Measuring Crankshaft Bearing Clearances (Plastic Gauge Method)
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire and 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Plastic gauge method yields the bearing clearance directly.
Plastic gauge method does not give any indication of bearing run-out.
Important: Do not mix inserts of different nominal size in the same bearing bore.
- Clean the used bearing inserts.
- Install the used bearing inserts.
- Place a piece of gauging plastic across the entire bearing width.
- Install the bearing caps.NOTE: In order to prevent the possibility of cylinder block or crankshaft bearing cap damage, the crankshaft bearing caps are tapped into the cylinder block cavity using a brass, lead, or a leather mallet before the attaching bolts are installed. Do not use attaching bolts to pull the crankshaft bearing caps into the seats. Failure to use this process may damage a cylinder block or a bearing cap.
- Install the bearing cap bolts to specification.
Important: Do not rotate the crankshaft.
- Remove the bearing cap, leaving the gauging plastic in place. It does not matter whether the gaging plastic adheres to the journal or to the bearing cap.
- Measure the gauging plastic at the widest point with the scale printed on the gaging plastic package.
- Remove the gauging plastic.
- Select a set of bearing inserts that will produce the desired clearance.