If you do any engine building, you need to read an excellent article I found recently. it goes into great detail about crankshaft thrust bearing failures, the causes, and how to prevent them. It is the single best article i have found in years! If you work on engines, or have ever been told that your torque convertor ruined your bearings, you must read this Killer Article!!!

Enjoy!

Take care,
~Chris

 

Excellent article. Down towards the bottom of the page it says that a pressure regulator spring in the tranny that is too heavy will exert extra force on the thrust bearings. Does that mean that when we install shift kits to raise the line pressures for firmer shifts we are risking damaging the engine?


-Jon

 

Excellent question! I can't say for sure, but it would lead me to believe that just may be the case.

Hmmmmmm.

Take care,
~Chris

 

the article does point out some interesting things. Now all we need is some pointers for rod bearings. I personally have never seen thrust bearing failure, but I don't build race cars either.

Filing the bearing seems kinda tricky, especially for a driveway mechanic who might not be measuring everything. I have been successful only measuring endplay and plasti-guaging.

Internal combustion engines don't last forever, 2 many moving parts. One in 7 jobs in the US are automobile industry related.

 

It was some good reading.

 

I sent them an email with my question about shift kits, apparently most trannies have a convertor pressure regulator so shift kist won't do any harm. This is the email i got from the CEO of the company:
-------------
Anything that raises converter charge pressure will increase the load on the crank thrust. Adding a Shift Kit does not in itself cause this. After all, there are thousands of cars driving around with Shift Kits in them. If your transmission has a converter regulator system in it (I'd have to know what type of transmission you have to answer this question) then it doesn't matter; increasing line will have little affect. A bigger issue is resistance to cooler flow. Clogged lines, kinks in the lines, a clogged cooler, too many coolers, etc. play a very big role in
this.
--------------




-Jon

 

Excellent info! Thanks for asking him, and for posting his reply!

Take care,
~Chris