I just want to do a quick job and re-bearing my rods to try and solve my rod knock. I don't want to pull the intake and heads off, and mess with re-setting everything all over again with new gaskets. I plan on yanking the engine and trans out as one, possibly keeping the accessories on as well. Like I said, quick job!!

At the same time, I'm putting my new trans in.

 

shouldn't be a problem, fine a rod thats easy to get to, remove the cap, put new bearings in, with bearing guard, bolt it back in, do all the ones that are easy to get to, maybe mark the rod caps with a pink highlighter or something very visible. rotate the motor, continue... may as well do the main bearings, they're a whopping $20 or so.

try and get aluminum silicon bearings, they help polish your crank



was this a newly built engine? 'cuz then you should be checking as to why they went bad... perhaps pick up some plastigauge too...

 

This was a fresh top end on an older bottom end. I could determine why it went bad, but then I'd have no excuse to build this 383 stroker for it

What's a bearing guard?

 

looks like strawberry jam in a packet. or thick blood. It's a lubricant that's really sticky, good to help keep your bearings lubed at first start up. Like moly lube for your cam, but meant for bearings.
my machinist had a stack of them, and tossed me a few packs for my build.

well ok, your call, if you're only hoping to get it running short term I guess...I just think putting new bearings in is a bandaid solution that may work, may not...
Plastigauging it might find your problem, but you'd still have to remove the crank and get it machined to solve it so...
give'r.
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oh, maybe a new oil pump with high pressure spring? fairly cheap, and you can re-use it on the 383....

 

This motor really isn't anything I feel to keep once I have the 383 But I can't afford much right now, I'm on a highly limited budget. Otherwise, you bet I'd be tossing everything in there!


Do I want any of the following: Dowel Pin Hole? Chamfered Bearing? Grooved Bearing?

I don't really know that much about bearings, but I'm going to get something made in Michigan (Clevite or Federal Mogul) to support my economy

 

I used
summit SUM-171010

you could use
FEM-8-2555A10 if you love FM that much.

I think summits are made by "King", I think mwnova told me that one...

 

Half the price, ehhh it's tempting...

But awesome, I have a standard cut crank so I use standard bearings right? Just tryin' to play the obvious game.

 

some people go with .001" undersized, to take up the slack that your crank may have worn. since you're not getting it resized that is...

best bet would be to put the motor on the stand, go by your local engine shop and scam a pack of plastigauge from him, then plastiguage up a few and check clearances. if .0015-.003 (or whatever the spec is), with your old stock bearings, then use new standard size ones. if it's larger, then you can get .001-.002" undersized bearings. you can just go by your local machine shop to get the bearings, for the price in order fee from summit you're not saving much $.

but I have a funny feeling when you remove your rod caps (and main bearing caps if you so desire) you'll find out why the rods were knocking and..... well, won't be smiling.

 

 

My
If a bearing problem is bad enough to make an audible knock, the crank journal will be out of round. If a bearing has "spun" the rod is bad also and must be replaced.
You can replace the bearings but plastigauge will tell you if the journal has a flat spot on it. Don't skip this step!
Inspect the bearings when you pull them out. The only instance I know of new bearings helping is an engine with low oil pressure at idle.
When you hear a "rod knocking", the sound you hear is always the piston hitting the head. This means that the .025" to .035" piston-to-head clearance has been exceeded in the rod bearing clearance. The spec is usually .002 to .004, so the clearance is more than 10X normal and that means that the crank journal has been damaged.
You can put new bearings in the engine in this case but don't expect the "problem" bearing to last more than a couple hours.
Also, if there is a failed piston or debris imbedded in the top of the piston, bearings won't help.
Keep us posted and prove me wrong.

 

DAMNIT.

 

yea, that's what I was going for. I wanted him to find it for himself, always more satisfying that way . Inspect all the bearings and you'll find it right away. You might (might) be able to just get one journal ground back at the machine shop, but I think it's probably not just the case of "one that's really bad, and 7 others are perfectly fine".

This is a good time to put in the 383 crank then no? along with the new pistons that is....

 

I wish throwing in new bearings was all it took if a bearing failed. I took in one of my damaged cranks to get turned again. $200 and I have a crank that's now turned .020/.020. Not what I'd want in a race engine but still good in a mild engine. It's still cheaper than buying another $800 4340 steel crank.