True or false ?

[TresCrows]

I guess I was using babbit in the generic sense for sleeved bearings as opposed to ball, needle or roller types. I don't see to many engines with ball bearing cranks, the crank journals ride in a sleeve set in the case. That sleeve might be actual babbit or any of a variety of other bearing materials I suppose. J

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Amoco sold unleaded fuel and old folks called it white gas but I always thought white gas was a lamp/stove fuel with somewhat different chemistry than actual gasoline )</font>

Amoco may have been first, I don't know, but other service stations had it also. And I also know nothing about the chemistry, but in the late '50s and early '60s, we sold "white gas" in our Mobile (formerly Magnolia Oil Company) service station for 10 cents a gallon when regular was up around 30 cents. And yes, most folks who bought it only wanted a gallon (or two at the most) at a time for their gas lanterns and camp stoves. In fact, before owning a service station, Dad bought it in the early '50s for the lantern we used when we fished all night.

 

[upgw]

Rod and main bearings are still made of babbitt (which I think is just a mixture if lead, tin and copper??). Now it's a very thin layer on top of copper on top of a thin metal 'insert' shell. In the old cars, they were thick cast babbitt, which would fatigue under load, requiring the pulling of shims to bring the clearance back in line. It was the thickness that was the problem, the stuff is too soft to use big thick chunks of it under load, but thin layers are fine.

Just checked Dictionary.com, it's got 'antimony' in it, whatever that is!

- P

 

[pruntyc]

I read where Chrylser, uses a aluminum base material for their rod and main bearing. There is probably a lot of different materials use by various makers of motors. I don't believe babbit is used for that many of them anymore, there are better metals than what they used in the older cars. All things improve with time, except me, I am not improveing, I'm wearing out.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just checked Dictionary.com, it's got 'antimony' in it, whatever that is!- P )</font>

antimony is a very hard metal that is added to babbitt to stabilize it so it doesn't mushroom out. I believe that it looks like a rock crystal in its natural form. It is also found in plumbing solder to add strength.... It usually is mixed in this order with the highest concentrations being listed first... tin, lead, copper, antimony. Antimony is harder than tin, and tin is harder than copper, and lead is the softest of the metals.

 

[pruntyc]

I'll go along with that, I was sure that babbit in the form that they used in the old Chevys was too soft to be use in our cars today as we don't have that much problem with them you know take out a shim every 10 to 15 thousand miles to take up the slack. With the speed we drive them today, it would probably need a shim taken out about every 5 to 10 thousands miles. lol

 

[Junkman]

Interestingly, the rail road still uses bearing material similar to babbitt in the bearings for the track wheels. It is very thick and it is formed in a half circle mounting. Two halves..... I have been told that when one half gets worn, that they flip it over and use the other side till it wears out...... then it is off to the scrap to be melted down and the housings are recycled. That was about 20 years ago that I learned about this, but I doubt that much has changed on trains since then... seems that they all boxcars look the same for the past 80 years.... except for the logo on the side.....

 

[TresCrows]

The babbit also has self lubricating qualities which help prevent damage when the engine is started and there is no oil pressure yet, of course, in theory there is still oil there but not under pressure yet. The IO360 I have here has actual Babbit bearings. I have seen some other sleeved bearings that appeared to be aluminum with a silicon coating. Engines are neat aren't they? J

 

[pruntyc]

No the railroad don't do much changeing, they are still using the same parts on the wheels, and springs and all. I worked for them for a few years, welding. As near as I know they haven't changed anything since I worked for them, and I think most of the stuff they were using many years before that. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I worked for them for a few years, welding )</font>

What kind of welding and where? My father-in-law retired from the railroad; spent many years as a welder repairing coal cars in West Virginia.