Lovson 20-2

[wirenutrob]

Good Evening all -

Thank you for your advise and help it is truly appreciated!  My machineist took closer measurements
and suggested that we hone out only .0002 with a machine then remeasure. I paid for the power honeing and after it was complete the measurements were .004 on both cylinders. He checked the heads for proper valve seating and handed my newly ground lifters and said the engine is ready for assembly now.  I feel like I dodged a bullet! I really had a scare there.
 It was true that the cylinders had only .002 to start and that addingan additional .002 was exaxtly this size this engine needs and calls for. The max clearance is .008 and then you will start to loose performance rapidly, oil burning, possible runaway engine. Now I have to wait on my parts to be delivered. .004 - .008 with aluminum pistons is not alot, we have to be careful when we work on our engines. I hope others can find this information and use it...
Thanks again to everyone;
Rob

[Doug]

It would be nice oif the Indians had sevrice rings and service pistons for engines that aren't grosely worn out .

I could see a .002 piston and ring set being very well recieved by guys here after a major tear down.

Same for bearings and variety of undersized for the guy that wants to make a slightly worn crank run a little longer between grinds

[okiezeke]

Would be nice, but..."It's good enoung for India"  at every turn.  Glad we have folks like Dave, George, and Mike to make dippers,  offset bolts, golden gears, and ring gears or we'd have to do without.
Zeke

[wirenutrob]

Zeke -

How is the welding going. I was just checking up  on your progress. As you can see I made good progress with my engine this week. The scaring went away with a little honeing. I guess my engine was set up a little too tight to start with, among all the other problems.

[captfred]

back when i apprenticed in an automotive machineshop we occasionally knurled piston skirts to improve the fit in slightly warn cylinders - mostly to save the cost of a complete bore job in gas engines.  I never knurled iron pistons but did a bunch of aluminum ones on this ancient  machine in our shop. 

If you could find a piston knurling machine collecting dust in a shop somewhere, and someone who knows how to set it up, this might be an alternative.  Also, you might find a good machinist that could knurl the pistons chucked in a lathe to take up .002 clearance.

[wirenutrob]

Zeke -

Are you going to install an oil filter on your engine? I am trying to work it out using the existing pump.  I was speaking with a guy who knows small engines and he gave me this Napa part no.24755 for the filter housing and a 51051 filter to go with it. It is a partial flow filter.  He said we should change the oil about avery 200 hours of hard running.

[okiezeke]

Rob,
I got the frame tacked together.  Ran out of daylight and energy about the same time.  I'll finish welding it and get some pictures , this week.  Weighs about 250 or so lbs and should be real solid and ridgid.  5" square tubing rails and 4" pipe cross members (5 of them).  My usual overkill.  I'm planning on puting a washcloth filter on the sump door.  Galvanized hardware cloth with a cloth element.  When I get the thing back together I'll measure oil pressure at the pump.  I polished the ball seats, so I'm hoping for decent output.  If so, I want to run a line to the cam bushings, and even to an external screw on filter.  I bought a wonderfun fuel filter mount from NAPA for 29.00.  Screw on cartridge with water drain, good for 3 microns.  should work great.  If I cant get enough flow from gravity, I can add a fuel pump easily and cheap.  I need a gasket set to begin reassembly.  Have you heard anything fron Mumbai?  I'm pretty sure George or Mike can get me one if your order didnt.  Did you recondition your fuel pump?  Another place that really needs work is the guide bolts for the fuel pump lifters.  The ends of these bolts are rough and not square.  Just takes a minute to true them up and polish the ends.  Should really reduce wear on the pump lifters and reduce amt of steel filings in circulation in the oil.  What a great hobby we have!!           
Zeke

[Doug]

Well said and good point Captfred:

I recall as a kid my grandfsther telling me that and then he'd use oversized rings and file them to fit the bore....

Doug 

[wirenutrob]

Zeke -

I must say you are makeing real progress on your frame, remember to paint it "Green". I found a 12 vdc pump in my pile of parts from other projects. This gave me an idea on how to install the oil filter on its own loop independant of the engines oil pump loop. This is just for cleanning the oil. I am now looking for that low pressure pump. I think I have a good lead on it. Got to run now I'll finish this later tonight.
Rob

[asavage]

Harbour freight does sell a 1000 lb mover's dolly for around 10.00.  I could put 3 or 4 of these inder the frame and could move it around smooth concrete surfaces.

If you're referring to the blue plastic framed ones ("1000 lbs"), be sure to derate them appropriately. 




I bought four of the plastic-framed ones two months ago and use them around the shop  Screw a piece of plywood to them and they're great for moving genheads around or transmissions (I've got two ATs on them and one genhead right now).  However, I wouldn't ever actually load one to 1k lbs!  They seem OK to 300 or 400 lbs though, if the floor is perfectly smooth.

They aren't $10 ea. here though, more like $17 for the wood framed ones and $20 for the plastic ones.  Click on the images to go to HF's site for them.

[wirenutrob]

I bought 2 of the mini dolly(s) 1kduty rated each I placed 2, 2x3 across them and rolled my 20/2 around with ease. I think 2 devided over the 1,000 lb duty rated frame made it work.  You just can't let the engine sit on the dolly it flattens the wheels after awhile.

I thought I would have better luck finding a small electric oil pump on the net. All I can find is those scavenge oil pumps and they are 200.+ . I wonder if anybody else knows of a small oil pump (10 psi)or so.

Zeke -

Your choice of changeing out the fuel filter is a good one, anything is better than that thing it came with. I found a parker model myself with the water drain off also; around the same price.

With regards to the "mystery" order. I sent them proof of payment Tuesday the 6th and Wed they sent me an e-mail .....

Dear Robert,
 We have received the amount.
 Once good are reayd we will keep you updated.
 Best Regards
Joanna Bhat

I guess this means they have to make the spare parts now    ::: I broke my  A**  getting them their money a week ago and they have not even put the order together... Jonna did not even tell me when it will be ready. I figure If I find another source for spare parts I will buy them. This order was only about 100 bucks for the rebuild kit. Let me know what you find out from george... I really need the head gaskets & all the cylinder gaskets The rest of paper gaskets I made already
The bearings & pistons and rings I will just reorder them too.! ... So let me know what you find out.
Rob

[asavage]

I bought 2 of the mini dolly(s) 1kduty rated each I placed 2, 2x3 across them and rolled my 20/2 around with ease. I think 2 devided over the 1,000 lb duty rated frame made it work.  You just can't let the engine sit on the dolly it flattens the wheels after awhile.

Here's how I use them (click on image for larger):


That genhead (MEP-018a, 10Kw) weighs the most of those three  (black = A4LD, shiny = L4N71b, diesel spec.)  Two are mine, two are the shop's.  I talked to a coworker today about them, and found out he put an 800 lb safe on one last week: it flattened the casters for a while.  The safe wasn't left on the dolly very long, and the casters seem to have bounced back OK.  He said the frame deflection wasn't too bad.

I thought I would have better luck finding a small electric oil pump on the net. All I can find is those scavenge oil pumps and they are 200.+ . I wonder if anybody else knows of a small oil pump (10 psi)or so.

There are people using the ShurFlo (or equivalent brands) in automotive preluber duty.  While I have reservations about the temp of the oil and these plastic pumps, apparently some folks are doing it.

I have managed to buy a couple of preluber pumps off eBay over the past couple of years, all-metal, nice units, but I don't think they're rated for continuous duty.  Pumping oil requires a fair amount of HP, even hot oil.

[okiezeke]

Rob,
Might try the marine oil pumps, places like Defender, or even West Marine.  I know they have them, but dont know prices.  I'm still hoping my rebuilt mechanical pump will develop enough pressure/volume to use it for filtering.  If not, I'll probably get a marine 12V.
Zeke

[wirenutrob]

I just got my oil system put back together and primed; it works well now. It was good to see the oil flowing over the bearigs. Funny thing though I don't see any of that red gloppy stuff anymore , just nice pure clean oil  I can't wait to get my new liquid filled oil pressure gauge on the system. I will try looking over at the marine engine parts suppliers - Thanks!  I don't like the idea of using plastic oil pumps to pump hot oil. Those scavenge pumps are designed to do that. It looks like you got a real good use for the large dolly(s). I also own 2 large wooden dollies,  I saw that orange plastic one there but I like the old wooden kind. I remember it was the same price wooden or plastic.

[okiezeke]

Here is the frame.  If weight counts, it should be a good one.
Zeke