Recomended brand for rod bearings?

[EUREKA]

I had to remove my trans to replace a leaking freeze plug. Decided to replace my leaking rear pinion seal and rear main seal as well.

Since I have the pan off I decide to install a new melling high volume pump and inspect the bearings. Main bearings look good. Rod bearings are showing copper. So I'm going to plastigauge the journals and buy over sized bearing where appropriate.

 

Looking for recommendations or "should avoid" brands for the connecting rod bearings.

[AZJeff]

Clevite is my choice from Rock Auto.

 

Rod bearings only come in sizes where the journals are standard size, or 10, 20, or 30 thousandths undersized.  I cannot imagine a journal wearing 0.010” undersized evenly by itself.  The only way it can get that way (and be even) is by being machined undersized.

 

FWIW….

[cruiser54]

Measure the journals. Actually, the bearings are much softer than the crankshaft, so likely you will replace the rod bearings with whatever came out, Never .010" or the like. Like stated above, that's only after machining of the crank. 

[EUREKA]

I should have realized this when I saw the available sizes. I suppose the .001 option is to replicate cases where the factory used them?

 

 

[AZJeff]

45 minutes ago, EUREKA said:

I should have realized this when I saw the available sizes. I suppose the .001 option is to replicate cases where the factory used them?

 

 

To the best of my knowledge, the factory on used 0.001 undersized bearings on the mains only.  The rods were always standard.

 

At least that is what I found when searching for new bearing shells for my engine.   The dealer listed a 0.001 undersize for mains, but nothing for rods.

[EUREKA]

0.001 rod bearings are listed on both rockauto and o'reilly. I swear I've seen them on a 98 ZJ 4.0 once as well, but it was around 13 years ago so my memory is foggy.

[EUREKA]

17 hours ago, AZJeff said:

Clevite is my choice from Rock Auto.

 

Rod bearings only come in sizes where the journals are standard size, or 10, 20, or 30 thousandths undersized.  I cannot imagine a journal wearing 0.010” undersized evenly by itself.  The only way it can get that way (and be even) is by being machined undersized.

 

FWIW….

I'd like to put this back together because it is my daily driver. I can only get sealed power brand bearings (the other rockauto option) in town, Clevite I can get in a three days, if I pay for 2nd day air shipping.  How do you feel about sealed power?

[75sv1]

I have used sealed power. I think they are good. I think I used a set of rod bearings on the engine in my '98. I bought them from NAPA. I had to replace the crankshaft. The harmonic balancer went out. I should have caught it. Stupid me. I did use the main bearings from the replacement crankshaft. virtually no wear. I replaced the rod bearings, just to spruce things up. I did use Plasti-gage to check clearances. 

[AZJeff]

On 7/25/2022 at 11:34 AM, EUREKA said:

0.001 rod bearings are listed on both rockauto and o'reilly. I swear I've seen them on a 98 ZJ 4.0 once as well, but it was around 13 years ago so my memory is foggy.

You are correct about there being 0.001 undersized rod bearings being available from Rock Auto, but only Sealed Power brand.  It’s odd the local Jeep dealer here did not list that part, but only the mains…

[EUREKA]

rockauto also has MAHLE / CLEVITE in 0.001 undersized. Part CB960P

They just don't list a full set in that brand and size.

 

I believe the factory sometimes installs an entire set of .001's after repairing journals on an imperfect crankshaft. This is what someone who was an ASE master auto tech and mechanic for union pacific, john deer tractor, and an exotic repairs shop over their career. They could be wrong though.

[AZJeff]

11 hours ago, EUREKA said:

rockauto also has MAHLE / CLEVITE in 0.001 undersized. Part CB960P

They just don't list a full set in that brand and size.

 

I believe the factory sometimes installs an entire set of .001's after repairing journals on an imperfect crankshaft. This is what someone who was an ASE master auto tech and mechanic for union pacific, john deer tractor, and an exotic repairs shop over their career. They could be wrong though.

That is true.   At one time, (before the advent of very consistent machine tools) it was not unheard of for an engine to have oversized cylinder bores as well as undersized bearings straight from the factory.

 

During that time, fully assembled engine blocks would be stamped with a series of coded letters/numbers to indicate what features are over/undersized, and the factory would supply dealers with the way to decode those added markings.

 

It's pretty rare to see that today.  I was surprised when my 2000XJ engine in my MJ came with 0.001 undersized mains, but standard sized rod bearings as new.