Engine Main Bearings

[Swhitney]

I reached out to some forums to get a sense of what folks think about my situation and to get some advice on how to handle it. So, I dropped a high-volume oil pump into my 347 stroker, and man, I loved seeing that oil pressure sitting pretty at 40 PSI at idle. But then one day, it took a nosedive to 10 PSI, and that got me worried.

So, I yanked the engine out and pulled the oil pan off for a closer look. Turns out, that high-volume oil pump I installed decided to snap in half, causing a massive oil pressure leak. I even had to do some tweaking to get it to fit past the girdle, but it seems like my adjustments weren't enough because the main bearing bolt must've knocked the pump and split it in two.

Now, my original plan was to throw in a turbo kit, which is why I was gunning for more oil pressure. But here's the deal – I need opinions on the bearings. I pulled them out to check, and I've attached a photo. Do you think they're worth keeping or should I replace them since I'm in here?

 

[limp]

The bearings don't look horrible.. More importantly, how do the crank journals look?
If I recall new bearings were pretty cheap when I assembled my last engine.. " While I am there" maybe?

 

[Noobz347]

I disagree. I'm pretty sure I could feel those ridges with my fingernail, even on the screen.


They're shot IMO. The crank may need to be turned too.

 

[90sickfox]

That one bearing looks shot to me. How's the crank look ?

 

[Swhitney]

I agree with you; I'll have the crank turned and replace the bearings. It's disappointing as I didn't expect this issue to arise.

The rod bearing and crank side look great but not the end bearing, it has a groove on it that I can feel with my fingernail.

 

[Noobz347]

You've run into a pitfall of a HV oil pump. I don't personally recommend them for street builds. The argument goes back and forth about pros and cons but I am unaware of any oil starvation issues using a SV oil pump on a street application.

 

[Swhitney]

Here's a few shots of the crank.

 

[Noobz347]

Yeah, you got two images there that look 'spooky' enough that having a machinist check it will let you sleep.

 

[Swhitney]

Wonder, would it be better to buy a new crankshaft versus having to get it ground down? I called a local shop and they quoted me 200.000 dollars. Whereas a replacement is 350.00.

 

[limp]

Take your crank to the machinist.. It might need only polishing....

 

[Noobz347]

Yeah, they should look it over. Then you will know what it needs.