1900 Bearings
Jay - I do enjoy it when you read between lines that aren't really there. :wink2: I did not buy these 1900 bearings thinking they would fit my car, rather I'm just an acquisitive guy saving for a rainy day.
I learned years ago that, when restoring something mechanical and antique, it is far less costly to invest in hard to find parts when they appear, rather than the huge amount of time later when I actually need them but they are not readily available. Even when I may never need the parts, it's painless to let them go onward to someone who does.
In this case, it turns out I have a NOS set of Vandervell VP207 bearings in .010. These are the 3-wide, 2-narrow bearings. They are in their original box, still wrapped in the cosmoline-impregnated paper. Until today, I hadn't bothered to unwrap them, and I found that they are in very good shape, but that the micron-thin layer of tin sprayed onto the surface of the bearings has started to be a little spotted. This layer is applied, I believe, to provide for some initial lubrication, and to inhibit corrosion during storage. The dimensional change would be unmeasurable, as the later is, quite literally, a few microns thick. I used a paper towel and a little MEK to see how they cleaned up, and the pictures are following. I would use these bearings with no hesitation. In fact, I suppose in the back of my head was the possibility of having an engine that needed fresh main bearings some day, and if necessary I could use two of the wide sets, the two narrow sets, and re-use one set of narrow from whatever engine was being refreshed, probably putting the used bearings on the
#2 or
#4 saddles.
As it turns out, I also have NOS sets for the later 102 engines in .020 and .030, plus a .010 set made for the FNM - which can possibly be adapted to the 102 in a pinch. The 102 bearings are not for sale. I've also got conrod sets in most sizes, also not for sale, as I've got enough engines and a future-owner grandson that they may see use - if Jay's predictions about crank and bearing life are correct.
For anyone interested, the conrod bearings for the FNM and 102 (1900, 2600, etc) are all interchangeable. These can be found in Brazil for about half the price of the German stuff, if you can find a Brazilian to help you out. The logistics are a bit tough. They were half price when the dollar was crap compared to the other world currencies, so at present they would be even cheaper.