Lister Junior main bearing wear

I’m in the process of stripping my Lister B and making a list of jobs to do, bits which need refurbishing and/or replacing. There is quite a bit of lift on the end of the crank revealing a fair amount of wear in the main bearings. Not surprising in a 94 year old engine, but what can be done about it?

Has anyone been able to source any of these, or found someone who can manufacture them? There must be a good number of A and B engines still in use, many of which will have had similar amounts of wear to the mains. Have people just ignored it and continued running their engines?

I’d be glad to hear from anyone with similar issues or suggestions.

Far as I know unless someone is stripping an engine for parts it's a case of making them yourself, they are not available off the shelf. How much room do you have? My way of thinking is if it ran ok to get that bad then unless you are planning on slogging it to death working now it won't take too much harm running it as it is.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362773258691?ssPageName=STRK:MEUNSOLD:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

There's a set of bearings available here.

Villiers wrote:Far as I know unless someone is stripping an engine for parts it's a case of making them yourself, they are not available off the shelf. How much room do you have? My way of thinking is if it ran ok to get that bad then unless you are planning on slogging it to death working now it won't take too much harm running it as it is.

Thanks. I have been thinking the same. It'll certainly only be on 'light duties' once it is up and running, so I'll probably leave them alone for now. Rather than a complete strip down now I might do just enough to get it running to start with, then work on any issues this shows up.

miley_bob wrote:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362773258691?ssPageName=STRK:MEUNSOLD:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

There's a set of bearings available here.

Thanks. I spotted this earlier, but at the time hadn't realised how much wear my mains had. Unfortunately it is now sold.

pstruck wrote:

miley_bob wrote:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362773258691?ssPageName=STRK:MEUNSOLD:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

There's a set of bearings available here.

Thanks. I spotted this earlier, but at the time hadn't realised how much wear my mains had. Unfortunately it is now sold.

It didn't sell so is still available. Its currently sat hiding under a tarpaulin in my garden.

miley_bob wrote:

It didn't sell so is still available. Its currently sat hiding under a tarpaulin in my garden.

Ahh, it's yours. I assumed you were linking me to someone else's auction page.

Apart from a visual check, do you have any info on how good the main bearings might be? I'm a long way from you over in Somerset, so collection isn't realistically an option.

pstruck wrote:

miley_bob wrote:

It didn't sell so is still available. Its currently sat hiding under a tarpaulin in my garden.

Ahh, it's yours. I assumed you were linking me to someone else's auction page.

Apart from a visual check, do you have any info on how good the main bearings might be? I'm a long way from you over in Somerset, so collection isn't realistically an option.

The engine came with a crank, but it was bent so that went in the scrap bin. There didn't seem to be any play in the bearings at the time though.

I will be coming down to the Oakley bring & buy sale near Oxford in early November so could deliver it there. I am also driving down to Andover to collect an engine soon (probably a on Saturday 26th October) so could meet somewhere down there if that's any help.

miley_bob wrote:The engine came with a crank, but it was bent so that went in the scrap bin.  There didn't seem to be any play in the bearings at the time though.

I will be coming down to the Oakley bring & buy sale near Oxford in early November so could deliver it there. I am also driving down to Andover to collect an engine soon (probably a on Saturday 26th October) so could meet somewhere down there if that's any help.

Ok, thanks. I might be able to do something with one of those options. I'll message you.

miley_bob wrote:

The engine came with a crank, but it was bent so that went in the scrap bin.  There didn't seem to be any play in the bearings at the time though.

I will be coming down to the Oakley bring & buy sale near Oxford in early November so could deliver it there. I am also driving down to Andover to collect an engine soon (probably a on Saturday 26th October) so could meet somewhere down there if that's any help.

Is that the same crank that my hacksaw has been steadily sawing it's way through for the past few rallies? I could do with another 'victim' for it now!

Pete.

Foden wrote:

miley_bob wrote:

The engine came with a crank, but it was bent so that went in the scrap bin.  There didn't seem to be any play in the bearings at the time though.

I will be coming down to the Oakley bring & buy sale near Oxford in early November so could deliver it there. I am also driving down to Andover to collect an engine soon (probably a on Saturday 26th October) so could meet somewhere down there if that's any help.

Is that the same crank that my hacksaw has been steadily sawing it's way through for the past few rallies?   I could do with another 'victim' for it now!

Pete.

Yes Pete that's the one. Has it already chewed through the crank and all of the bar stock you got at Lincoln? I will see what else we have in the of cuts pile at work if you need some more.

miley_bob wrote:
Yes Pete that's the one. Has it already chewed through the crank and all of the bar stock you got at Lincoln? I will see what else we have in the of cuts pile at work if you need some more.

I actually used some of that steel for a project Mike, but any small bits will be usefull. Still some of the crank left that will probably last this season, Maurice Barks took a lot of the off cuts to make washers from! Waste not, want not! I'm taking the saw to Newark anyway so see you there.

Pete.

Foden wrote:

miley_bob wrote:
Yes Pete that's the one. Has it already chewed through the crank and all of the bar stock you got at Lincoln? I will see what else we have in the of cuts pile at work if you need some more.

I actually used some of that steel for a project Mike, but any small bits will be usefull.  Still some of the crank left that will probably last this season,  Maurice Barks took a lot of the off cuts to make washers from!  Waste not, want not!  I'm taking the saw to Newark anyway so see you there.

Pete.

Pete

I will see what we have that's suitable and see about putting a few bits in the trailer for Newark.