Adjustable reamer chatter

[Chris152]

We need to ream for king pins on our MG Midget rebuild. The dedicated reamer costs about £180 (too much for a couple of cuts), so the plan is to do the bushes with two adjustable reamers and a brass guide to ensure they are in alignment, top and bottom of the stub axle.

The lad's been reaming some wheel spacers for his bike and gets chatter with the adjustable reamers he's using, and we need to sort out why before he heads to fitting the king pins on the car. The reamers are old but good quality, and don't appear to have any damage. The dedicated reamer is spiral, our adjustables are parallel - I'm sure that makes it more difficult?

Anyway, any tips or advice on how to avoid chatter with the adjustable hand reamer?

Thanks, Chris

 

[Sideways]

Plenty of oil was a learning point for me with fixed reamers. Thinner oil helps flush away the fine shavings produced.

 

[guineafowl21]

Turn ‘em slow, feed ‘em fast, don’t turn ‘em backwards.

 

[Chris152]

Turn ‘em slow, feed ‘em fast, don’t turn ‘em backwards.

So, slow rotation with plenty of pressure?

And - is it correct to use no oil on bronze, only on steel?

 

[guineafowl21]

Yes.

Generally no lube for bronze, but as above I might use soluble oil or something light to help flush the swarf.

 

[Chris152]

Thanks both - we'll do some practising.

 

[Spectric]

Take several smaller cuts with plenty of lube like paraffin. There must be lots of these cutters somewhere as it was once such a common job on many old vehicles, now just HGV's .

 

[Chris152]

Take several smaller cuts with plenty of lube like paraffin. There must be lots of these cutters somewhere as it was once such a common job on many old vehicles, now just HGV's .

I was hoping to pick up a used one for a decent price, but we've been waiting a long time and nowt.

 

[Spectric]

Those reamers used to come in a set, some reamers a range of bushes with a threaded rod arrangment to suit a range of vehicles with kingpins. I remember doing them on Hillman Imps and a few other motors but it was a lack of greasing that caused the issues.

 

[John Brown]

Takes me back.. I redid the kingpins on my '59 Rover 105 over 50 years ago, but luckily I new a chap from the pub who worked at Mayhew and Green, a P4 specialist in Surbiton, and was able to borrow the correct reamer.

 

[Glenhyrst]

Perhaps post on https://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/ for a loan or purchase?

 

[Chubber]

+1 for paraffin.

 

[highwood122]

sharpness can be an issue. if you get the reamers sharpened make sure they know the correct configuration for hand reamers

 

[stuart little]

In my line of work, I restored many MG Midgets & 'B's. At the time I had axis to the use of the reamer from a former BL dealership, until some scab borrowed it & kept it. I just googled today's costs of kingpin repair/replacement, & am 'astounded' by the prices. What now is 3-figure price, was 2-figure 25 year ago (not surprising). I think both sides could be done for £50 or less.

 

[Chris152]

I searched 'reamer' Glen, but nothing came up.
Highwood - We'll try sharpening after other tips haven't worked, hopefully it's not that, no idea where we'd take them.
Stuart - I'd not thought to take them to a workshop, no MG specialists that I know of nearby - but I'm going to look into it. That said, the idea is for the lad to learn so if we can sort it ourselves, we will.

Thanks all.

 

[guineafowl21]

Someone on the MIG welding forum might lend you one by post. I’ve seen that sort of thing happen a few times. Ditto sharpening.

What size do you need, out of interest?

 

[Chris152]

Someone on the MIG welding forum might lend you one by post. I’ve seen that sort of thing happen a few times. Ditto sharpening.

What size do you need, out of interest?

Apparently diameters for the bushings are 0.9075”-0.9080” and 0.7815”-0.7820”. I had the fractions written down but can't find them now.
I asked about renting/ borrowing in a few places online a long while ago, including the MG Owner's Club, but nothing came of it.
It may come down to buying new and selling on, but we'll keep trying with the adjustables for now, I think.

 

[J-G]

Apparently diameters for the bushings are 0.9075”-0.9080” and 0.7815”-0.7820”. I had the fractions written down but can't find them now.

They are close to 29/32 & 25/32 but those are undersize in all cases.

 

[Inspector]

If you have access to a milling machine and the parts are not in situ a boring head would do the work and have other uses down the road.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Precision-...adjustable+boring+head,industrial,227&sr=1-16

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Including-...adjustable+boring+head,industrial,227&sr=1-12

Pete