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Rwolfejr 12-21-2012 06:31:45 67.163.184.160 Report to Moderator

Why not replace the bearings with a more conventional bearing? There's no rule that says the bearings need to be poured babbit. Far as that sleeve goes... I don't know what you're looking at. Do you have a parts book that show the sleeve as a seperate part? Are you certain it isn't just a shoulder machined into the casting? If it is indeed a sleeve then what I'd do is take a measurement of the location of the sleeve and write it down so you know where the new one needs to sit. Then grind / cut a slit in it and pop it out. Then get accurate measurements of the bore. Measure across a few different places. Odds are it won't be dead round. If the bore is way out of round that's another story. Then buy new bearings (see below) for a light shrink fit to the bore. I don't know what diameter your bearings are but figure somewhere around 4" O.D. on your bearings? Close enough.... I'd shoot for .002 to .004 interference fit. Remember that your new alloyed up aluminum bearing Inside diameter will shrink a breath also so have it sized to the baggy side of whatever clearance you want to your crank. Myself... if the bores are round within say .002... I'd ask for a bore about .007-.008 shooting for the 8... over your crank journal diameters. After installation you'll be around .005-.006. I don't think you want to go any tighter than that on these old girls. Better to error to loose than tight. You can run these up as baggy as .012+ without any issue. Wouldn't go that high but just saying... Pressing the bearings in would be good enough but a shrink fit would be nicer. So you toss your bearing in the freezer and heat up the casting. When you go to install be quick and accurate. If you miss the mark then you'll simply need to press the thing home. Guessing there's a oil hole that'll need lined up too? A pair of thick plates and a bolt through the middle could pull the bearing in. Might need to turn a shoulder on one plate if the bearing is recessed a bit. I would call or e-mail these folks... Manitowoc Motor Machining and Parts. http://www.motormachining.com/html/john_deere_main_bearings.html They make new bearings for these old tractors and I thought their prices were very reasonable. You can still buy babbit... and wood bearings... and all sorts of antiquated materials but doesn't necessarily mean it's the best for the application. Good Luck, Bob [Reply]   [No Email]