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38 V16 Bearings.

Started by Donald Sabourin CLC 20267, May 23, 2005, 01:53:33 PM

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Donald Sabourin CLC 20267

I am considering rebuilding a 38-9019 engine and I cannot find anyone who has the bearings for the motor.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I have checked out Egge and they do not have them.

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

Donald,
Email Brad Ipsen, one of the CLCs two technical advisors for the late Sixteens at bradipsen@cs.com and include your membership number. If theyre still available, Brad will know where they are.

Doug Houston

I went through this ballet in the early sixties with the engine in my 39-90. For rod bearings, use Chevrolet small block rod bearings, making new lock tangs on them for the V16. (This is all from memory now, but Im pretty sure, nonetheless). Mains were from Cadillac V8 (1937-48), except the center main with the thrust surfaces. There is no equivalent for it. Youd have it re-babbited and re-sized.  I can look it up, but the cam bearings (except for the front) are from a Cummins 12 cylinder diesel, and are dead-nuts, on the money. Theyre also lead-filled bronze, which is better than the originals.  Hope that this gets you started, anyway.

Brad Ipsen CLC#737

The rod bearing part number interchange is Fed Mogul 2500 RAA or Perfect Circle CB-610-P, for GM 4.3 & 4.9L engines.  The new bearings must be drilled to match the piston pin oil squirt hole in the connecting rod and the rod must be renotched to match the bearing locating tab.  The bearing also has a slightly larger OD so the rod must be resized.

The interchange for the V-16 main bearing to the flathead V8 is not good.  The V8 bearing is wider, the oil groove is wider and the tang is in a different location.  There is a diesel rod bearing that has the same problems.  One member has machined the sides off of these to work.  Not sure on the price to benefit ratio on this option.  In both of these cases the net bearing area would be less due to the wider oil groove width.  Rebabbit of the existing shells and line boring is a reasonable option.  The down side on this option is the babbit is thicker the more the crankshaft is machined.  Replacement bearings would take this into account with a thicker shell with standard thin babbit.

I have seen variations in cam bearing diameters so on this everything needs to be measured up but here goes.  Middle 3 bearings, Fed Mogul 1414M or Perfect Circle SH1111S or Fed Mogul 14445M or Perfect Circle SH781S.  Rear Bearing, Federal Mogul 1445M or Perfect Circle SH384S.  The FM 1445M cam bearing must be cut in length to fit.  The middle cam bearings, FM 1414 or PC SH1111S may be too loose a fit in some engines.  If that is the case then 406 Ford cam bearing set, FM1445M or Perfect Circle SH781S can be adapted by turning the outside diameter on the three middle bearings. (SH377, SH378 and SH379 in the PC set).  As another alternative, Cummins L6 cam bearing Fed Mogul 4206DR can be used, but the cam journals need to be built up.  
Most of these numbers are sets and you will be throwing away a lot of bearings but it is still much cheaper than any other option.  Most but not all are available undersize.

All of this info in available in the Class 8 Authenticity Manual as well as many other interchange items.