Uneven Number Of Shims

Yes....within reason, you don't want a full stack on one side and just one or two thin little shims on the other. In other words try to keep both sides close to the same thickness but sometimes removing one shim from one side will give you the bearing clearance that you need.
 
Thanks to all of you. I have read in a couple places that you need the same number of shims on each side. I did 3 rods first and everything was fine, clearance of .0015 and the crank turned over easily. I had problems with the last one, I took the cap off and plastigauge said the clearance was .003 so I took one shim out and plastigauge said .0015 clearance. I put the cap back on and the crank was difficult to turn so I put the shim back in and the crank turned easily. (I didn't do another plastigauge check but I will tomorrow). I don't know why the crank turned hard when plastigauge said .0015. The shims I have are .003 so it seems to me if I only way I can get to the required clearance of .0015 is to remove only one shim which would give me a change of .0015. Unless they make shims that are less than .003 (which I haven't found)
 
Put one shim back in it and see how it turns over. Ease of rotation is kinda real world clearance.
You could have some out of roundness in the journal of a bad plastigauge reading
 
The crankshaft journals have to be round and not tapered. Re setting the main bearing clearances is best done with the engine out of the car and up side down on an engine stand. That way the crankshaft can be removed to check the journals. The rod bearings can be done with the engine in the car but still measure the rod journals with a micrometer to assure they are round and not tapered.

There are several ways to check the clearances. One is the Plastigauge. Another is removing shims until the bearing will not turn then adding a shim. Another is using aluminum foil that is 0.001 thick, adding a piece of the foil and removing shims until the crankshaft will not turn, then removing the aluminum foil. In all cases the fasteners should be torqued to their correct values to gauge the clearance.
 
If I was doing this job and after tightening all 4 rod bearings it seamed too tight I would loosen one of the first rod bearings and turn the engine, if now it turns easily I would tighten that rod and then move on ! Just maybe the 4 rod bearings all nice and tight there’s friction that impedes the free turning of the engine . Hopefully all 4 rod bearings have some sort of lubricant that will stay until the engine is started
 
When assembling the bottom end of an engine I like to use gear oil for the rods and main bearings. That way I know it's going to stay there until the engine is eventually run. If I know the engine is going to be run in the next day or so I'll use motor oil.
 
How about supporting the crank shaft upwards carefully so that the main caps can be plastigaged,etc with engine in the car ?
 
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