Winter 2020 (Now Spring 2023) 350 Fresh-Up Project

Awesome!

 

Are EngineTech bearings any good? They are a lot cheaper on some things than Clevite or other brands I recognize.

I'm trying to buy the bearings and such. It looks like RockAuto, if I can trust them, has most everything in stock.

 

Buy whatever you can find for reasonable money, especially .001 mains when a set pops up.

 

I haven't seen any .001 mains in my searches.

Also, who makes a good pilot bushing? Mine falls in and out of the crank so I assume I need a new one.

 

Maybe knurl the o.d.?

 

Bushings are cheap. I just want to be sure I get the right kind. I want the oilite one.

 

Oilite or sintered bronze.
You won't wear them out.

 

Here's everything I'm planning on getting right now. Still don't see the proper clutch/pressure plate on RockAuto that I like. They do seem to come with the throwout bearing and pilot bushing.

Anyone see anything I should change here? It is just a mild rebuild with a TA 212 cam, headers and an aluminum intake. It probably won't see 20K miles before I die. LOL. I hope it takes me 30-40 years to do that last part.

 

Greg, did you polish & mic your crank main & rod jrnls to verify that using std bearings will still have the clearances you want to run?

 

The machine shop said they were within spec and polished the crank. He said it didn't need much. I'm hopeful standard works. When I measured with Plastigage on the old bearings it was right at .002 on the mains. I'd like a little less but what can I do short of turning it down a size?

 

Fill that gap, Run 20-50 oil....

 

Should be fine w/new bearings. Been a long time sin e I've looked but isn’t .0015-.002 about right?

 

The chassis manual says Mains: .0004-.0015
Rods: .0002-.0023

 

Short of turning it, how do you get it tighter?

 

NOS .001 under mains pop up on Ebay now and then. I think they were Michigan brand.

 

I haven't seen those in some time. Every time I search, they show up as standard.

 

They are needles in a haystack. I've only found them twice, bought one set, should've bought the 2nd too.

 

I've emailed the guy that the search keeps showing but he is only selling STD at the link it takes me to. I asked him if he had any .001 sets for sale.

All I really need is 1/2 a set. At this point, I'd take tops or bottoms if someone wanted to split a set.

 

The heads would have been done already but for want of some valve seals. I was given a pretty fresh set of heads that came off an engine that had ring sealing issues. I took them apart and found one bad valve seal. They are the ones that require machined guides, 1/2" x 3/8" but none are available locally. I ordered a set of Viton Comp Cams 521-16 seals that will be here Thursday.

Now, I have to figure out this bearing clearance thing.

 

Never tried this, but check this out:
Evidentially old Stovbeolt Chevy sixes and early Toyota Landcruiser used shims.

Deckwar Tapered Shims - Rod Bearing Shim Testimonials