Crankshaft bearings; need some suggestions

[ihatefiberglass]

Hey fellas, I got me a 1980 wagoneer with the ol 360 block in her. I was replacing the rear main bearing seal and discovered the bearings were shot as well. As I was replacing the top half of the bearings on the crank shaft all was going well as i was working my way from back to front. The final bearing i got spun around about half way and it would not go anymore. I would tap it with a brass punch while i had someone turning the engine to feed it in just as we did with the previous 4. Eventually I bent the bearing out of shape and ordered another one which wont be in for a day.

Some people suggested to try and drop the crank by forcing it down, and that might work if there's any play in the timing chain, or taking the timing chain off which i am dreading. I oiled the bearing up real good before i started feeding it in too and it still was being a pain in the Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley. Does anyone know of any tricks or tools i could use to get this bearing in without scoring it?

[brad_fsj10]

First of all, Welcome!

If I remember correctly on my Chief when I changed the crank bearings, I rotated the crank until the piston was down and I could get to both bolts (obviously you've done this to get the cap off)... but then I just pushed the piston/rod up into the cylinder a bit, oiled the crank journal VERY well, pushed the bearing onto the crank 180 out, and slid it around the journal to the top. I then pulled the rod/piston back down onto the bearing, and then carefully lined it up with the relief and snugged the rod down over it. After that it should be easy to place the other bearing half into the cap and slip it over the rod bolts. Pull the spark plug if you have to - I didn't.

I was told after the fact to NEVER oil the rod/cap side of the bearings. Ooops... I oiled the heck out of mine on both sides. I guess I was lucky and didn't spin any of them on start-up.

Good luck!

[bigblack'74]

There is actually an old time tool made for setting rods and mains with the crank still in the block. I own one and you could make one by heating up a screw driver and hammering it flat (the same thickness as a rod bearing). Once it is hammered flat then you need to carefully put a sweeping bend in the end over say about 2 or 3 inches. You then carfully file it all down so it is nice and smooth. You can then grind a small fish mouth in the end across the flat tip (Front not face). this will hold the bearing as you are installing it.

This is the greatest tool ever. I found mine at an estate auction. Old time stuff.

this thing will install every bearing I have done. good luck

[ihatefiberglass]

Hey man do you think you could take a picture of that bearing tool so i can get a better idea? I have a blow torch and some crappy old screw drivers so i'm sure i can make a tool,.

[[]V[]AXX]

Welcome from Central FL. I may be a bit on the paranoid side, but if you have ugly mains I have to wonder what the rest of the engine is like. I too bought a Jeep that ran great, (mines a 6 cylinder), and tried to do what you're doing only to find that I wasted time and money, cuz the engine had so much dirt ingestion that I had to rebuild. Good luck with the project, though.

[ihatefiberglass]

Right on, I live in central florida too, the Jeep was my grandfathers and my family takes pretty good care of their vehicles. The engine was rebuily 40,000 miles ago and I wish I did it myself because the mechanic just threw everything back together without thoroughly cleaning it. Only the front and rear bearings look really crappy, the middle 3 were not worn down to the copper yet. The piston heads and cylinder walls still look brand new and I take it really easy when I drive it. It looks like some dirt got in the oil groves from the last mechanic and then because of the low oil pressure the bearings cooked. I am pretty confident after I get this back together and fix my oil pump it will run solid again.

[bigblack'74]

Im going out of town for the holidays tom. morning and I am not gonna have time to dig it out. If I remember I can do it when I get back monday.

Hey man do you think you could take a picture of that bearing tool so i can get a better idea? I have a blow torch and some crappy old screw drivers so i'm sure i can make a tool,.

[ihatefiberglass]

Thanks for the ideas, I'll use them for next time. Finally got that from top bearing in on the crank. Had to remove the fan, both pullies, the balancer and finally I got the crank to move a few thousanths of an inch to slide that bearing up without screwing it up. Just gotta throw everything back together.