diy rod bearing change

[1987AccordLx-i]

ok im really tight on money so im going to change the rod bearings myself.. first off i need help on how to do it.. i know how to take apart the bottom end but i heard ill have to remove the head and pull the pistons out for the top end.. is this true?

[Josh89accord]

Nope, I had to redo mine. Just pull the oil pan off, undo the brackets for the rod, and the rod bearings on the journals. You have to push up the piston so the crank has to be at its lowest point. Just put some oil honey (stp oil treatment) on the rod bearings, reinstall on the journals and tighten the bolts to 23 ft. lb.

[1987AccordLx-i]

Nope, I had to redo mine. Just pull the oil pan off, undo the brackets for the rod, and the rod bearings on the journals. You have to push up the piston so the crank has to be at its lowest point. Just put some oil honey (stp oil treatment) on the rod bearings, reinstall on the journals and tighten the bolts to 23 ft. lb.

wow dude.. you saved me from an asshole mechanic shop.. id rather do it myself.. but when i put the new bearings in do i have to put oil on the backside of the bearing? or just put it in like that but oil up the crank side and back?

[Oldblueaccord]

Oil the part of the bearing that touches the crank. Gl with it rednecks around the globe have been doing this for years.




wp

[1987AccordLx-i]

Oil the part of the bearing that touches the crank. Gl with it rednecks around the globe have been doing this for years.




wp

sweet man thanks.. anything i should look out for?

[Oldblueaccord]

Hondas use differant size bearings sometimes journal to journal so you must pay attention to this. I cant remember where it is but there should be a place stamped on the block and the bearings are color coded. There should be a pretty good explanation in the manuals.

Really if you have a bad one you should plastic guage it with a new bearing and check that the tolerance is in spec. If the journal is worn some you may need a differant size bearing. I am not sure what is available on our cars.


wp

[Oldblueaccord]

I did a little searching for some pics for you.

http://www.team-integra.net/sections...?ArticleID=405

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=715490

heres a chart for the B series but it explains a little more how there bearings work.

http://www.team-integra.net/sections...?ArticleID=409



wp

[Josh89accord]

wow dude.. you saved me from an asshole mechanic shop.. id rather do it myself.. but when i put the new bearings in do i have to put oil on the backside of the bearing? or just put it in like that but oil up the crank side and back?

No problem dude, glad to help.

[1987AccordLx-i]

I did a little searching for some pics for you.

http://www.team-integra.net/sections...?ArticleID=405

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=715490

heres a chart for the B series but it explains a little more how there bearings work.

http://www.team-integra.net/sections...?ArticleID=409



wp

the team-integra one.. i didnt really get the plastigauge thing.. how does this work? it was informational but idk what plastigauge is...

[Oldblueaccord]

Prolly better to google search it but coming from me. Its a strip of putty you put between the bearing and the journel side then torque to spec. It "squishes" down you take it a part and measure its(the plasticguage strip) size on the chart and that tells you the clearance(space) between the bearing and the journal. It gives you a measurement. If your measurement is not with in the specs from Honda you well need a differance bearing size to make up the differance.


wp

[1987AccordLx-i]

Prolly better to google search it but coming from me. Its a strip of putty you put between the bearing and the journel side then torque to spec. It "squishes" down you take it a part and measure its(the plasticguage strip) size on the chart and that tells you the clearance(space) between the bearing and the journal. It gives you a measurement. If your measurement is not with in the specs from Honda you well need a differance bearing size to make up the differance.


wp

what are the chances that ill need a bigger bearing size?

[Ichiban]

Chances are if you need to change out rod bearings (you hear hammering noises on decel or at idle) then the excessive clearance has beat the rod journal on the crank straight to hell. The crank needs to come out for a regrind or replacement, because it's guaranteed to no longer be within a functional dimension. Replacing bearings only, and without proper measurements, will only waste a set of bearings.

The real choice is a full rebuild.

[1987AccordLx-i]

Chances are if you need to change out rod bearings (you hear hammering noises on decel or at idle) then the excessive clearance has beat the rod journal on the crank straight to hell. The crank needs to come out for a regrind or replacement, because it's guaranteed to no longer be within a functional dimension. Replacing bearings only, and without proper measurements, will only waste a set of bearings.

The real choice is a full rebuild.

well yeah its knocking.. but not alot.. im thinking i can still save this crank.. right now i cant afford anything.. i lost my job so its really hard on me.. i just want it to last me a few more months then ill rebuild my a20 FI then throw it back in.. this temporary a18a1 is doing the job but i need it to go for just a little while longer

EDIT: it only knocks when its hot and when i rev it up to about 2500 or 3k

[Dr_Snooz]

Have you experimented with the various oil additives out there? I'd start with a thicker oil and then move on to Lucas, STP oil treatment or Motor Honey. It might be enough to get you through the crunch without having to buy new bearings and do a lot of work that won't bear a lot of fruit.

Just a thought.

[1987AccordLx-i]

Have you experimented with the various oil additives out there? I'd start with a thicker oil and then move on to Lucas, STP oil treatment or Motor Honey. It might be enough to get you through the crunch without having to buy new bearings and do a lot of work that won't bear a lot of fruit.

Just a thought.

i have put thicker oil but the result was the same.. still knocks either way.. ill get bearings for it and just let it run it self out again.. hopefully by then ill have a decent job to where i can fully rebuild my a20a3 and throw it back in the 3g

[Oldblueaccord]

Yeah slap them in there it will most likely buy you some time anyway. If your oil pressure is low I would look into doing the mains too at least the lowers while your on your back in there.


wp

[1987AccordLx-i]

Yeah slap them in there it will most likely buy you some time anyway. If your oil pressure is low I would look into doing the mains too at least the lowers while your on your back in there.


wp

how would that effect the oil pressure?

but i dont reallly like this 1.8 cuz when i get parts for it i have to get parts to an "84 prelude" cuz thats the block i have in mine at the moment.. so if i could make it last a few more months that would be awesome.. but for my a20a3.. ill try to get new everything.. but honda parts yeah its expensive but hopefully ill port/polish the head and MABE get a mild cam if i can find it.. other then that i have no clue what else to do.. besides ignition upgrade

[Oldblueaccord]

More bearing clearance you have less oil pressure.



wp

[1987AccordLx-i]

More bearing clearance you have less oil pressure.



wp

wow dude thats fucken smart.. i never would have thought of that... makes sense now.. my oil light stays on for like a second after i start it..


ok so for the a18a1 how would the color code be on the rods? ive never done this before and i want to do it right the first time

[rfiks]

i have put thicker oil but the result was the same.. still knocks either way.. ill get bearings for it and just let it run it self out again.. hopefully by then ill have a decent job to where i can fully rebuild my a20a3 and throw it back in the 3g

check this site http://theoldone.com/articles/ these guys know their shit! check-it out!

[Oldblueaccord]

wow dude thats fucken smart.. i never would have thought of that... makes sense now.. my oil light stays on for like a second after i start it..


ok so for the a18a1 how would the color code be on the rods? ive never done this before and i want to do it right the first time

Each motor has there own set really. Short reason is its better built motor and the bearings are matched to each journal. On a Chevy 350 its the same bearing no matter how it fits.

Ill go eat at the cracker barrel and find a link.


wp

[1987AccordLx-i]

Each motor has there own set really. Short reason is its better built motor and the bearings are matched to each journal. On a Chevy 350 its the same bearing no matter how it fits.

Ill go eat at the cracker barrel and find a link.


wp

ok i have an A18A1 in my car.. thats the one that needs the rod bearings.. so to make it short.. will i get away with just standard autozone bearings? and does it matter where i put them on the journals? or do i have to match up the bearing to a specific journal?

[1987AccordLx-i]

off topic problem.. my front engine mount bracket just busted on me so the whole motor is jumping when i give it gas.. anyone got an exhaust side engine mount that is willing to give it up? i dont have a job and i really need my car to find work.. and i dont want my motor to be flopping around.. it scares me.. if anyone is willing to give it up and your in the alhambra/la area ill even pick it up.. i really need this mount.. stupid auto shop didnt put in all the bolts for it and the torque snapped it clear off

[Oldblueaccord]

You can use a chain and some bolts in a pinch just to hold the engine down.

Reread those links about the bearings. What it looks like is the rods are stamped with a mark that tells you what size bearing goes on what journal.


wp

[Dr_Snooz]

I'm not sure how tight things are, but you should be able to pick up something from the junkyard for less than $10. You'd also be able to replace any bolts that got broken.

If that's too much, I'm happy to swing by the junkyard for you, but you'd have to wait until next weekend. I can't get there with any daylight during the week. PM me if interested.

I'd also hold off on that bearing job until you get the mount squared away. It's not likely, but it might be the noise you've been hearing. At least it might just make it bearable until things turn up for you. Honestly, you can drive on that engine for a long time like that. I drove for hundreds of miles with a bad bearing, burned valve and bad rings. That was an A20, but the A18 is probably not too different. Try limping it if you can. Put some motor honey in there and roll on. You don't need something to go wrong while you're changing bearings and end up spending a lot of money that you don't have right now.

If you do the bearings, go with the cheapest you can get. It's not going to matter if this is a disposable engine, right? You just need to get by for now.

Sorry for the long post.