Hey everyone

We are in the final steps of putting our engine together and came across a problem with the #3 main bearing. This is the thrust main and it doesn't fit over the block side of were the bearings sits. It seems to be about .040 to small and when we checked it against an old bearing the outside diamensions are the same but inside is different.
Has any one else had an issue like this and were have some of you bought your main bearings, I will be looking for .010 oversize.

Thanks

 

That's strange. As far as I know, the only difference is between the 3.5,3.9 and 4.2 bearings and the 4.0 and 4.6 bearings. Some undersized bearings have thicker thrust faces so the crank may need to be ground for clearance but not the block.

 

Tell me about it, the thrust face diamension is correct but it just wont slip over the danm block side.
Do you know of any other manufactures, I bought these ones from Rimmer Bros in the UK and have been looking at the ones on British Atlantic.
It seems hard to find .010 bearings.

 

Just unbend it a bit - widen it and slip it in.
May have gotten bent closed a tad?

A thrust bearing is only used to keep the crank float acceptable.

 

Probably put it on steel - if you have steel that big or even a good sidewalk or cement.
Carefully tap the middle of the arch to spread it just a mm or so and see it it then goes in.

 

Instead of trying to spread a bearing to an engine I have thousands of $$$$ into I would rather find a bearing that fits without massaging.

Thank any ways

 

Well you will probably throw out that thrust bearing as it is not worth returning.
I would tap it anyway --
Just to see if it would fit.
And then measure the crank end play.
But then get the new proper one.

you may find that the width is still wrong after measuring the crank end play.

 

I thought about that, I have another block that I could put the bearing on and see if it spreads a bit. I will see if I can try fitting it today and also try and find another set.