How do you use Plastigage for rod bearings?
Tear off a piece of plastigage. Open the paper to remove the plastigage, and place the plastigage across the surface of crankshaft. Position the plastigage in the center of the journal surface. Install the bearing cap and torque the bolts to specification.
What is Plastigage used for measuring?
Plastigage (also called Plastigauge or Plastic Gauge) is a measuring tool for measuring plain bearing clearances, especially in engines. Plastigage is also used to measure clearances on marine drive-shaft bearings, turbine housing bearings, shaft end-float, pipe flange clearances and pup and pressure system bearings.
When to use Plastigauge to check bearing clearance?
Plastigauge is a great product for checking bearing clearance in your engine or any place where measuring a hidden clearance is required. It’s also used for numerous industrial applications.
What is Plastigauge and what is it used for?
Plastigauge is a great product for checking bearing clearance in your engine or any place where measuring a hidden clearance is required. It’s also used for numerous industrial applications. It is comprised of a rod or thread of a compliant plastic material of accurately determined cross-section – either circular or square.
What’s the best way to measure bearing clearance?
Plastigauge is highly effective for measuring the clearance in almost any bearing configuration or area that has hidden surfaces. Shaft end-float lends itself to direct measurement by Plastigauge. Flatness and clearance in pipe-flanges and cylinder heads are readily checked and measured with standard Plastigauge.
Where to place the plastigage on a crankshaft?
Open the paper to remove the plastigage, and place the plastigage across the surface of crankshaft. Position the plastigage in the center of the journal surface. Install the bearing cap and torque the bolts to specification. Remove the bolts and the bearing cap.
Do you still use Plastigauge for bearing clearances?
However, moving back to Plastigauge, Plastigauge is as I’ve said, still relied on by a number of people and even when I do have the correct equipment, and as I do here, it’s also quite a nice sanity check for some instances just to go through and check your bearing clearances using Plastigauge.
Do you have to clean the crankshaft before using a plastigage?
The instructions say to clean the crankshaft, and bearing before you use the Plastigage. What they leave out is, you have to use oil, on the shaft, and on the bearing to get any kind accuracy, especially a Babbitt bearing.
How do you check for clearance on plastigage?
Loosen the bolts of the bearing cap that you want to check clearance on. Remove the bolts and the cap. Wipe the assembly oil off the surface of the crankshaft where you want to check for clearance, using a clean, lint-free paper towel or cloth.
Do you need to know how to use plastigage?
Do NOT buy parts from other forum members without verifiable photos, phone contact, etc! Plastigage, How to use. For many years now, there are still a lot of people that don’t know how to use Plastigage, to check the amount of clearance they have in a bearing they want to reset.