Alright, my dad just bought a practically new engine with all new components for his 77 Triumph Spitfire and I'm gonna be building it for him. The one thing I can't remember deals with plastigauge and/or crushpaper. I know the purpose and all I just can't remember the procedure for it in referance to the main bearings. Anyone got any good links, It's been a few or four years since I've done it and just need a little refresher.

 

install the main bearings dry in the block. lay the crank into the bearings. cut a small length of plastigage and place it on top of the crank journal in line with the crank centerline. carefully install the main cap and bearing and torque it down to specs. then remove the main cap and compare the width of the crushed plastigage with the chart on the side of the package to see what the bearing clearance is for that journal. be sure not to rotate the crank while doing this with dry bearings.

 

Alright, that's what I figured, later in the night after I posted that I remembered. I was thinking there was more to it and that it was more then a check for the right clearance. Def looking foreward to this, should be a lot of fun The Block has been bored .02 over and all reconditioned and stress tested, the head has a 3 angle valve job and all new valves, springs, keepers, new pistons and rods, performance cam, and a whole bunch of other stuff. He only paid $660 plus just over another $100 for shipping.