I STARTED TO BOLT UP MY RODS TO THE CRANK AND THE CLEARANCE I HAVE IS .001 TO .015 ON THEM. THESE RODS HAVE INSERTS IN THEM. WE MACHINED THE OIL GROVES IN THE INSERTS TOP AND BOTTOM, AS THE 32 HAS A OIL HOLE IN THE TOP INSERT AS WELL AS THE BOTTOM ONES. YOU GUYS WHO HAVE WORKED ON THE EARLY CHEVY ENGINES, IS THAT CLEARANCE GOING TO BE OK. THANKS. DON

Don,It sounds like the ideal setting to me.

HI CHEV GENE, I WAS NOT SURE IF .001 MIGHT BE TO CLOSE OF A TOLLERANCE OR NOT. I WOULD HOPE THE INSERTS WOULD GET ENOUGH OIL AT THAT SETTING??

Don,The later manuals called for .001" to .003" but for new bearings your just right.They may loosen a bit as they break-in.

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION CHEVGENE. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS MY PROJECT PROGRESSES?

Hey Donald! I would say that your rod settings are okay, but maybe border line on a couple. The ideal setting on those early poured babbit engines is one half to one thousandth of an inch. At .015 (correction, that should be .0015.....thanks Raymondo!) the rod tends to be on the loose side and it may knock. On my new engine, two of my rods were set at .0015 and they both knocked. The rest were at .001 or under and they were fine. I adjusted the two rods down to .001 and the knocks were gone. Typically, this is true on other 1929-32 engines as well.

JunkYardDog,I hear what your saying.Thats why I like the babbited rods and you can just pull shims out to get the correct fit.I'm not sure just what the insert type should be set at but .001 should be safe.

You are totally correct! With inserted rods the clearances can be just a little more so old Donald should be just fine. I know on babbited rods though that the clearances have to be dead on or a knock will develop. Ya, pulling the shims will let you totally "fine tune" your clearances, and that is a cool thing for the old babbited engines.

Yes,I just adjusted #1 rod on my '34.Pulled just two silver shims and thats all it took.The pre '37 manual says to remove shims until you can tap it back & forth with the 8 oz. hammer and leave it at that.The 37 up says to add a shim at that point but I found on the early ones its best to do it as per 1934 manual,Also pulled the head and inspected #1 aluminum piston and found it to look as good as the day it was installed.Was getting paranoid after all the piston talk.They are Sterling brand pistons that I bought at a swap meet years go.

HEY CHEVGENE, ARE THOSE STERLING PISTONS ANYTHING LIKE THE BADGER PISTONS RAY IS GETTING FOR HIS ENGINE. I WONDER IF STERLING PISTONS ARE A LITTLE BETTER THAN BADGER PISTONS. ARE THEY STILL MADE AND IF SO DO YOU HAVE A CATALOG FOR THEM.

I need to adjust mine, so what would you guys suggest as the "best source of directions" to follow? I need "step by step" procedures, thanks!

Chev Nut: Sterling pistons are a great quality piston and they should last almost forever. If you were to compare the Sterling piston to the Egge piston you would see the difference in quality. Sounds like you are home free with the Sterling pistons!

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION JOHNNY F. THATS REALLY A CLOSE TOLLERANCE FOR THE ROD INSERTS. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS THAT CLOSE, .0010 T0 .0020????

The 1932 Chevrolet factory "Specifications Manual" states the following for POURED babbit bearings:

Diameter of standard connecting rod = 1.9980 / 1.9990 which is the same as what Federal Mogul specifications say.

Rod bearing clearance = .0005 to .0015

Crankshaft mains 1, 2 and 3 = .001 / .003

Donald: According to what you posted earlier, your inserted rod bearings are within the specs. that lil' johnny posted. Don't let the extra zeros after the number get you confused.

CHEVY says: "THE CLEARANCE I HAVE IS .001 TO .015 ON THEM."

JunkYardDog says: "
Hey Donald! I would say that your rod settings are okay, but maybe border line on a couple. The ideal setting on those early poured babbit engines is one half to one thousandth of an inch. At .015 the rod tends to be on the loose side and it may knock. "

Would everyone please stand real still while we look around here on the shop floor for that other "0"

I couldn't find that other zero Raymondo because you were standing on it! Then you wouldn't give it back to me because you wanted to keep it for yourself to add to your "trade secrets". Anyway, Chev Nut gave me another zero so now I have one of my own.....so there! I have added my zero to the .015, so now it is like it should be, .0015". NOTE: I have made the correction in my earlier posting above. Thanks Raymondo!

Gator,I would follow the directions as in the 1932 shop manual.That is the best for the babbited rods>>>>>>as JunkYardDog also said.Never mind the plastigage get an 8 oz. hammer.

Chev Nut is that a 7.9990 oz. to 8.0001 ounces hammer, ball pein?
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
or a 8 ounce ball peening hammer?

HEY EVERYBODY, I HAVE BEEN PLASTIC GAGING MY ROD INSERTS. IS USING A HAMMER SUPPOSED TO BE A BETTER WAY TO CHECK THE RODS OUT???WHAT STEPS DO YOU TAKE IN DOING THAT???? I HAVE BEEN TO DIFFERENT MACHINE SHOPS AND THEY ALL PLASTIC GAGE. ARE THEY ALL DOING IT WRONG?

Naw, Donald, plasticgage is ok for inserted bearings and and where the tolerances are less critical than for REAL rod bearings.

MACKIE WACKY, THEN I DONT NEED TO USE A TWELVE POUND SLEDGE HAMMER TO CHECK THE RODS OUT????????

No, Donald,because if you drop it on your face we won't be able to recognize you for a month or two.........

OH THANKS MACKIE WACKY FOR THE INFORMATION, NOW I WILL NOT HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY A BIG SLEDGE HAMMER.