Babbitt Bearings / "Bucket" Lube on old engines

[SWS]

I have searched this site and don't find any info or references on an old car engine lubrication design practice that I recently heard about. A friend told me that before pressurized oil crankshaft bearings were used in cars (1940's?) that Babbitt bearings were used and were lubricated with little oil-filled "buckets" that poured oil over the top of the bearings. The buckets themselves were mounted on the end of the connecting rod and dipped oil from the oil pan on each revolution. I have found some good info on Babbitt bearings, but cannot find any info / pictures of this engine design. I know that engines did not always use pressurized oil bearings, but I would like to know how they were lubricated. Thanks for any input!

 

[Chris142]

Small lawnmower engines use a dipper bolted to the bottom of the rod.

 

[Shannow]

Heaps quicker to replace the thin bearing shells than to repour the old babbit bearings as well.

 

[SWS]

Thanks guys. I am wondering if there is any historical reference info on this, with pictures? For example, does anyone know of an antique car web site that will have internal engine details?

 

[JDP]

Look up "splash lubrication" with a search engine.

This lube system was used in most all the early gas engines. One of the main draw backs was that crank and rod lube was diminished if the engine was over reved.

Still found in many single cylinder 4 stroke small engines used in lawn mowers and roto tillers.

JD

 

[tom slick]

i believe chevrolet was still building engines that way in the early 30's if that helps you look anything up.

 

[GreeCguy]

Chevy built those same engines well up into the 50's. My first truck was a 58 Chevy with a 235 six cylinder and it had a splash lube system with no oil filter. It didn't have "buckets" above the bearings, but it did have little "dippers" attached to the bottom of the rods that would "splash" the oil around the motor as it ran. As pointed out before, an over revving engine was starved of oil. Those Chevy motors were famous for throwing rods.

 

[Torino]

The old Chevy 6's that used the dipper lubrication for the connecting rods were quite reliable. Not only did the rods dip at lower RPM's, there was a spray nozzle that directed the oil into the dipper at higher speeds. A template was available to allow one to adjust the "squirt pattern". When properly set up, the oil was delivered to the rod bearings at approx. 70 psi. The system--when properly setup--was fairly bullet proof. When slapped together, it was disastrous. The system was particularly effective at start-up. The dippers received instant lubrication as the troughs always had oil in them. Better systems? Yes. More reliable? No. Better bearings than babbitt? Yes. Easily repaired in the middle of no-where (try South America in the 60's) No. Best regards. Juan Mamani. Las Vegas.

 

[Jimbo]

The first time I saw this system was on my uncle's 1929 Chevy, the first year of the six. He was rebuilding it and had to find someone who could still pour babbit bearings in the 1970's.