On Wed, 29 Nov 1995, U. Goettsch wrote:
> While we are on the subject: Has anybody tried changing rod bearings with
> the head on?
> Will it work by just pushing the pistons up while the crank is at its lowest
> position for that cylinder (would have to rotate crank for each cylinder)?
> It seems to me it should work ?!
> Ulix
It would work. However, it is traditional to take the head off, to
appease the mechanical spirits that live in the cylinders. If they get
angry, they cause no end of trouble.
More seriously, you could do it. However, except in very rare
circumstances, it would be a waste of time. In my experience, anyway, rod
bearing failure usually is associated with other wear that cannot be fixed
without removing the crankshaft, which requires removing the engine, etc.
Has anyone ever experienced wear that could be fixed simply by replacing
the rod bearings? I mean, fixed for the long term?
I do recall a plymouth I once had that made a noise I diagnosed as a bad
rod bearing. I replaced the rod bearings and nothing else (hey, I was
18), and was really peeved when the noise was still there. I responded
by winding the sumbitch out something fierce in low, on the theory that
that would break it in a way I could not mistake. The noise got louder,
disappeared, never came back, and I never *did* figure out what had
caused it. I figured my rod bearing diagnosis was wrong, though.
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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