A602
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fabricator
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2025 8:06 pm
- Location: West Michigan
A602
Hello all, I'm rebuilding an A602 for a friend. I will be repouring the main shaft babbit. I'm wondering if there was a groove in the original babbit for oiling or if they just relied on the shaft clearance for oiling.
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Windcatcher530 Dan
- Posts: 2498
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:06 pm
- Location: Alcove N.Y.i buy and restore
Re: A602
I believe the original from the factory were grooved. If my recollection is right it was a spiral shaped groove. I've only found two that way all others were wore enough it was hard to tell. Just from my experience !!
Re: A602
The A602 main shaft babbitt is actually three separate bearings.
The one at the outer end of the snout is maybe 3 1/2" or 4" long and has an oil passage on the top of the bearing that runs back toward the motor from the oil collector. This passage is the RETURN passage for oil scraped from the inside of the hub by the oil collector, so it spirals about 90° clockwise, which is the direction the wind will be turning the shaft.
The middle bearing is maybe about 1 1/2" or 2" long. Its oil passage is also on top, and is the main SUPPLY passage. The spout washer scrapes oil off the front pinion gear and drips the oil into this passage, and it also spirals about 90°, but in the opposite direction from the outer bearing's channel.
This middle bearing is very close to the secret oil return passage that runs through that mysterious bump you see on the outside of the motor at the rear of the snout. You have to be very careful not to fill this return passage with babbitt. Fortunately, you shouldn't have to worry about this if you pour this middle bearing by laying the motor on its back with the snout pointing up, and pour through the provided pour hole in the snout casing (as long as you stop pouring when the babbitt starts coming out of this hole). This is because the pour hole is a bit inboard from the return passage entrance.
I make the oil passages with leather strips. I tape them in position on the pour mandrel (shaft) with one layer of blue painter's masking tape. This holds the leather oil passage forms in place and also provides a few thousands of an inch of clearance for oil when the shaft is turning.
The rear bearing at the back of the case has no oil passages that I know of.
The one at the outer end of the snout is maybe 3 1/2" or 4" long and has an oil passage on the top of the bearing that runs back toward the motor from the oil collector. This passage is the RETURN passage for oil scraped from the inside of the hub by the oil collector, so it spirals about 90° clockwise, which is the direction the wind will be turning the shaft.
The middle bearing is maybe about 1 1/2" or 2" long. Its oil passage is also on top, and is the main SUPPLY passage. The spout washer scrapes oil off the front pinion gear and drips the oil into this passage, and it also spirals about 90°, but in the opposite direction from the outer bearing's channel.
This middle bearing is very close to the secret oil return passage that runs through that mysterious bump you see on the outside of the motor at the rear of the snout. You have to be very careful not to fill this return passage with babbitt. Fortunately, you shouldn't have to worry about this if you pour this middle bearing by laying the motor on its back with the snout pointing up, and pour through the provided pour hole in the snout casing (as long as you stop pouring when the babbitt starts coming out of this hole). This is because the pour hole is a bit inboard from the return passage entrance.
I make the oil passages with leather strips. I tape them in position on the pour mandrel (shaft) with one layer of blue painter's masking tape. This holds the leather oil passage forms in place and also provides a few thousands of an inch of clearance for oil when the shaft is turning.
The rear bearing at the back of the case has no oil passages that I know of.
