Quote:
Originally Posted by chrs1961815
Just my opinion: the industry is shifting away from babbit for several reasons: one, modern cars have inserts; two, inserts don't require as much special knowledge and equipment as babbit. But with that the inserts when damaged will fail right away as opposed to babbit which you might be able to limp home with. I would go with inserts, but if the rest of your babbit is OK, maybe that would be more cost effective. Though it is best to replace everything while you are in there.
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One or two thoughts to ponder. Properly cast bearings will typically last just as long, -if not longer than inserts will. The key here is ensuring the poured bearing material is of the proper composition and has been cast properly.
Another misconception is that once an engine has been machined for inserts, a home hobbyist can replace the insert shells should an insert bearing fail. Unfortunately that is not been the case on my experience. If the bearing is spun within the cap or block, the cap must be line-bored again. If the block is damaged, then line-boring is not an option due to timing gear lash. If the crankshaft is damaged, it is generally not as easy to exchange crankshafts due to thrust clearances.