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I just freshened up my LS1 by re-ringing the pistons and replacing the bearings. I finished breaking in the engine, and I decided to pull the rod caps off to inspect everything after about 50 miles (It's in a 69 Camaro, so I can easily pull the pan).
I'm using Cevite P series bearings and my rod tolerances were a little on the tight side of .0015", but I had heard the Clevites run tight due to the coating.
Anyway, I pulled the caps off, and all of my bearings look like this. Is this normal for the top coating to get polished off like this? There are no apparent scrapes or metal in the oil
Hell no.....you should have had the rods resized. Also you have some dirt in the oil gallery. You can clearly see that rod needs resizing. Tight and out of round = unhappiness every time.
The rods were checked out and in spec, and I had the crank polished. I also measured the rods myself before taking them to the machine shop and they were all 2.2240"-2.2245" (from my measurements). I have always had the understanding that it is normal to have less wear at the parting lines of the bearings.
I suppose it could of been debris in the oil passages. But I made sure the block was extremely clean with special attention to making sure there was nothing in the oil galleys! Although that certainly doesn't eliminate the possibility of debris.
Look at the wear on the bearing, if that hole is square to the crank and round I'll eat it! If the oil gallery was clean then there was dirt in crank, the bearings are worn and the hole is not square to the crank AND its not round. Good possibility the crank is not square either. If my new rebuild looked like that after 50 miles I'd **** a brick.Good Luck
I spot checked a few cylinders and found the following. (calipers measure in .0005" increments)
Crank Rod Journals: 2.1000"
Bearing Thickness: .0610"
Connecting Rods: 2.2240"-2.2245" (I didn't re-measure these since they are in the engine, I'm just going off of notes from when I built the engine)
Max Possible Clearance = .0025" = 2.2245"-.0610"-.0610"-2.1000"
Min Possible Clearance = .0020" = 2.2240"-.0610"-.0610"-2.1000"
The .0015" clearance I mentioned before was from plastigauge. And yes I know, it's not the most accurate.
I also cleaned a bearing, and it actually looks a lot better than the picture I originally posted. The picture below shows a rod bearing that I just pulled (right) compared to an original bearing that wes removed with 80K on the engine (left).
FINALLY, I have another engine in the garage that has the same Clevite P bearings .The engine has never been run, it's just been turned over by hand with assembly lube. I took a rod cap off of that engine and discovered some light wear on the bearing as well.
I'm also going to email Clevite tomorrow to see if they have any information.
I appreciate everyone's input and help. I agree that it doesn't look good.
It s normal for there to he little to no wear at the parting lines since the bearing ID is elliptical, like a football. That is some abnormal wear though. It does look like the engine had debris in it.
Rod housing bores are small too. They should be 2.2247-2.2252” per Clevite’s bearing catalog.
I spot checked a few cylinders and found the following. (calipers measure in .0005" increments)
Crank Rod Journals: 2.1000"
Bearing Thickness: .0610"
Connecting Rods: 2.2240"-2.2245" (I didn't re-measure these since they are in the engine, I'm just going off of notes from when I built the engine)
Max Possible Clearance = .0025" = 2.2245"-.0610"-.0610"-2.1000"
Min Possible Clearance = .0020" = 2.2240"-.0610"-.0610"-2.1000"
The .0015" clearance I mentioned before was from plastigauge. And yes I know, it's not the most accurate.
I also cleaned a bearing, and it actually looks a lot better than the picture I originally posted. The picture below shows a rod bearing that I just pulled (right) compared to an original bearing that wes removed with 80K on the engine (left).
FINALLY, I have another engine in the garage that has the same Clevite P bearings .The engine has never been run, it's just been turned over by hand with assembly lube. I took a rod cap off of that engine and discovered some light wear on the bearing as well.
I'm also going to email Clevite tomorrow to see if they have any information.
I appreciate everyone's input and help. I agree that it doesn't look good.
Did you check all the parts just with a caliper???
I've never seen any bearings that looked like yours, Especially new bearings. Did the same shop polish both cranks? The parting lines are ok like KFC says above but only thing that can mark the bearings like that is dirt and a poorly prepared crank. Those marks look deep enough you may be able to feel or see them on the crank. In your 1st post you can clearly see the rod is not sitting square on the crank. If you have blue layout die you can dye the crank then wipe it down a bit and see defects easier.
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Rod Bearings Ok? 
