Just look at the old rubbish I'm expected to work with!

[silverbullet]

EJ22 nos block2.jpg

One brand new EJ22 closed-deck block into us for re-machining to accept later rear thrust crank. This is the route that all the big beans crew are going, to get around the poor oil supply to #4 big end with the earlier centre-thrust crank. Essential for 500bhp+ I've done around a dozen of these now. Both halves machined seperately and matched to 0.01mm or better. A mistake will leave me £2k the wrong side of profit

EJ22 machining.jpg

And this is how we do it - with about 4 tons of Huron Universal mill of 1978 vintage, a bit of nerve and a good slice of skill - If I say so myself
Say what you like about the French, but this was/is considered one of the finest heavy-duty precision machines ever made. It's a beaut!

[texasuk]

Is that CNC?

[silverbullet]

No my friend! The old girl's strictly handles and levers But we do have others...

[texasuk]

So what does it require then? Bigger bearings throughout and a recess for the thrust washer?

Always nice to have a favourite bit of kit, and I bet you can make it dance if you have worked it for years. I wonder how long before those sort of skills are lost forever? We used to have an early brake press that I could set up to work to within .02 that no-one else could, because I knew the exact spots that needed a strip or two of newspaper under. Ah, back in the day on the tools, how I miss it sometimes...

[silverbullet]

We machine the two halves of the crankcase to accept a new, flanged rear main bearing (which my customer then supplies to his customers)
I know they're ok 'cause you can put both the old (centre thrust) and new (rear) and drop either crank in and the clearance is symmetrical There's not much to play with...
All this 'cause the early cranks have less oil drillings. The newer ones have one big end fed from each main. #3 always lets go first, which on an impreza turbo is...right next to the turbo! nockanockanocka