E

When it comes to rebuilding a prewar engine, restorers often prefer
original babbitt bearings to the modern insert bearings, and places
such as Metal Crafters in Stevens Point, Wis., are happy to
accommodate those restorers. The company rebuilds dozens of engines
each year, with a specialty in Ford Model T and Model A engines. These
engines all originally used babbitt bearings, of course, and Metal Crafters
engine specialist and owner Joe Thorn, as well as shop worker Troy
Hermann, are both very capable of pouring these old-time bearings.

The installed   babbitt bearing after   a   boring  bar with    a   cutter  has

passed  over    the surface.    Although    it  appears smooth, there   are tiny

grooves in  the bearing surface that    may allow   oil to  pass.   Lapping

will    make    this    surface even    smoother.

Since babbitt bearings are poured to form the bearing surface the
crankshaft and camshaft spin against, the bearing surface must be cut
smooth after they are poured. For this task, Metal Crafters uses a
machine that holds the engine block in place while a boring bar fitted
with a cutter removes material from the babbitt bearing until it has a
smooth surface. The boring bar makes three passes with a rough cut,
measuring cut and final cut to produce the desired bearing surface.
Although this method produces a very smooth surface that provides an
engine with years and miles of longevity that exceeds Ford’s original