rebuilding a 350

[gpday08]

wondering because i see guys on tv just assemble the motor and go, is plastagauge a necessity?? or do i not need to measure the gap between the bearing surfaces between the journals and crank??

[ccz145a]

Not if you have a micrometer. I have never used the things, myself.

Let me add, that I mic at least 3 places radially around each journal and write it down and get an average for each journal, then check against specifications. Of course I am still assuming the bearing is correct, never had a failure yet, though. kow

[VileZambonie]

I absolutely plastigauge every journal. I check ring gap in every cylinder. I degree every camshaft. It doesn't take all that much extra effort. It's the technicians responsibility to verify and assemble. If the machince shop screws up it'll still be your problem not their's.

I have had pistons hung on rods backwards (machine shop guy too busy eating a sandwich to notice)

The lands on the piston squashed

Recently a 350 crank ground .190 under!

rings boxed wrong with .065" gap

deformed bearings and one with a big ole fingerprint etched into the bearing face... the list goes on and on. If you're going to build an engine do it right the first time.

[gpday08]

okay thanks guys

[Captkaos]

I generally check everything also.  You pulled it down that far only to hope the parts fit, people make mistakes, I fell better when I check everything.

I have had one whole bank of pistons installed backwards once.