Engine clearances....350

[bluex]

Just want to run some of my clearances by you guys to see if everything looks ok.

Main bearings:
1 .002
2 .002
3 .002
4 .0015
5 .002

Rod bearings:
1 .001
2 .001
3 .001
4 .001
5 .002
6 .001
7 .001
8 .001

Rod side clearances:
1-2 .009
3-4 .011
5-6 .012
7-8 .005? This one is really tight, I can get a .007 barely started and a .004 about 3/4 of the way through, will it be ok??

Piston to wall:
1 .002
2 .002
3 .002
4 .002
5 .001
6 .002
7 .001
8 .002

I cant measure the crank thust clearance b/c I cant get it to move in either direction. It turns freely and I hit the rear of it 4 times to seat the thrust part, but I cant get any of the feeler guages in there?? Will it be ok??\

I measured all the bearing clearances with plastigage. I put it on the rod side of the rod bearings as well so I didnt mess it up when I took the cap off. I'm just wanting to know if everything is ok. I dont have anymore $$ to throw at it so if something is messed up I need to go ahead and fix it now before it costs me the entire engine.

Thanks
Paul

[SanitysBane]

i checked in our 1989 chevrolet light duty truck unit repair manual

mains, max is 0.002 , min .0008 for #1, max 0.0023, min 0.0011 for #2,3,4, and max 0.0032, min .0017 for #5

rods-.0013-.0035

rod side clearance-.006-.014

piston to wall-0.0007-.0017, service limit-0.0027(max) (this is for stock pistons, too)

crankend play-0.002-.006

not shure about no endplay, anything else you need to know?

[bluex]

I'm just mainly looking for someone to go, "hey, that all looks fine and its gonna be a great engine!" I have $650 tied up in the machine work and another $400 in the rebuild kit. Its .060 over with a .010 under crankshaft. I'm gonna run the regular melling high volume pump.

I think most of its ok, I'm mainly worried about the 7-8 rod side clerance and not being able to measure the crank endplay, that has me worried the most. I have not been able to look at it the last two days, so I'm gonna check it out tomorrow and see if anything has changed. I still have to get the last two pistons (7&8) installed and I'm gonna check their side clerance again.

This is my first engine rebuild and I've got no one to help me except this book I bought so I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that I'm doing everything right. If not I've got an extremely heavy boat anchor!

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by bluex

I'm just mainly looking for someone to go, "hey, that all looks fine and its gonna be a great engine!" I have $650 tied up in the machine work and another $400 in the rebuild kit. Its .060 over with a .010 under crankshaft. I'm gonna run the regular melling high volume pump.

ok then, hey, that all looks fine and its gonna be a great engine!

as for the piston to wall clearance, what is the recomended for your pistons? i've seen some that wanted as much as .0035", and others that only wanted .0015". bearings look ok, nothing really out of the ordinary. you spent $400 on a rebuild kit? did you get quality parts with that kit, or is it a big mix n match of whatever the parts house or machine shop had on hand?

[SanitysBane]

if its in the clearences its fine and dandy, not shure about the end play though

[GMC1tondually4dr]

Make sure the end play is within specs, if it is too tight, you can gain some clearance. With a new piece of 400 wet or dry sandpaper, gently put the thrust bearing thrust face down on a flat surface, ( a piece of thick glass or a flat flooring tile, someting you knoe is flat) and gently sand in a large figure eight motion, clean and check clearance again, sneak up on the clearance, you should be able to get a .003 to .006 feeler gage between the thrust face and crank. Use a large flat prying device to gently move the crank forward and back, take your time and make sure that everything is correct. Engine building is NOT a race. Correctly built the engine should last for years with proper maintenance.

[bluex]

Rechecked those two pesky ones today. After I installed 7-8 pistions again I remeasured after I rotated the crank a few times. This time I could get a .009 in there in a few places, so I think it will be ok. Redid the crank end play too. Most I could get there is a .005. So I think everything is ok.

Not sure about whats recommended for my pistions? Nothing was in the box but them. As for the rebuild kit, I got the super stock crank kit from PAW (My crank was trash). It has a reground stock crank, reconditioned rods, clevite 77 main and rod bearings, flat top pistons and hastings moly rings.

And as for taking my time, I've already been working on it almost a week. Got the cam and gear drive installed today. Left the timing cover here at home, so I masked everything off on the block and painted it. Masked off the heads and painted them and the oil pan too. There is alot of work still to do, but I hope to get it in the truck this weekend. It will probably be another week or so before I ever get to fire it up though.