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Well I've done some dismantling and investigation. I took the opportunity to take apart one of my other Irvine Mills 1.3 Ser.No. 01622, its developed a rough ball race, and use it as comparison. This engine I bought new from a reputable UK retail outlet many years back and have only just started to run it. Although stored in the house, well oiled and frequently turned, after a couple of runs the roughness appeared. I suppose you can always get a 'bad 'un' slip through! Anyway, its provenance is certain. I found that on this engine(like my other long owned one) the crankshaft did not move fore and aft as the recently aquired one. This was due to, what looks like 'bearing fit' having been used by Irvine to secure the crankshaft to the inner race(does any one know if this was standard practice by Irvine?). Once cleaned this allowed the crankshaft to slide further foward and gave a propdriver to crankshaft nose clearance of 15 thou, there being virtually none before. The other engine has at least twice as much. I could find no differences in crankcase or crankshaft measurements using my Mitutoyo digital calipers and it looks to me to be down to the sit of the propdriver on the crankshaft taper. Before a good clean and reassemble I'll lap this in to give a 10 to 15 thou end float. Otherwise the new engine looks good and un used internally.
Questions:-
1/ Use 'loctite bearing fit' on crankshaft to inner race?? Yes/no??
2/ What is the thicknes of the cylindr gasket (looks to me to be about 15 thou) and what other materials have people used in place of the original material as gasket sets are no longer available??
3/ Whats the size and the best type of ball race to replace the rough one??
TIA