Here is a chart of Honda B series bearing thickness by color. To calculate actual bearing clearance, use the following formula:

BC = IDBT – ODC – (2 x BT)

BC = bearing clearance
IDBT = inside diameter of bearing tunnel (housing bore)
ODC = outside diameter of crank journal
BT = bearing thickness

<U>Main Bearing thickness by color</U>
Blue 2.013-2.010 mm 0.0793”- 0.0791”
Black 2.010-2.007 mm 0.0791”- 0.0790”
Brown 2.007-2.004 mm 0.0790”- 0.0789”
Green 2.004-2.001 mm 0.0789”- 0.0788”
Yellow 2.001-1.998 mm 0.0788”- 0.0787”
Pink 1.998-1.995 mm 0.0787”- 0.0785”
Red 1.995-1.992 mm 0.0785”- 0.0783”

<U>Rod bearing thickness by color</U>
Blue 1.510-1.507 mm 0.0594”- 0.0593”
Black 1.507-1.504 mm 0.0593”- 0.0592”
Brown 1.504-1.501 mm 0.0592”- 0.0591”
Green 1.501-1.498 mm 0.0591”- 0.0590”
Yellow 1.498-1.495 mm 0.0590”- 0.0589”
Pink 1.495-1.492 mm 0.0589”- 0.0587”
Red 1.492-1.489 mm 0.0587”- 0.0586”

Although most people do not have inside micrometers, bearing micrometers or snap gauges, you can still use this chart when using plastigage to check bearing clearance. If you want to increase or decrease a bearing clearance, you can calculate how much of a color change is necessary by looking at the changes on the chart. Remember you can mix colors for even a more fine-tuning but it would not be wise to jump more than one color. In other words, do not mix a brown and yellow bearing together to equal a green clearance value. Just use the greens together. It is ok to mix a green with a yellow or a green with a brown. When doing your rebuild and replacing bearings with like colors, you still must check your results with plastigage to be sure. Don’t assume anything. Also remember, when swapping to aftermarket rods, throw the color codes away as they will not work anymore. You need to start from scratch to obtain your desired clearance. On the other hand, you really cannot measure accurately to the nearest .0001” without machinist quality tools, so don’t get carried away on that last one ten thousandth of an inch variance.

 

Start with your bore ID.

Bore ID - Main Journal OD - Desired Clearance = Thickness of both bearing halves

Divide "Thickness of both bearing halves" by 2 = Thickness of just one bearing ----&gt; Look it up on Earl's chart with individually listed bearing half thicknesses.

Example (numbers from your scenario):

(Main Bore ID #1) - (Main Journal OD #1) = 2.3240" - 2.1650" = .1590"

.1590" - (Desired Clearance=.0015") = .1590" - .0015" = .1575"

.1575" / 2 = .07875" (Look up this number on the chart to determine the bearing color you need to buy)

-----&gt;&gt; Yellow 2.001-1.998 mm 0.0788”- 0.0787”

Keep in mind that, you should still measure the clearance again with the bearing installed using a dial bore gauge and micrometer. A simple calculation is not the final word on oil clearances.....just a starting point.

By the way, why are you only carrying some of the numbers out to the ten-thousandths place? Even if the ten-thouths place is 0, you still need to leave it in there as a place holder to state the level of precision in your measurements.

 

Even if you go for the thicker one on all the journals, you will only go till 0.0020 clearances, when it's recommended having 0.0015 but as you cannot achieve that I'd try to buy thicker bearings and run it as it is

If you have the possibility, you can try another crank

 

I know this is an old post but didn't see if it was answered I just used my digital mic and it came out to be .079 for my 5M1959-STD Upper bearing. I don't have the HX but i hope I can find them because they should put me in my proper specs...Thanks OP

I just double check it you can find the info here
http://www.aclus.com/content/ACL07%281%29.pdf

 

just to confirm for everyone, i just measured a bunch of new bearings i ordered for my street H series build and these numbers are dead on the same as earls chart.