Shells or white metal

[Robert Leigh]

According to the A7 Companion, shell bearings were fitted from engine no 268659 in March 1937.  

(However, my engine M289617 has non-original white metal bearings following an engine rebuild sometime in the distant past - so engine number may not reflect what is in there.)

Colin

Thanks Colin, that’s helpful.

I will now drop the sump etc later this year and have a look see. I have a feeling that one of the big ends is trying to draw attention to itself. I normally take the engine out for any work but replacing shells from below shouldn’t be too difficult.
Ref the other thread on SU versus Zenith — I have a one inch SU fitted and reckon it’s a lot better than the original carb. ( D3 needle) Climbing the hills around here is easier ( ok they’re not proper hills) and getting to 50 mph and sustaining that is no problem.

Charles

Yes, it's quite possible to change the shells from below. I did it once on the rally field at Beaulieu. I was camping so I drained the oil into the washing up bowl, and used the frying pan for all the nuts and bolts (none lost in the grass), checked what size shells I needed and found the right ones on a stall, then put it all together again, and drove back to Cambridge in the evening.