Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

What doyou see ?
Good, bad, ugly ??

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

it looks like the engine has set a long time without oil in the bearings. and in a damp place.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

looks like there was a fit problem so the holes in the cap were adjusted

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Polish the journal with a scotchbrite pad...NOT emory cloth!!! Then clean with oil and mic up the journal to see if it in spec. Bearing looks good. A little surface rust on the crankwebs won't hurt anything.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Good Evening...Are there any shims with that Rod?

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

polish journal with jewelers rouge on a wool pad with a die grinder, it will have a mirror finish. clean and fit bearing, done...I have one a master machinist at Aerojet was building before he passed.. check out how dark the babbit is..dont know what was compounded to make it

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Hey Jack,
Yeah, that is a bit dark !
Are you saying it is new bearing ?
Thats part of my asking for input... that is- cause of dark appearance ?
Does that appearance indicate AGE of bearing; a bearing not used for years darkens, what ?
Also, no oil changes and use of dirty oil... can / dose that color bearing like mine/yours...what can turn bearings dark ??

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Hey Ernie,
Good question !
No shim(s) in this rear rod . I have no plastigage right now.... so will have to wait to gage / spec clearance.
The number 1 rod had plenty of shims...which were Steel....home made.
Same no plastigage situ for now. Only got first and fourth off , so far.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

google checking rod bearings with aluminum foil, don't need plastigage.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Thanks for your input and advice. Sounds like good plan. Regarding bearing looks, I have no clue how long this engine has sat. Your observations about rust on crank webs, to me, says it sat unused for long time... oil drained from web...ergo surface rust.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Take this for what its worth, darkened babbitt can be from age (oxidation) but it can also be the grade of babbitt.
Higher grades typically have more antimony, typically it is a brighter color or shiny.
You can sometimes get a good feel for how hard the material is by using a sharp awl and scratching the surface. A good place to test is in the oil groove so a scratch doesn't affect the bearing surface.

John

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

I appreciate your input and know of that process..
I’m old fashioned and confident with plastigage. Hell , lm just plain old !

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Brand new virgin bearing.I think the guy who poured it had access to designer bearing material,but hey,who knows..Im stumped.I can say its hard,Its on a set of B mains which I'm going to run stock oiling with a filter and a relief valve to pressurize the oil flowing into the gallery..not full pressurization,I don't need it.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Hey John,
Excellent !
This gives most answers to a lot of Questions in my mind... about what I see !
In your opinion, should I attempt any cleanup of the journal(s).
Didnt mike,as it was getting dark and I have poor eyes and primitive work place( no light) !
I’ll use your advice to check babbitt hardness.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

I checked it that way,hard as any I've come across..Ive seen some you can score easy with an awl..Im going to run it.
...

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Hey Jack,
Read the John Neilsen response. IMO opinion, he gave the basic evidence to answer dark babbitt vs bright -to wit, bearing makeup is what makes some babbitt HARD/DARK, whereas antimony addition makes other babbitt BRIGHT/SHINY... and SOFTER (?)

Babbitt is an art , I’ve read. And ART is in the eye of the babbiter.
Thats my story, and I’ll change it... if better evidence is recd.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Hey Kurt,
Cap adjusted. Explain
Thanks.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

perhaps it's just the picture, the holes in the cap look oval

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

I have used crocus paper to clean up journals that were a lot worse than yours. Cut or tear the paper in strips the width of the journal and then polish by pulling back and forth. Turn the journal to polish all parts. The crocus paper will not sand or abrade the journal but will polish it. Different grades are available. Measure the out of round and taper of the journal first and after polishing to assure it is OK. You should not be able to measure any difference in diameter with a micrometer.



You will need the plastigage to measure the clearance or use the aluminum foil trick. If you need to take up the bearing you can carefully file the cap or use some 80 grit sandpaper glued to a granite block or other flat surface.



I would not worry about the color of the babbett. It is oxidized but otherwise OK. If you want you can use some yellow Timesaver to cleanup the bearing. Follow the directions. The yellow timesaver will not abrade the journal. It is designed to abrade softer materials only. The bearing will not be shinny after using the Timesaver but a uniform dull finish.

Re: Pic of #4 rod/bearing.
 

Not quite, the addition of antimony typically makes the babbitt harder.
My experience has not been to use babbitt, it has been in removing it prior to boring for inserts. What I have witnessed is the darker the babbitt the softer it is (higher lead content?). Generally the harder material breaks apart when pressure applied, the softer just deforms. Some of the center mains look as if the babbitt was just squeezed out front and back of the journal.

You are right, Babbitt is an art form, done correctly can be very good, done wrong, not so much.

John