Richie's Mk1 Restoration

[RichardT10829]

Shaun, the machine shop is going to contact me today and give me my options...he needs to measure everything thoroughly before he commits to pass sentence.

Option A) buy greater undersized bearings bearings and grind the hell out of the crank which means I am stuck with bearings I cannot use and need to sell on.

Option B) buy another crank and grind to the bearing size I need......

I am guessing these will be my options. My crank is an early type without the flanges on the big ends. Royal kustoms have plenty in stock, but my experience with buying cranks even second hand......not cheap. If I go route B I will get RK to grind a crank I buy from them to suit the bearings I have.

[Ben]

It could be worse Rich. If it was earlier then the bearings would be white metel, not an easy option

[Lynn Eades]

Rich, why do you ask about a center strap?
What makes you think it is necessary to have one in a carrier motor?

[RichardT10829]

Because from building other engines..... My experience with engines designed with three mains are a crap design, especially on a long crank such as the V8, if you rev the engine, which in a carrier (rightly or wrongly) people do, the crank will flex..... When it flexes it blows out main bearings and rod bearings.... Also it creates a failure point on the centre main journal and you get situations where the crank snaps inline with the centre main.

For what a centre strap costs, I am pondering with the question if it's worth doing ? belt and braces and all that. I was just curious to see if Ben had it done to his (being built by a pro)

[Ben]

No centre strap as far as I'm aware. I'd have thought it was more of an issue on the bigger engines with a blower. Mines only little 65hp.

ARP head studs as it makes getting the studs in easier, alternator in the housing for the generator. 12v not 6v. Similar with the starter motor, new motor in the old clothes. Adjustable valve train to make life easier in the future. I've (Jim) tried to keep it as externally stock as possible but with a few mods inside to make it a little easier to live with. I've got the correct Solex carb which we ran yesterday, the jury is out to see if it stays on or a later spec American ones goes on. Stock to start with.

[RichardT10829]

Nice, electronic ignition ? Or points ?

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, I would understand if you were trying to wind 5 or 6000 rpm out of it, but its not a 1198 or 1340cc anglia. It is a flat head ford v8 which does not have a reputation for failing in the center main, certainly not in a near standard engine (and I doubt that you will ever rev it as high as 4000 rpm. It can't breath well enough)
If you were keen to line bore it, you could use the meatier cap from a 49 to 52 v8, but I guess a tart would stretch further for three steel caps.