FREE REPAIR MANUALS & LABOR GUIDES 1982-2013 Vehicles
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Connecting Rod Bearing Replacement




Connecting Rod Bearing Replacement

Connecting Rod Bearing Clearance Inspection

1. Remove the oil pump.

2. Remove the baffle plates.

3. Remove the connecting rod cap and the bearing half.

4. Clean the connecting rod journal and the bearing half with a clean shop towel.

5. Place plastigage across the rod journal.

6. Reinstall the bearing half and the connecting rod cap, then torque the bolts to 29 Nm (3.0 kg-m, 22 lb-ft) + 90 °.

NOTE:

- Apply new engine oil to the bolt threads and flanges.
- Do not rotate the crankshaft during inspection.

7. Remove the connecting rod cap and the bearing half and measure the widest part of the plastigage.









8. If the plastigage measures too wide or too narrow, remove the connecting rod cap and the upper half of the bearing. Install a new, complete bearing with the appropriate color code(s), and recheck the clearance. Do not file, shim, or scrape the bearings or the caps to adjust clearance.

9. If the plastigage shows the clearance is still incorrect, try the next larger or smaller bearing (the color listed above or below the current one), and check the clearance again. If the proper clearance cannot be obtained by using the appropriate larger or smaller bearings, replace the crankshaft and start over Crankshaft And Piston Removal.

Connecting Rod Bearing Selection

1. Inspect each connecting rod for cracks and heat damage.

Connecting Rod Big End Bore Code Locations

2. Each connecting rod has a tolerance range from 0 to 0.024 mm (0.00095 in), in 0.006 mm (0.00024 in) increments, depending on the size of its big end bore. It is then stamped with a number or bar (1, 2, 3, or 4/l, ll, lll, or llll) indicating the range. You may find any combination of numbers and bars in any engine. (Half the number or bar is stamped on the connecting rod, the other half is on the rod cap.).

If you cannot read the code because of an accumulation of oil and varnish, do not scrub it with a wire brush or scraper. Clean it only with solvent or detergent.










Connecting Rod Journal Code Location

3. The connecting rod journal codes are stamped on the crankshaft.

Connecting Rod Journal Code Location (Letters or Bars)










4. Use the big end bore codes and rod journal codes to select the appropriate replacement bearings from the following table.

NOTE:

- Color code is on the edge of the bearing.
- When using bearing halves of different colors, it does not matter which color is used in the top or bottom.