Crankshaft Main Bearing Adjustment: Adjustment

How to use this manual .

1. Crankshaft Main Bearing - Adjust

   Preconditions 

   • Engine Block/Crankshaft Area Parts Removed
     • Baffle Plate
     • Oil Pump
     • Oil Seal Case
   • Timing Belt Drive Pulley

   Figure 1 

   Courtesy of HONDA, U.S.A., INC.

   Procedure/Specifications 

   NOTE:  Do not rotate the crankshaft during this procedure.

   1. Remove the main bearing caps and the main bearings

   2. Clean each main journal and the bearing half with a clean shop towel.

   3. Place one strip of plastigage across each main journal.

   NOTE:

   If the engine is still in the vehicle when you bolt the main cap down to check the clearance, the weight of the crankshaft and the drive plate will flatten the plastigage further than just the torque on the cap bolt and give you an incorrect reading. For an accurate reading, support the crank with a jack under the counterweights, and check only one bearing at a time.

   4. Reinstall the main bearing caps and the main bearings, then tighten the bolts to the specified torque/angle .

   5. Remove the main bearing caps and the main bearings again, and measure the widest part of the plastigage. (Figure 1)

   Bearing-to-Journal Oil Clearance 

   Standard Value (New)	Service Limit
   0.019-0.045 mm (0.00075-0.00177 in)	0.045 mm (0.00177 in)

   6. If the plastigage measures too wide or too narrow, remove the crankshaft, and remove the upper half of the bearing. Install a new, complete bearing with the appropriate color code(s), and recheck the clearance. Do not file, shim, or scrape the bearings or the caps to adjust clearance.

   7. If the plastigage shows the clearance is still incorrect, try the next larger or smaller bearing (the color listed above or below the current one), and check again. If the proper clearance cannot be obtained by using the appropriate larger or smaller bearings, replace the crankshaft and start over.

   Figure 2 

   Courtesy of HONDA, U.S.A., INC.

   8. Numbers, letters, or bars have been stamped on the end of the engine block as a code for the size of each of the five main journal bores. Use them, and the numbers stamped on the crankshaft (codes for main journal size), to choose the correct main bearings.

   Block Bore Code Location (Figure 2) 

   Position	Journal No.
   a	No. 1 JOURNAL (Pulley end)
   b	No. 4 JOURNAL (Transmission end)

   NOTICE:  

   If the codes cannot be read because of an accumulation of dirt and dust, do not scrub them with a wire brush or scraper. Clean them only with solvent or detergent.

   Figure 3 

   Courtesy of HONDA, U.S.A., INC.

   9. The main journal codes are stamped on the crankshaft.

   Main Journal Code Location (Figure 3) 

   Position	Journal No.
   c	No. 1 JOURNAL (Pulley end)

   Position	Journal No.
   d	No. 4 JOURNAL (Transmission end)

   Figure 4 

   Courtesy of HONDA, U.S.A., INC.

   10. Use the block bore codes and the main journal codes to select the appropriate replacement bearings from the table below. (Figure 4)

   NOTE:

   • Color code is on the edge of the bearing.
   • When using bearing halves of different colors, it does not matter which color is used on the top or bottom.