Main Bearings Flanged vs Shell Type TO20

[pburchett]

I ordered a set of main bearings for my TO20 rebuild knowing it would be the shell type with a thrust washer to take the place of the flange. What I did not know was the thrust washer was not a brass washer but a fiber washer.

I do not like the look of the fiber thrust washer. The bearings are an actual Massey Ferguson main bearing set, so I presume the fiber thrust washer was used in many rebuilds. Is it OK to use or should I order another set with the flange attached. I thought I read on here somewhere that the fiber thrust washer would compress some over time allowing endplay in the crank shaft. If I could find a brass thrust washer I think it would be more durable but I have not found a source. Should I get a flanged set of bearings instead?

After I get the tractor restored I plan on giving it to my daughter and son-in=law to use. They will bush hog 5 acres twice a year and use the grader blade some to maintain a gravel road. It will not be worked like it was paying for the farm back in the day.

 

[Steve@Advance]

I'm not totally up on all the options for modifying the thrust bearings.

But if I recall correctly, the fiber washers would fatigue with age, crack and fall out in pieces.

Once gone the crank would shift forward, metal to metal and ruin the thrust surfaces. Seems there were some brass pins too??? Not sure. If your original was still there, it should go back original with a new fiber washer.

But there was more to upgrading it than just installing a different part. Maybe someone has been here with a better memory than mine.

 

[Ark68SS]

My memory is rotten, but I have some pics of my TO 20 motor rebuild. I used the brass thrust washer, I can't remember if it was original to the motor or if I bought it. The pins that located the washer to the block were missing, but I found some brass rod of the correct diameter at a hobby shop to replace them. I had a bear of a time finding a set of main bearings in the size I needed (.020 if I remember right). The supplier (not YT) told me they were coming from China. Funny thing, the box says "Hecho En Mexico". :x
Hope this helped.
BillL

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Thrust washer keeps the crank from walking back and forth. Biggest effect on the engine external is the fan belt. That crank walks out and will spit the fan belt off fairly quickly. That fiber washer might go on behind the front seal. If you have an oil slinger, I might suspect between the oil slinger and the front seal.
I did one ~ once. . .about 10 years ago. 15? I do remember when I took apart the engine, I took the various pieces on the front of the crank, not included in the rebuild kit, and just swapped them over to the new crank.
Oops! Gotta run, catch y'all later!

 

[Jim L WA]

I thought this was interesting, so looked it up in my Ferguson Dealer Shop Manual. On page 36 it talks about the difference between the TO-20 and T0-30 crank shafts. Besides the stroke being longer in the 30, it goes on to say that .....the original bearing shell of the TO-20 and TE-20 has a flange which acts as the thrust face instead of the fiber thrust washer found in the TO-30. I have a TO-20 and have never been into the engine and hope I never have to. I'm getting too old for that stuff.

 

[pburchett]

TELL ME IF THIS WILL WORK

I have done some measurements and think I could use a steel or stainless steel washer in place of the fiber thrust washer. The flange on the flanged bearing is steel just like what the back of the bearing is constructed from.

I could use a copper thrust washer as Ark68SS has in his photo but I think the steel one will wear less.

The metal washer should not fatigue or break and should be lubricated with the rest of the engine.

IF SOMEONE SEES A PROBLEM WITH THIS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT! Thanks

 

[John Deere D]

Quote:
I could use a steel or stainless steel washer in place of the fiber thrust washer:



I have NO back ground with the engine in question you are working on....however..

If the THRUST is in the direction of the STEEL or STAINLEES insert you are purposing to use, I have concerns what shall happen when the two similar faces come in contact????

The rotating face I believe shall fuse to the STEEL or STAINLEES insert you are purposing to use

Respectfully
Bob..

 

[Ark68SS]

Nope it won't work.
You don't need the fiber washer, you have the flanged bearing.

The washer I pictured goes on the [b:52c51014ea]block[/b:52c51014ea] in front of the main bearing and rubs against the crankshaft thrust plate that slides over the nose of the crank.
Maybe Bob will see this post and show some pics of the crank assy from the parts book that will make it more clear.

This is covered pretty well on pages 35~39 in the Ferguson dealer shop manual.

BillL

 

[John Deere D]

My old parts book may or may not be correct .....
Bob......

 

[pburchett]

[b:9d0ddcc74f]The rotating face I believe shall fuse to the STEEL or STAINLEES insert you are purposing to use.
Respectfully
Bob..[/b:9d0ddcc74f]


[b:9d0ddcc74f]Nope it won't work.
You don't need the fiber washer, you have the flanged bearing.
BillL[/b:9d0ddcc74f]

You both are probably 100% correct in the fact that a steel thrust washer will not work.

I cleaned the old used flanged bearing up this morning and tested the metal on the front and back of it.
The metal on the back of the bearing is steel.
The metal on the front is a much softer material like the bearing surface.

I presume the softer material is intended to wear and not fuse to the crankshaft.

When I examined my old flanged bearing I could see there was not much thrust pressure on that flange as it had little wear.
Sooooo scratch the plan of the stainless washer.

I did however find several main bearing kits that used a brass/bronze thrust washer in place of the fiber washer (like the one Ark66Ss has in the photos above) that is the same dimensions as the fiber washer and they are available online. So that is a score and I will try the brass thrust washer.