Reaming Oil Bushings?

btw if the clearance adjustment is very minor, and a standard size, you may be able to drive a ball bearing through it to broach it
 
The whole point is that reaming may smear the metal inside the bushing, defeating its ability to wick oil through the metal's grains, that is why the manufacturers do not recommend reaming of Oilite type bushings. Pushing a ball bearing through a sintered bushing would do just that. Use of a very sharp reamer may work OK in that respect, with luck. Personally, I avoid the use of Oilite , and instead use SAE 660 bronze; why use an oil impregnated bearing metal, when the mechanism is regularly oiled with the oil can. SAE 660 is much stronger and long wearing than sintered bronze; it has been mentioned that certain service manuals recommend reaming of new bushings after being installed; I'd venture to say that likely, they are referring to solid metal bushings rather than sintered.
 
The whole point is that reaming may smear the metal inside the bushing, defeating its ability to wick oil through the metal's grains, that is why the manufacturers do not recommend reaming of Oilite type bushings. Pushing a ball bearing through a sintered bushing would do just that. Use of a very sharp reamer may work OK in that respect, with luck. Personally, I avoid the use of Oilite , and instead use SAE 660 bronze; why use an oil impregnated bearing metal, when the mechanism is regularly oiled with the oil can. SAE 660 is much stronger and long wearing than sintered bronze; it has been mentioned that certain service manuals recommend reaming of new bushings after being installed; I'd venture to say that likely, they are referring to solid metal bushings rather than sintered.


I agree
 
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