method of preparing the surface of babbitt bearings, oil may still pass
through the tiny grooves in the bearing surface, and the engine may not
run at its smoothest.
Metal Crafters customer Bill Edstrom is a Model A Ford owner (an A-
400) who is familiar with the oil leaks of a Model A engine with babbitt
bearings, and the somewhat lengthy break-in period of an engine with
new bearings. His engineering background often sends him searching out
improvements, and he recently turned his attention to the crankshaft
bearings of his A-400’s engine, which just received new babbitt bearings
at Metal Crafters. After the cutting process, Bill wanted his Model A
engine’s crankshaft bearings lapped, so he used Timesaver-brand lapping
material to further smooth the surface of his engine’s bearings. This
should reduce the oil loss and break-in time, as well as make the engine
run a little smoother.
The Timesaver lapping material is mixed with oil. The instructions
call for a specific ratio of oil to lapping material.