Having a bummer day..... (crankshaft)

Posted by Muir On 2017/7/16 23:59:35

Hi Guys,

Just turning over some old stones here but I'm just wondering if I'm beating my head against a wall....

I have finally pulled down my 60000 mile 374 to do the bearings (oil pump issue of course).

Now, when I got the car it had a very loose bottom end, low oil pressure. Took the sump off, modified the oil pump (the gear clearances were good) by whipping off the vacuum pump and replacing with thick steel plate. Put back in the car and the oil pressure shot up. Wonderful, but the damage had already been done.

Anyway, remove crank time: first the rod bearings - okay, no problems there, in fact, they all are quite good hmmmm.

Off comes the first main bearing oh dear. Then the second, wow I thought the first one was bad etc etc.... The mains are catastrophic: there's around 40 - 45 thou railway tracks running through the bearing surfaces.

And more discoveries - somethings not quite measuring up with the calipers: then I spot it - the counterweights have been stamped 020 - WHAT! it's already been ground!?! this is turning into a disaster!

To the end of my tale: Everyone knows the oil pump talk. if they're all that bad whats the point of me trying to get another crank? Maybe thy're all stuffed?
I'm in NZ so it's not like the local pickapart has spare cranks lying around.
And yet all over youtube there's these same mileage cars for sale or show, and the owners saying shes a good runner etc, never been touched, and there's no indication of imminent bearing failures.

Was my 374 just one of those that was a lemon? Should I persist?

I love my Patrician but I'm having a real downer at the moment....

FYI the bores have around 2 thou wear so it definitely isn't a high mileage motor...

Muir
NZ