Was just flipping through my chevy overhaul book and noticed the sectino showing bearing failure on new motors that had the main bearing installed upside down blocking the oil hole. I just put my new bottom end together and I really did not pay attention to those holes.............isn't it fool proof??? i thought their were tabs on the bearing that only allowed you to install them a certain way?? **** now I'm worried. They were clevitte 77 bearing.

 

Yes, it matters. Oil delivery to the bearing is dependent in the hole position.

That's one of the things I like about the Clevite 77/Gs - they're marked rather clearly:

 

and the obvious hole in one of the bearings:

 

So the top one won't have a hole?? I'm going to remove just the caps so I don't have to tear down the motor again then.

 

the one for the cap will not have a hole. the one for the block will. as you can also see in the pic, the other bearing have a groove in them. those also go in the block. the flat ones go in the caps.

 

Ok thanx, I'll check it out. Won't be able to sleep knowing that my $3K motor has the bearing in backwards!!

 

Just out of curiosity--would you get oil pressure if they were in backwards? I would imagine you would know it shortly after start up if this had happened????

 

yeah you'd get oil preasure. most if not all SBCs read the oil preasure from a passage off the cam/lifter gallies and that oils before the crank does.