Babbitt vs Inserts

[gwhite]

Originally Posted by PC/SR

Inserts are quicker, cheaper and easier to mass produce and replace. Babbitt bearings are still common in industrial applications.

Bingo! Our cars were produced in an age where technology was expensive and labor was cheap; that dynamic hasn't existed in the auto industry in 50-60 years...today, quite the opposite is true.

Personally, I'm amazed that the myth of 'babbit sensitivity' is so pervasive. Diesels used babbitt for decades under much higher cylinder pressures than we would ever see with a 5, 6, or 7:1 head.

For my build, I chose a counterweighted crank, lightened flywheel (36#), and stock oiling on babbitt bearings. I believe babbit is far more forgiving of unfiltered oil and feel confident that even a 'moderate' performance engine is really not capable of spinng RPMs that would exceed the ability of the rod dippers to do their job(s)...valve float is our friend here.