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Continental 15L engine restoration for my Model 65

I'm having trouble finding a machine shop around me to tackle the restoration of my Continental 15L engine. Seems everyone is afraid of the Babbitt bearings in there. I've put a post on the AACA forum to try and find someone in the Southeast who can work on them as I don't really want to ship the engine up the Northeast or mid-west. I guess my question for all those that have gone before me and had their engines restore is: when the engines are restored by the machine shop, is the original Babbitt bearings destroyed in the process? (Boiling the block etc.) Or can any machine shop rebuild the engine and not have to remove or destroy the original Babbitt bearing surface? My car was not running for about 30 years when I got it and I have no idea of how it ran so I don't know what condition the bearing surface was. I'm just wondering if I'm worrying about something I don't have to and I can get any machine shop to rebuild the engine. All the machine shops around me have said they never have worked on an engine so old, but only up to the 60's so I sure don't want to just have anyplace tackle the job.

Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan

Re: Continental 15L engine restoration for my Model 65

mIKE:

When a machine shop puts your block in a hot tank, it will dissolve all the bearing material. Then you need to have the mains & rods (if hot tanked) rebabitted. Up here in Guelph, the machine shops do NOT use the hot tanks any more but have a new system that will not eat the bearings. They instituted this process due to the high cost of disposal of the hot tank chemicals.
I would be very cautious about sending your engine to someone who has not dealt with babitted bearings. Surely there are shops in Florida. Checking through the AACA would be a good start.
Lance and Rick have dealt with a shop in California and I believe with good results. The shipping may be excessive, but may be cheaper in the long run.
I am sure that some of our members may have a good solution for you.

Where Are You From? Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Frontenac built by Dominion Motors Ltd., Leaside, Ontario, Canada

Re: Continental 15L engine restoration for my Model 65

Thanks Gordon;
I posted on the AACA forum too and some have replied but so far they are all up in the Northeast.

Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan

Re: Continental 15L engine restoration for my Model 65

Mike, I was thinking about your need to get your engine completed the other day while speaking with one of the Franklin guys. We were discussing the recent babbitt work done on his rebuild and it reminded me. Many of the Franklins have done away with sending their blocks out of state for babbitt work. They have now had their blocks line bored at local shops, which is a more common procedure. They bore over the size to fit brass sleeve inserts. They then send out a small box full of these sleeves to have Babbitt work rather than an entire block. Many have been done this way with excellent results. This allows a somewhat serviceable bearing from that point on. It may be work considering. I will see what I can find on newsletters that elaborate on this process.

Where Are You From? Brighton MI

Re: Continental 15L engine restoration for my Model 65

I know that the 6-W continental (1925 model-40 Flint has a poured in block babbit main bearing) but I was thinking that the 14L and 15L engines already had the thick bronze shells that you would send out to get them babbited and the rods would need to be sent out as well...The person doing the babbit work would pour the rods then machine /cut the babbited rod to your crank journal size...Your machine shop would then install the main bearing caps only in the block then hang/setup his line boring tool on the block and align onto your block way, then install the babbited shells with bearing caps then line bore bearings to your crankshaft specs...And being certain to allow for proper oil clearance..(right Rick) I have two of these old line boring tools in wood crates in my shop that have been threw two floods, I am afraid to open the crates to see how rusty that they are...The last time one of them was used was about 40 years ago when I and by brother line bored my '31 Chrysler....It could be that machine shops have more modern tecniques in line boring today..

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? Several

 

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