a picture or see that page of the shop manual, see if they could be moved to the cap.

Anyone got that you could share?
Thanks

Here ya' go.

BillL

Novaman · Mar 10, 2015

why not weld a nut to the hardened pin. you could then grab the nut with vise grips or a slide hammer with a vice grip attachment and remove the pins and start over.

Steve@Advance · Mar 10, 2015

Thanks Bill! What I needed to see!

TO 20 Rebuild Dilema

maxazillion

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miner09

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Jubilee

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Dieseltech

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Steve@Advance

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maxazillion

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Steve@Advance

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Ark68SS

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Novaman

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Steve@Advance

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