I've got a 98 B20B4.

I'm going to put a 95 GSR head on it.

I want to freshen the bottom end. So far here's what I've gathered:

I pull the crank, rods, and pistons. I drop the crank off to be polished and balanced. The machine shop will then tell me what bearings to order.

My question is how do the bearings physically install? Do they tap in, or do they just set in place, until the caps are installed.

Is this something I can do with normal tools? I've done several motor swaps, but have never touched a bottom end.

Also - will balancing the bottom end allow me to rev to the head's 8100 red line safely?

What kind of bearings should I use. I heard OEM are the best, but the ACL's seem to be half the price.

Any other pointers for a first time builder? Anybody care to speculate what kind of HP and torque I'll produce?

B20B4 block, stock pistons (8.8:1)
B18C1 head, intake manifold, ECU, injectors, and distributor
DC 4-2-1 header, test pipe, crush bent 2.5" piping, flowmaster 60 series muffler
generic cold air intake

 

bump

 

bump for a good question

 

Here is a free bump.

 

go with ACl, good bearing

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Do they tap in, or do they just set in place, until the caps are installed.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
They just sort of "snap" in. You can press them in with your hands.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What kind of bearings should I use. I heard OEM are the best, but the ACL's seem to be half the price.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
A lot of people are running ACL's with great results, including myself. I used them on my b18c1 (my first motor build ever) and I have over 6200 miles on it now. Running great

 

make sure too wear like laytex kinda gloves tho..keeo it clean..

 

Machine shop will need the block w/ mains and the crank in order to size the bearings. Are they familiar with the 7 different sizes of Honda main bearings?

 

I'm building a LS block with jdm itr pistons .25 overbore, new bearings, ls rods, and arp rod bolts. Would it be best to send the block to a machine shop and getting it all balanced and bored before buying the bearings? is there special steps I have to take before or during the machine process?

thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ausmith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Machine shop will need the block w/ mains and the crank in order to size the bearings. Are they familiar with the 7 different sizes of Honda main bearings?</TD></TR></TABLE>

What are you talking about? I thought all honda blocks were the same, and it was the crank that determined the size of the bearings. Why would they need the block unless they were using plastigauge (which is inaccurate)?

Please advise.

 

you basically set them into place. and rember to check the clearences. i have heard of people here putting it togather without checking anything.

and the crank deturmines what bearings to get, not the block

bare minimum tools for a bottom end are

Torque wrench
Ring compressor
Feeler gauges
Plastigauge (not sure what it is classified as)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What are you talking about? I thought all honda blocks were the same, and it was the crank that determined the size of the bearings. Why would they need the block unless they were using plastigauge (which is inaccurate)?

Please advise.</TD></TR></TABLE>
YES they need the block....there are different approaches people use to get there clearances..if u want to just (see) the original color (size) bearings the motor used u have to use the markings on the BLOCK AND on the CRANK to see...or if u want to use a micrometer/ bore gauge..u will need the block to measure the bore of the mains (plus thickness of bearing) and measure the journals on the crank..the difference is your clearance..and they (should) be checking out of round/taper conditions also..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I pull the crank, rods, and pistons. I drop the crank off to be polished and balanced. </TD></TR></TABLE>

to have it balanced you will need

pistons
rods
rings
wristpins (come with pistons)
bearings
and the crnak

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What are you talking about? I thought all honda blocks were the same, and it was the crank that determined the size of the bearings. Why would they need the block unless they were using plastigauge (which is inaccurate)?

Please advise.</TD></TR></TABLE>
We use a dial bore gauge and mic to size bearings.

1) Use mic to size crank journal.
2) Set dial bore gauge to 0 on the reading you just took on the mic.
3) Install a set of bearings (in journal you just measured), torque to spec, and then measure with the dial bore gauge. The reading on the dial bore gauge is the tolerence with that particular set of bearings.
4) Try different combinations until you get the tolerance you are looking for.
5) Repeat for all journals and make the tolerences the same.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ausmith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
We use a dial bore gauge and mic to size bearings.

1) Use mic to size crank journal.
2) Set dial bore gauge to 0 on the reading you just took on the mic.
3) Install a set of bearings (in journal you just measured), torque to spec, and then measure with the dial bore gauge. The reading on the dial bore gauge is the tolerence with that particular set of bearings.
4) Try different combinations until you get the tolerance you are looking for.
5) Repeat for all journals and make the tolerences the same.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Isn't the bore the same on all blocks? I didn't think the bore wore at all (the bearing is the only contact surface) so they should all be the same size and within spec, right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Isn't the bore the same on all blocks? I didn't think the bore wore at all (the bearing is the only contact surface) so they should all be the same size and within spec, right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You measure the bore with the bearing installed. Remember there are 7 different size Honda bearings and you can stagger them resulting in 49 possible combinations.

And no, the straight bore on Honda blocks in not all the same.

 

You could bring us your motor since you are in Wisconsin...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ausmith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could bring us your motor since you are in Wisconsin...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Could you give me a ball park figure?

Polish the crank, balance the rotating assembly, and determine bearing sizes. If your going to have the block you might as well hone it, too.

 

why are you going with stock pistons? you can get some oem b20z pistons with rings for about 230 bux, theres also a guy on here selling 84mm profiles of b16 and r pistons for about the same price.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JCushing &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why are you going with stock pistons? you can get some oem b20z pistons with rings for about 230 bux, theres also a guy on here selling 84mm profiles of b16 and r pistons for about the same price.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Actually, I'm not going to do anything to the bottom end at the moment. I'm buying a house soon so I need to conserve cash. I'm just going to drop the GSR head on and leave it at that.

I'll redo the bottom end next winter. I've got a shot B18B (bad rod bearing, I think), so I'll just use that crank (if it's not trashed) and rods (I'm going to have the rods shotpeened).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ausmith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could bring us your motor since you are in Wisconsin...</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

not bad...only THREE MONTHS LATE JR...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JUN1OR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

and the flywheel dont forget that...dont need the bearings though

 

motor will prob make @ 170hp 145 tq with your setup.. pretty low cr so dont expect alot

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drunknbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">motor will prob make @ 170hp 145 tq with your setup.. pretty low cr so dont expect alot</TD></TR></TABLE>

Enough to smoke my gsr

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wreckedmyteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">not bad...only THREE MONTHS LATE JR...

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