A few questions about Rod Bearings

[SHOman24v]

Well, I have the parts just sitting in my room. The only reason I have not started is for the fact that I am so busy, school is winding down, finals, work, the GF...they all just **** my free time, here are a few questions I have...

What is the average time a SHO will be down during a rod bearing replacement?

What is a Platiguage - .001-.003 thickness and were can i buy one? How is it used?

What should I watch out while doing this job, and are there any tips?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Honestly, unless you have to address damage to the crank or a spun bearing, Plastigauge is a waste of time and $$$. It's purpose is to measure the clearance between the cap and the crank under torque, but if you're replacing standard sized bearings with standard sized bearings and don't have a problem with the crank, rod, or cap surfaces and haven't spun a bearing, just skip it. For a first timer, if you've never had your y-pipe out before or working on the guts of an engine is "new" to you, plan on 6-8 hours.

 

[SHOman24v]

I have never changed rod bearing but i have gone as far as doing a cam swap, timing belt, shiming, the good stuff. i have the proper tools and torque wrenches for the job. i think i have enough expierence to do this job...

I'll knock it out in 25 minutes..... jk

 

[munkee]

It's pretty straightforward and shouldn't be too hard for you since you have some mechanical experience. Put it up on jackstands, drain the oil and spray the manifold studs with WD-40 the night before you plan on doing the deed. You shouldn't have too much trouble with the Y-pipe considering your location though.

 

[bradman]

The most time consuming part will probably be removing all the old RTV and "learning" how to get the pan back up without messing up the new RTV. I've heard people "claim" that they did the rod bearings in a couple hours, but I took my time and probably had at least 8 hours into the job over the course of a couple days. Although, I'm WAY too meticulous about jobs like this. I wanted to make SURE I got the bearings done right and that I got a good seal on the pan. This is one job I did NOT want to do twice.

 

[BlownByU]

Honestly, unless you have to address damage to the crank or a spun bearing, Plastigauge is a waste of time and $$$. It's purpose is to measure the clearance between the cap and the crank under torque, but if you're replacing standard sized bearings with standard sized bearings and don't have a problem with the crank, rod, or cap surfaces and haven't spun a bearing, just skip it. For a first timer, if you've never had your y-pipe out before or working on the guts of an engine is "new" to you, plan on 6-8 hours.

I agree, for the most part that you probably dont need the plastiguage. It does take time to do, as far as money, It was like under $ .50 at Napa. I did it on mine only because I had a spun bearing and wanted peace of mind that it wouldn't happen again.