43 replies to this topic

[Evo-00x]

 

 

 

ACL CLOSURE ON 30 JUNE 2014

 

As some of you may be aware, the Australian company ACL, who manufactures the ACL Race series bearings for our engines, has been in receivership for the past 12 months.

 

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What is a 'Receivership' you ask?
A company most commonly goes into receivership when a receiver is appointed by a secured creditor who holds security over some or all of the company’s assets (for example like a bank holding your home as security if you fail to pay your mortgage). The receiver’s primary role is to collect and sell sufficient of the company’s charged assets to repay the debt owed to the secured creditor. Explained here: http://www.asic.gov.... - Receivership .

Basically, if during receivership the financial/operational status of the company doesn't look good and sales of the company's assets cannot repay their owed debts, then the company may end up going into liquidation. Liquidation in turn means the company may be wound up and cease to exist anymore. This may occur either by the sale of assets and monies distributed to who the company owes its debts to, or if the company's members or the courts decide to cease the company's existence.    

 

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The following message has been up on ACL's website since April 2013. 

 

The Receivers and Managers of Automotive Components Limited (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation) (ACL) announced on Monday, 29 April 2013 that ACL is being offered for sale.

The sale process includes the Australian operations comprising ACL Bearing Company (Launceston, TAS) and ACL Gasket Company (Brisbane QLD). ACL's wholly owned New Zealand based distribution business, Automotive Components NZ Limited, was placed on the market in December 2012.

In the meantime, ACL is continuing to trade business as usual and we look forward to the continued support of our key Customers and Suppliers.

 

 

 

A few days ago on the 28th April 2014 whilst on Facebook, (12 months after the company has gone into receivership), I noticed Mick from Micks Motorsport said that ACL was closing down. He posted a pic of a whole heap of stock he had purchased for himself in preparation of the closedown. See attached pic.

 

Now Mick builds engines all the time and I figured he's in the loop and must know something that's not common knowledge yet. Therefore I emailed ACL directly to find out just how dire the situation is and whether the supply of our favourite ACL Race bearings is under threat.

 

This is the response I received.

 

Hello Rob,

Thankyou for your enquiry.
 

ACL has been under the control of Receivers & Managers since 26 August 2009. The Receivers have made every attempt to sell the business as a going concern however, have been unsuccessful. As a result it was announced on 30 July 2013 that the business would progress to full close by 30 June 2014.

 

We are currently well progressed with our final manufacturing runs.

I trust this clarifies the situation.

I appreciate your support of ACL.

Best Regards

Chris Brooks  |  General Manager
ACL Bearing Company
Division of Automotive Components Limited
(Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation)

 

Now I don't know about you, but "full close by 30 June 2014" and "final manufacturing runs" doesn't sound good to me at all!!! I can see now why Mick stocked up on the bearings ASAP before SUPPLY dwindles and the DEMAND forces up the price of what is currently left in stock at your local parts store/ workshop until they run out forever.

 

The horse has already bolted so I just ordered myself 2 x sets of ACL Race Mains and Rod bearings from Modern Automotive Performance (MAP) tonight. They are the cheapest suppliers I have found at the moment with postage to Australia only costing me $41.

 

I suggest that those of you who are planning on building an engine soon or anticipate a rebuild or two down the track, seriously consider getting in early before the news spreads worldwide and demand > supply.

 

 

Part numbers for ACL Race Bearings:

 

4G63 - 1G DSM GVR4 6-bolt blocks.

Rods: 4B1146H-STD

Rods: 4B1146HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Rods: 4B1146H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

 

Mains: 5M1144H-STD

Mains: 5M1144HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Mains: 5M1144H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

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4G63 - 2G ECLIPSE / EVO I-III 7-bolt blocks.

Rods: 4B1185H-STD

Rods: 4B1185HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Rods: 4B1185H-0.25  (0.25mm oversize)

 

Mains: 5M1186H-STD

Mains: 5M1186HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Mains: 5M1186H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

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Edited by EVO-00X, 17 May 2014 - 02:26 AM.

[Benzo4gT]

I will go to repco and order a set or two, unless there is a better place to get them?

[EV0300]

thats not good news :/ im not planning a rebuild anytime soon but i might grab some anyway to save the stress later on

[DOUGMO]

yeah its been a long time coming, Im surprised they have continued on this long actually.

[jack be nimble]

Manufacturing is what makes a country. Its very sad to see our industries fail like this. There is obviously something wrong in we can buy acl bearings from the states cheaper than we can get them here.

If we continue to let big multinational companies rape our counrty of its assets and export both the assets and the money from them, then we have big trouble coming.
As the saying goes, we need to buy lettuce and sell salad.
If we can grow lettuce and sell salad, thats even better.

I dont see a future in companies that push paper around and make money from thin air. Or just from marking up or reselling other peoples things. Because its starting to be that I can buy from the manufacturer direct and so there is no need for a shop anymore. With no manufacturing and no retail, what does that leave? Primary production, service industry. so we will be growing wheat and sugar and lining up to blow some boss.

[ENGINR]

What are the part numbers of the bearings we want Rob?  For 6 and 7 bolt engines.

[MDK87]

Noob question. Are all other bearing brands inferior?

 

How do you guys ordering know whether you need standard or oversize?

 

I'm trying to avoid stockpiling because I've done enough of that for a lifetime lol

But if it's beneficial I'll probs get some for a 4G63 and RB30 I might build in the next year or two. Haha 
I just don't know exactly what I'm gonna need.

Edited by MDK87, 03 May 2014 - 02:06 AM.

[SKMsport]

Shame to see, especially a Local company.

 

But there are other bearing manufactures out there!

For me ill never use ACL again after a bearing related issue I encountered with them.

 

I would put Cleveite 77 bearings right up there, I think they are a lot better in design.

They seem to wear better than the ACL.

 

But its surprising to see a fairly popular and well known company come to a close. 

[Geo&Kez]

@MDK, I think std & oversize will depend on your crank wear, or if you have it machined to fix scoring or the like. Find the stock specs for your crank then measure. If you were going to stockpile, I would get oversize then machine to suit.

ACL is closing down because Aussies won't work for $10/hr. Plenty of other people round the world would happily. Same reasons Ford, Holden and all them shut down. Can't have it both ways, sorry.

[Evo-00x]

Part numbers for ACL Race Bearings:

 

4G63 - 1G DSM GVR4 6-bolt blocks.

 

Rods: 4B1146H-STD

Rods: 4B1146HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Rods: 4B1146H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

 

Mains: 5M1144H-STD

Mains: 5M1144HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Mains: 5M1144H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

 

 

 

4G63 - 2G ECLIPSE / EVO I-III 7-bolt blocks.

 

Rods: 4B1185H-STD

Rods: 4B1185HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Rods: 4B1185H-0.25  (0.25mm oversize)

 

Mains: 5M1186H-STD

Mains: 5M1186HX-STD (with + 0.001" extra oil Clearance)

Mains: 5M1186H-0.25 (0.25mm oversize)

 

 

 

[DOUGMO]

Shame to see, especially a Local company.
 
But there are other bearing manufactures out there!
For me ill never use ACL again after a bearing related issue I encountered with them.
 
I would put Cleveite 77 bearings right up there, I think they are a lot better in design.
They seem to wear better than the ACL.
 
But its surprising to see a fairly popular and well known company come to a close.

I have also had an issue, what happened to yours?

[SKMsport]

_{All of the main bearings wore very badly in just one spot.}

_{Just a very small area where the Tab is located, down to the copper of the bearing, in under 1000km!}

_{It wasn't a crank issue, the complete assembly was blueprinted and line honed.}

 

_{It was put down to a bearing issue.  The ACL bearings due to the way the Tab is pressed into shell by design has a high spot on the heal of the Tab. With ACL bearings you need to scrap the high spot away.  I contacted ACL, returned the bearings but never heard back.}

_{I have heard of people having similar problems.} 

[bitza]

Funny that.........I had the same problem, would wear the bearing down to the copper in the centre..........chucked them out and have used KING bearings since........no troubles at all!

[evo-gsr]

Yep I used King bearings this build....so far so good.

[SKMsport]

Yeah, there's plenty of options out there, I am very happy with Cleveite 77 bearings.

Who are actually MAHLE.

 

Here is a picture of the ACL bearing.

Next to it is a genuine Mitsubishi bearing, you can see how the genuine bearing has a double step at the tab, this is the same as the Cleveite.

Where the ACL has no double step and that is where the wear occurs.

Edited by SKMsport, 03 May 2014 - 09:58 AM.

[leadfoot]

yep my motor has king bearings in now and the last motor i built thats done 20 k kms had kings in it as well that what autobarn supplied me when i order acl race series. can't say i noticed any issues with them. and my builder tried for acl race series for this build but couldn't get them (they aparently don't make them) i have a set of i think the alu glide acl's for a 4g93 siting here unused.

[Evo-00x]

Looking at King Bearings and the photo they put with their 4G63 part numbers (which is a generic photo), that design hasn't got a dual step in it either.

When my engine was built (6-bolt) in 2006-2007, I don't think ACL Race bearings were around then because we installed ACL Duraglides instead. 

 

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[Evo-00x]

SKM's picture of the bearings is interesting. Do you think the bearing wear may be contributed to dirt/grit build up causing blockages there?

When oil pressure is good, there is supposed to be a film of oil separating the crank and bearings to reduce friction and wear.

Its weird how wear is only concentrated in that spot. 

[SKMsport]

I have never used King bearings so I couldn't say.

 

That's when I changed to Cleveites.

 

Genuine Mitsubishi bearings are very good quality but probably wouldn't last as long in a competition engine.

probably around 1500 km competitive, until you would want to be changing them. Power and boost dependent.

 

Yeah this was the exact same over all of the bearings, every bearing had the same issue in the same spot.

The engine only had around 1000km on it, I pulled it down for a re prep and saw this!

everything was checked again to make sure it wasn't a rod problem, or crank.

They were all fine, so it was put down to a bearing issue.

[DOUGMO]

I pulled mine down for a look and found this!





I also had similar wear to what you had on the acls sam