Crankshaft Bearing Clearance Measurement Procedure

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Oldsmobile Aurora and 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Place a length of fresh, room temperature plastic gaging material all the way across all the crankshaft bearing journals.
Align the lower crankcase with the dowel pins in the upper crankcase.
Install the lower crankcase onto the upper crankcase slowly until feeling a positive stop.
Inspect the upper-to-lower crankcase joint in order to make sure the lower crankcase is fully seated on the cylinder block.

Fig 1: Installing Lower Crankcase
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Install the oil manifold plate.
CAUTION: Refer to FASTENER NOTICE in Cautions and Notices.
Install the oil manifold plate retaining bolts.
Tighten

Tighten the oil manifold plate bolts to 10 N.m (89 in lbs).

Fig 2: Installing Oil Manifold Plate
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Place the crankshaft oil scraper in position on the oil manifold. Align the holes with the main bearing bolt holes.
Install the main bearing bolts. The single stud-head bolt (1) used for oil pump pick-up mounting goes in the inboard position of the third set of main bearing bolts from the front of the engine.

Fig 3: Installing Crankshaft Oil Scraper
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Install the left side upper-to-lower crankcase perimeter bolts.

Fig 4: Installing Left Side Upper-To-Lower Crankcase Perimeter Bolts
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Install the right side upper-to-lower crankcase perimeter bolts.

Fig 5: Installing right Side Upper-To-Lower Perimeter Bolts
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Tighten the lower crankcase bolts in proper sequence.
1. 11.1. First Pass
  Tighten
  
  Tighten the lower crankcase bearing bolts (1 through 20) to 20 N.m (15 ft lbs) in the proper sequence.
2. 11.2. Final Pass
  Tighten
  
  Tighten the lower crankcase bolts (1 through 20) an additional 65 degrees in the proper sequence using the J 36660-A.
Fig 6: Identifying Lower Crankcase Bolts Tightening Sequence
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Tighten the upper-to-lower crankcase perimeter bolts (1 through 8).
Tighten

Tighten the upper-to-lower crankcase perimeter bolts (1 through 8) to 30 N.m (22 ft lbs).
Allow the assembly to sit for at least two minutes.
Remove the main bearing bolts.
Remove the oil scraper.
Remove the oil manifold retaining bolts and oil manifold.
Remove the lower crankcase.

Fig 7: Identifying Upper-To-Lower Crankcase Perimeter Bolts Tightening Sequence
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Determine the main bearing clearance by comparing the width of the flattened plastic gaging material at its widest point with the graduation on the gaging material container.
Compare your measurements with the engine mechanical specifications. If the new bearings do not provide the proper crankshaft to bearing clearance, re-measure the crankshaft journals for the correct specified size and check to make sure you have the correct new bearings. If the crankshaft journals are incorrectly sized, replace the crankshaft. No crankshaft machining is permitted and undersized bearings are not available.
Clean the plastic gaging material from the crankshaft bearings and/or crankshaft bearing journals using a soft lint-free cloth.
Coat the upper crankshaft bearings and crankshaft main bearing journals with GM crankshaft prelube GM P/N US 1052367, Canada 992869, or equivalent.

Fig 8: Determining Main Bearing Clearance
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Reinstall the crankshaft into position in the cylinder block.

Fig 9: Installing Crankshaft
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.