The crank bearing’s oil passage opening has been lined up with the
oil passage opening in the crankshaft saddle. Lubricant has also
been smeared on each bearing surface. The rope-type rear main
seal has been pressed into place and its ends cut flush with the
engine surface.Installing the crankshaft
Herman began assembling the block with the main bearings and crank
shaft. The main bearing saddles were thoroughly cleaned on this engine
before the bearings were installed. The bearings were placed in the
saddle with the oil passage holes lined up to the oil ports in the saddle. If
these holes do not line up, the engine will be starved for oil, thus
damaging it. The bearings were coated with assembly lube before the
crankshaft was gently installed. A strip of Plastigage was then placed on
the crankshaft journals where a bearing cap would be fastened. The
original bearing caps were then placed in their original position,
torquing them to the factory specification, which crushed the Plastigage
strip. The bearing caps were then removed, and the width of the
Plastigage was compared to the chart on the Plastigage package. The
width on the Plastigage package denoted the clearance, which should be
.0015 to .002 inches. If each bearing and journal surface had given a