Found the brass main thrust bearing

[oprn]

Here is the long lost home made brass thrust bearing Dad and I found in a used engine back in the early to mid '70s.

_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[evanfrucht]

Looks like they knew what they were doing. That's a serious bearing!

I wonder if VW's would have been better off with solid bronze bearings to begin with. Or it that would be a viable "perfomance" option if one had the will, time, and ability.

Maybe it was made out a giant bronze brushing that was turned down and shaped carefully
_________________
1967 Bug ( the daily rod )
1964 Fury Wagon ( the pavement shredder )

[FarmerBill]

Wonder what the alloy is? Looks to have held up well.

[raygreenwood]

WOW!

Was this made by a local...or something commercial you bought?

Did it work?

Sorry...saw that you found it. Still...did you ever try it in an engine?

Ray

[oprn]

I'm not a machinist but I know enough to understand that someone didn't whip this one up at coffee time! This was the only bearing in the engine done this way.

_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[oprn]

[oprn]

Feels very heavy! No I haven't sized it up for oil clearance or tried it. Looks like there could be a but of pulled material on 2 places on the inner wear surface. Could have been a dry start up or oil pressure loss.

It has been in service long enough to develop a bit of a track where the flywheel shims ran. You can catch your nail on it in places.

It's a bit of a work of art in my mind...
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[raygreenwood]

[FarmerBill]

Any idea what application the engine was used for? Bronze and brass bearings are traditionally used in big, low rev (think steam) engines. Somewhat common in 100+ year old agricultural engines, not necessarily the crank bearings . Poured babbitt bearings are more common in the smaller ancient stuff. Man, would love to know the story of how and why this bearing came to be.

[evanfrucht]

I think its bearing bronze. My guess is that it was made from a large large oil impregnated bronze bushing, the type you can normally find at the local hardware store in smaller sizes.
_________________
1967 Bug ( the daily rod )
1964 Fury Wagon ( the pavement shredder )

[oprn]

Ya, no idea as to the alloy. I don't recall that the engine was anything special for application at this point. No governor or anything like that ended up in our possession. And like I said before no other unusual internal pieces were there.

40 hp engine is what keeps coming to mind but I can't swear on that.
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[earthquake]

Maybe it was used in a Experimental aircraft engine, I am pretty sure the prop adapter would put some stress on the thrust bearing.

eQ
_________________
74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[Vanapplebomb]

That is really cool.

I wonder if it is a cast/billet machined bronze, or a sintered bronze? Sintered could be fragile on the thrust flange, but a solid bearing bronze could be really interesting. Would a bronze bearing increase crank wear being a harder alloy?…particularly an aluminum bronze. I would imagine a lead bronze could be excellent. Perhaps ridged enough that it would be similar to a steel backed aluminum bearing?
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Vanapplebomb]

Quick image search for bronze main bearings. Looks familiar.

_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Ohio Tom]

doesn't look sintered. Looks billet.

Yeah, the bearing will hold up fine. I bet the crankshaft not so much.

Bearing materials are an important part of making a motor last.

I'd venture to say that Bronze/Brass is way harder than even an "H" bearing.

Probably too hard when it comes to journal wear. I bet the crankshaft that ran on that bearing is way undersize now.

[oprn]

Now way to know now as the matching crank could still be here and I would not know which one it is or it could be long gone.
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[calvinater]

Wouldn't that just pound the case harder than a standard bearing?
_________________
"Albatross"!

[oprn]

Can't imagine why. Lots of bearing sets have a steel backed #2 and that is desirable to help lessen case pounding.
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[oprn]

If I were to re-use it I would be tempted to chuck it up in my lathe, turn it slow and take a torch and carefully melt a skin of solder on the wear surface. Then re size/true it up to new spec.

I doubt that will happen, I will likely just keep it as is for a conversation piece.
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Vanapplebomb]

My guess is crank wear could be accelerated from lack of embed-ability. If steel particles are present in the oil, they won’t embed into the bearing, away from the crank. they will stay in the hydrodynamic oil film between the crank and bearing, and grind the crank.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021