Engine bearing selection help
 

Looking to purchase rod and main bearings for a 502 gen vi all STD. A lot of bearings out there to choose from and want to purchase the best ones. Are the clevite p-series the way to go?

i use the h series,even on stock crank&rods.

2nd the H series!

H series it is!!

Thanks Guys

The only advice I've seen against H bearings are running them on stock cast cranks. Supposedly they will hurt a soft crank. A nodular or forged crank, h is the way to go.

H- typically are slightly narrower for larger radius's also. I've seen people nitrate cranks to surface harden some (will add .0001" or more) and help guard for wear concerns with "H".

IMO, on a stock engine, clearance is more important. Take the time to plasti-gauge all journals. Never rely on STD bearings being equal. I usually buy 2 sets and sometime -1's to get the clearance I want depending what i'm starting with.

Stock engine and crank - i'd use "P".

king bearings. do some googleing.

Ok, plastigauge? Really??? Your buying several sets of bearings to get it perfect yet your using plastigauge???
And as far as king bearings go, the internet hype about the bimetal bearing being made up of 2 thicker layers for better embedibillity (sp?) sold me on them until I torqued up the rods and mains, measured with a dial bore gauge and found the clearances all over the map. Went back grabbed a set of calico coated h bearings and all rods were .0024-.0026 mains were .0025-.0028

Not to start a bearing debate. Because I think proper setup is key. Straight mainline/ cylinders and proper clearance. But I've used Kings with no issues. Every time I pull the bearings out they look new along with crank journals. As far as plastigauge goes. That might b ok for a stock automotive rebuild but past that I don't think so. To much margin for error and it's so much faster using a dial bore gauge. Why in the world would you use plastigauge?

IMO King bearings are "rebuilder" quality bearings .When you buy an average priced "rebuilt" engine a lot of times they will have "Kings" in them ...They are inexpensive and work ok in non highly stressed engine ....I normally use Clevite...The series ,depends on application.....M.O.