Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

I am doing a set of stock LSX rods with ARP bolts. Basically a street motor. The one rod I checked distorts about .001" with .006" stretch so I plan on simply honing them for the plus .002" Clevite brgs. Before I commit to this and given the issues with brg quality lately, has anyone ...

Odd that #4 is so big. Could it be that it was bored/honed too large from the start? If you have a lot invested in it, sleeve it.

Re-sleeving previously sleeved holes is no problem if the bored hole is not out-of-round and your particular replacement sleeve has enough press fit. The same identical sleeve part number can vary as much as .002" one to the next so I keep lots of sleeves on the shelf so that I can pick a big o...

I tired that once but could not get the small end/piston to hang properly. I couldn't get far enough into the pin with the small end fixture. How about just taking one rod off, seeing as how they are theoretically weight matched?

Use the 762 with plus .060" locks?

Easy way to check lobe taper is in a lathe between centers. I've always thought that .0015"-.002" taper was optimal on a preformance cam.

I have one that I've never used. Don't even know where it came from but I'm sure it's Sioux related. A .385" pilot feels a little loose in the bore of the tool to me but a .389" doesn't fit so it's gotta be a .385". I think you could probably get this for shipping cost plus $0.00.

A crank can actually relax and move when you grind material off the rod journals, a version of stress relieving. More prevalent on a crank that has seen some trauma or heat in the throws. If the mains are done first, they might not be in alignment after the rods are ground and the crank takes a set....

As simple an operation as that sounds, it is far from it. Crank wheels are not made to grind on the sides, even touching up the thrust surfaces is a pain in the ass. You have to keep the side of the wheel dressed with a diamond or you'll burn the surface and introduce taper to the thrust faces. Grin...

This is not the same video that I was referring to, that is a split throw V6, not a 302. I won't critque the guy's method, all I'll say is I do it completely differently. The gage isn't moving?? Looks like about .0003" to me, sheesh, I gotta charge more.

I went back and watched that video. It was painful but I watched the whole thing. The guy spends 4 minutes doing who knows what on the front main alone, without the Arnold gauge on it. When he finally does put it on, you can see what I would guess is about 001" runout. I have the same machine, ...

I think I saw that video. Lots of things wrong there as I remember. He should have had the crank turned around for starters (same direction of rotation) and he was grabbing way too much of the snout. He was way too brutal with the steady rest also like you said. Of course the rod journals should alw...

Just measure the thickness of the .011 brgs compared to the .010"s you have now. If they are .0005" thicker as they should be, then you gained a thou right there. Shaving a little off the cap will regain your crush but not reduce the clearance the same amount. It does on paper but not in a...

Your extra clearance is your crank, not the main line. Tunnel diameter and bearing clearance is not a linear comparison IMO. I would cut .002" off the caps and re-hone to get the crush back, use a different crank (or grind it .020") or try 909H-11 brgs. Shims under a bearing is a little to...

I always check cranks for straight before I grind them. I like to get them as close as I can (less than .002") because out of straightness affects the strokes. Especially important on diesels. It's a crude looking operation, you basically whack it with a chisel in the radius. But I have formed ...