this may be a stupid question or maybe i was laying under the car in the cold too long but here goes.....i have a slightly spun bearing. the crank is still in great shape but the rod is a little jizzed up. my question is can i put in an OVERSIZED bearing just to get through till the waether breaks. when i went to remove the bearing cap the rod was able to be moved up and down while it was still attached...maybe 10 thousandths. would the oversize bearing work or am i screwed...... thanks..joe

 

you could try it but i think you're screwed..

having journals that aren't polished (ie. scored or burred) will just ruin the new bearing and turn that one as well..

if oyu're just gonna limp 10 thousand miles you 'might' be able to do it if you run thick oil but i wouldn't put any money on it

 

You may be able to fit an oversize bearing, maybe not...i/e without mic'ing the crank, there's no good way to tell. You could wipe things clean and use plastigauge, see where you're at now, but that'd only be a guess as to what you'd need if the bearing shell is worn

I'm assuming the engine is still in the car? If so, I'd just install a standard size bearing, lube it up and run it.

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Sorry, just noticed where you said the rod was screwed up....maybe buy a standard and some oversize bearings and plastiguage the fit.

 

Won't work. Tried it once personally. It'll chew up the new bearing in about 3 seconds after startup, regardless of whether the clearance is right or not. When they go they don't wear evenly from one side to the other. THey wear tapered or concave or convex or wavy- anything but evenly. It'll never hold a consistent thin film of oil across the journal required to support the forces it is subjected to.

 

I agree with above, it doesn't work.

I have had engines that JUST start knocking, pull it apart and install new bearings, even with a good crank, and they don't last but a couple of days.

The rods usually egg shape and as stated above, they don't keep a consistant oil film.

You can try, nothing to lose, but I would be impressed if it lasted.

We have a saying at the shop..."if its spun..its done"

 

there'sa chance you could have the rod resized but usually if you spinn a bearing you need a new rod, or crank depending on which bearing it is. if you take it apart to change one rod you might as well change all the bearings and rings at the least.

 

If the crank is ok and the bearing did spin, the rod is probably messed up pretty bad. The cap should slide on and off the bolts nicely. If you have a hard time getting it off or on, the rod is egg shaped and the bearing wont last.

If you try anything, just use a std bearing (or whatever size is in it now.