mk1-forum.net

As i'm rebuilding my gearbox at the moment i've got a question.

Is the coppercased mainbearing availeble anywhere as i tend to believe they stand up better to abuse by tuned engines as the later plastic cased ones?

Or does somebody know if the one 3rd down on Ebay is the one i need;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/hemel72/m.htm ... 7675.l2562

Jack

Jack of all trades wrote:As i'm rebuilding my gearbox at the moment i've got a question.

Is the coppercased mainbearing availeble anywhere as i tend to believe they stand up better to abuse by tuned engines as the later plastic cased ones?

Or does somebody know if the one 3rd down on Ebay is the one i need;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/hemel72/m.htm ... 7675.l2562

Jack

if you are buying new, make sure you get a proper rhp one.

those el-cheapo ones are deadly

Mkae sure they are the correct size - I bought one with the correct part no years ago (from mini-spares) for my magic wand 'box, but it was a mm or so too large.

Not wishing to get the case line-bored, I put the old one back in to retain that authentic whine.

Its lasted OK -tho its only got to handle 28bhp of '61 850 power.

woodypup59 wrote:Mkae sure they are the correct size - I bought one with the correct part no years ago (from mini-spares) for my magic wand 'box, but it was a mm or so too large.

Not wishing to get the case line-bored, I put the old one back in to retain that authentic whine.

Its lasted OK -tho its only got to handle 28bhp of '61 850 power.

the early pre 1962 3 sync ones where different, they where 62mm od, where as the later ones where 65mm od

I have a NOS RHP, early type if anyone's interested. Bought as correct for a B type box... ended up not using it.

Use a nylon caged bearing, of any make, at your peril. They are rubbish.

Back in the mid eighties, the Rover garage I worked at were doing about 3 or 4 Mini/Metro gearboxes a month with broken nylon cages.

If you can find an original brass caged bearing (which do turn up occasionally) go for one of them.

Andrew1967 wrote:Use a nylon caged bearing, of any make, at your peril. They are rubbish.

Back in the mid eighties, the Rover garage I worked at were doing about 3 or 4 Mini/Metro gearboxes a month with broken nylon cages.

If you can find an original brass caged bearing (which do turn up occasionally) go for one of them.

the modern rhp type are fine, no issues at all, the reputation of awful plastic liners started with those weird rover bearings from the early 1980s that had a cage that stuck out of the outer of the bearing - they looked as if they had failed before they had even ever been used - the plastic case used to rub against the box and fail, which cased that 'metro whine' that all metros seamed to have.

the only time I have ever seen new rhp bearings with broken plastic parts is either ones that have had a pretty serious blow up, or where people have 'stabbed' them with a screw driver when they have been fitting / removing them!

I do remember those horrid RHP Bearings, on top of what Rich has said, it seemed the oil dried out the plastic cage and made them brittle, these - if I recall - were a brown / red kinda colour. The latest ones (white coloured cage) I haven't had a problem with, seem nearly as good as the old ones with the brass cage.

rich@minispares.com wrote:

Andrew1967 wrote:Use a nylon caged bearing, of any make, at your peril. They are rubbish.

Back in the mid eighties, the Rover garage I worked at were doing about 3 or 4 Mini/Metro gearboxes a month with broken nylon cages.

If you can find an original brass caged bearing (which do turn up occasionally) go for one of them.

the modern rhp type are fine, no issues at all, the reputation of awful plastic liners started with those weird rover bearings from the early 1980s that had a cage that stuck out of the outer of the bearing - they looked as if they had failed before they had even ever been used - the plastic case used to rub against the box and fail, which cased that 'metro whine' that all metros seamed to have.

the only time I have ever seen new rhp bearings with broken plastic parts is either ones that have had a pretty serious blow up, or where people have 'stabbed' them with a screw driver when they have been fitting / removing them!

Glad to hear that as I thought they were still crap.

Got a spare NOS brass tracked bearing here for that 'just in case' scenario but useful to know that later bearings are OK.

Thanks for the into Rich