Rod Bearing Wear

[smotorboy]

Here is a shot of my used rod bearing inserts next to new ones...

You can see the fine particles embeded into the babbit material which have worn away the bearing were the oil film is the thinnest during rotation.

Luckly, the right end main bearing only has a light touch of this and is still usuable.

The spinning crank make it harder for the particles to go downhill against the centrifugal force and get to the main bearing.

The main bearing is not totaly safe as sludge buildup will get to the point of starving the main of oil flow (as I have obsered in one of my "used" crankshafts).

I have been replacing bottom bearing for a lot of years and this is what one gets with dirt or metal in the oil. I always use air filteration for dirt, even on all out race motors, magnets where lots of gears are common to the crankshaft oil, and I change oil OFTEN !

Thank goodness for our dry clutch, as wet clutches add their grit to the oil as well.....

There is no stopping the metal dust generated in transmissions,,, you can only manage it....

Robert