babbit bearing issue

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waynesworld

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Hello, hope all had a great Thanksgiving. I have an issue I hope some of you with lots of experience can help with. I have a Champion RE-44, when I tore it down to rebuild there is babbit 2 piece bearings on each crank. Sometime in its old life two of the bearing halves broke into pieces. This model of compressor has been discontinued by Champion and these bearings are not available. From my old woodworking machines I know they cast babbit for the cearings or I should say melt and pour. These pieces cannot be made that way, has anyone had experience with something like this? I know there are several grades of babbit some harder than others. Could this material be machined? If it could they would be easy to do and cut them into 2 pieces for the bearing.
Or casting, like the lost wax method. I don't have the expertise or equiptment for this but I was wondering if this would be a possibility? Any advise would be appreciated, the old girl is a work horse of a compressor and deserves saving. Thanks Wayne
 
Some pictures of the surviving bearings would help in determining how to make them.
 
waynesworld said:
Hello, hope all had a great Thanksgiving. I have an issue I hope some of you with lots of experience can help with. I have a Champion RE-44, when I tore it down to rebuild there is babbit 2 piece bearings on each crank. Sometime in its old life two of the bearing halves broke into pieces. This model of compressor has been discontinued by Champion and these bearings are not available. From my old woodworking machines I know they cast babbit for the cearings or I should say melt and pour. These pieces cannot be made that way, has anyone had experience with something like this? I know there are several grades of babbit some harder than others. Could this material be machined? If it could they would be easy to do and cut them into 2 pieces for the bearing.
Or casting, like the lost wax method. I don't have the expertise or equiptment for this but I was wondering if this would be a possibility? Any advise would be appreciated, the old girl is a work horse of a compressor and deserves saving. Thanks Wayne
Click to expand...

2-piece babbit bearings? Without knowing all the details, I wonder if you can cross refrence them to some kind of automotive engine bearings.
 
I'd like to see pics of that. Pouring is not that hard, but you say they can't be poured?
 
These wrap around the crankshaft in two halves and each half has a flat lip that runs perpenduclar on the edges. If I can figure how to post a picture I will, I have one good half. They are fairly thin, approximately 1/16th thick. Like all the babbit bearings I have seen they are adjusted with shims. I'll work on a photo when I get home. Thanks for the replies.
 
do a mock-up of the crank shaft journal and connecting rod and cap. soot the heck out of it and pour new bearing and slice it in two. scrape to suit and its done.

sounds like a great project for a hobby machinist. :)
 
thank you for the advise, it's to good of a compressor to scrap. I have visited 2 local (big) compressor shops here and they have the same response...obsolete, this is the only parts that are not available, you can get the rest of them.
 
If you have to make replacement housings, i have used bronze bushing stock and fabricated the bearing as a whole unit. Then cut it into. You can machine oil grooves in it while in lathe and also lateral grooves in the milling machine if needed. Remember, the journal runs in the oil and not on the bearing, per se. I built one for an electric motor some 20 years ago, still running. Or, like davidh said, it's not difficult to pour your own. Make your journal pattern, soot it up with torch, heat your babbitt ( 10% tin works good) till it begins to burn a piece of yellow pine wood. Just don't let any moisture get to your hot babbitt, you won't like the results. Your journal should have @ .003 - .005" clearance depending on size. If i can help you make these, let me know. Good luck, Arky
 
Turn wright machine channel on youtube has a vidieo on how he poured a 2 piece babbit bearing. The channel also has a lot of meat and potatoes on a lot of old machine rehab and marine machining work.
 
jpfabricator said:
Turn wright machine channel on youtube has a vidieo on how he poured a 2 piece babbit bearing. The channel also has a lot of meat and potatoes on a lot of old machine rehab and marine machining work.
Click to expand...
Very good hands on videos, shows the do's and don'ts Some of the better ones on youtube.
 
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