I'm overhauling an engine, plastiguaging the babbit mains and rods, etc. Two of the rods measure .001 on one side and .002 on the other I'm thinking about removing a shim, cutting it in half and installing it back on the .001 side making it .002 on both sides. Or should I just leave it alone.
Babbit clearance
- Thread starter rdscouple
- Start date
MikeK
Well-known member
If the Babbitt wear is tapered, either the rod is twisted or the crank has the throws ground off-axis. Fix the problem, not the symptom. In any case, if the engine is well used and has run with the slightly tapered clearance without problem, why would you want to increase that clearance on one side only, shifting load and wear from it's present pattern to a new contact pattern on one thrust side only?