Big End Advise Please

[Steve Jones]

I also ditched tab
 washers years ago in favour of loctite Ian, seems to work for me too.

I have used shakeproof washers on the little ends of an engine that has been regularly "thrashed". No loctite, just crossed fingers!

And I used shakeproof washers and Loctite on the little ends on my engine that's been similar thrashed, Ian, together with my various, other, engines. You pay your money and you make your choice........!

Steve

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Great to see so many successes - what do you all use in the big ends? My preference to date is deep nylock and thick spring washer.

What else are folks using successfully?

[Steve Jones]

Great to see so many successes - what do you all use the big ends. Preference to date is deep nylock and thick spring washer.

What else are folks using?

Well they're all only a success until they prove not to be, Ruairidh, but at least we can all say so far, so good!

Big ends, always new big end bolts with new nylocs. Never reuse either. ARP bolts on Phoenix rods excepted as they're designed to be reused as long as they haven't been subjected to any 'trama'. Don't use any washers.

Steve

[Ian Sly]

Great to see so many successes - what do you all use in the big ends?  My preference to date is deep nylock and thick spring washer.

What else are folks using successfully?

New bolts, new nylocks, no washers.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I totally agree with new bolts - I have quite a collection of old ones now.

My only personal experience of split pins in this area resulted in an impromptu sump removal on Appplecross campsite around 10 years ago - I had not built the engine and was using it as the crank had broken in the original just the week before.  

The car developed a ticking near Kyle of Lochalsh whilst leading a convoy of around 20 Sevens, I stopped the engine quickly - turning on the handle produced a squeak every 4th turn.  We removed the windscreen and pushed it into the back of Hayden Morgan's LDV camper van.  Once back at the campsite, with sump removed I was able to extract a piece of split pin jammed in the oil pump.

Finding the pictures has reminded me that it was 12 years ago and those who remember Ray Stevens and Den Huke will see them below.

   

   

   

   

   

[Alan]

It's a good job you weren't in the RK.

Just to be different I don't use spring washers, but I do use loctite and nylocs.
An engineer I very much respected told me years ago that correctly specified and tightened fasteners don't come loose. That's been my experience too.

As an aside, spellcheck interpreted loctite and nylocs as lecture and nylons ....... oh well.

[Dave Wortley]

If you have an hour or so to spare and look at boltscience.com website, especially the video "vibration loosening of threaded fasteners" you may be convinced that single coil helical spring washers increase the risk of your little end screws coming loose.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Is this the video Dave?

http://www.boltscience.com/pages/junkertestvideo.htm

[Ruairidh Dunford]

There appear to be two 'separate' plates clamped together in the test - does this and the vibration used replicate the situation at the little end?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Does Junkers' theory rely on minute movements (caused by vibration) between two separate surfaces to 'rattle' the screw and dislodge the grip of the spring washer?