Ok so i building my b16a2. I got acle bearings, and i did the plastigauge. But im confused.

Ive read .0015 for 1-2-4-5 main bearing clearance and .0017 for 3.

Now how can i measure if its .0017 if the plastigauge only shows .001-.0015-.002-.003???

So on 1 and 5 i got .0015, good. But on 2,3,4 i got .002?? WHich is the max i suppose?


Now confusing on my rods, on all the rods i got bigger than .0015 but smaller than .001.

So how can i tell what clearance it is?

Also how come .001 is the biggest then .0015 is a little smaller.

but .003 is smaller than .002? I do not get that at all.

Someone please chime in and explain this platicrap to me lol.

 

If you are asking why the gauge would be wider for less clearance, it's because it should be smashed flatter by the tighter fit of the two surfaces.
It's like you smashing it with a rolling pin, the harder you press...the flatter the dough.
If the strip is wider than the .0015 bar, but narrower than the .001 bar- it means ur somewhere in between-like .00135.....they can't print every possible result on the wrapper, it's not that exact of a measurement method.
You better do alot of research pretty soon. Watch some vids on youtube, read up.
Best way to measure is with bore gauge and micrometer, tho.
Are the rods the originals that were fitted to that crank?

 

No the rods are from a different motor, and the crank has been micro polished.

Ok this is what i dont get from what you explained. I know the tighter the clearance the wide it is. But how come .001 is the widest but its the lowest number. Also .002 and .003 are very thin. .0015 is almost as wide as .001. I dont get how the higher number like .0015 has a wide surface like .001 but yet .003 and .002 are real thin.

Am i reading them wrong? I would think it would go in order like this from biggest to smallest, .001 .002 .003 .0015.

So if my bearings come out to .001 then i would need to get the crank cut down? Or is there an undersize bearing.

Ive been trying to do alot of research on clearances but all i get it the same asnwers.

Sorry to sound dumb, but plastigauge is no my friend LOL. I wish i had a bore and mic meter to do the job right.

 

Because two objects that are three thousandths of an inch apart are farther from each other than two objects/surfaces that are one thousandth of an inch apart, so the plastic doesn't get smashed as flat. So when you pull the cap off the rod and compare the width of the plastic to the guides on the wrapper..the one from a .003 clearance won't be smashed as wide, so the green bars that match a .003 clearance smashed piece would be skinnier.
Honda bearings are available in different thicknesses...shoulda gone with OEM.

Check out these threads;

https://honda-tech.com/forums/all-motor-naturally-aspirated-44/bearing-clearance-measurement-1706658/

https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-induction-16/honda-bearing-color-thickness-chart-everyone-who-loves-using-oem-bearings-715505/
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the tighter the clearance the wider the clay. .003 is means more looser clearance so not as wide vs .001 means a tighter clearance so wider

so if you understand that the more the clay is smashed the wider it is and the tighter the clearance

in order from smallest(tighter so wider) to largest(looser, so thinner) clearances. .001, .0015, .002, .003

idk what else to say

 

Well i get that the more wider it is the tighter the clearance. I think im just stupid when it comes to math and the numbers. Cause im thinking since .001 is low number and its the widest, i would assume .002 and .003 would be wide also but there not. But .0015 a high number and is wide..

Lol im confused!

So in order to get my clearances of .001 looser to the .0015 mark i would need an under size bearing of what size, or color?

Cause im thinking since .001 is a tight clearance, how come .002 and .003 are loose, but yet a hight number like .0015 is a tighter clearance than .002 or .003.

If im reading this right, .001 is one thousands of an inch (less room) .002 is two thousands of an inch .003 is three thousands of an inch, and .0015 is fifteen thousands of an inch. So, how i see it fifteen thousands of an inch (.0015) would have the most space between the journal and bearing, thus giving me a thinner smashed peice of wax vs .001-.002-.003 which is much less space between the bearing and journal right?

I feel dumb.

 

you need to get somebody to help you before you toast an engine. no offense to you. having an experienced person show you the correct way to do this will be very helpful to your engine knowledge, and your engine for that matter.

 

The scale is inversely proportional to the clearance. Not everything in the world gets bigger when the numerical value gets bigger.

 

in order of the clearances numbers- .001-.0015-.002-.003, so .0015 should be in betweeen .001 and .002

i think your getting confused with bearing size vs clearances

so as your example, yes if you have a .001 clearance but need .0015, you would get a .0005 smaller bearing, an undersized bearing to give you that .0005 clearance u need.

an example of the other side, if you had a .002 clearance, youd get a .0005 oversized bearing to hit .0015 of clearance

 

here is where you are getting confused (i believe):

you arent looking at your place values correctly. let me break the numbers down.

.001= one thousandths of an inch
.0015= fifteen TEN THOUSANDTHS of an inch (not thousandths cause you have another place in this decimal)
.002= two thousandths of an inch
.003= three thousandths of an oinch

 

yah, dude....0015 is one and a half thousandths..not 15 thousandths, lol.
Schools really need to teach kids this kind of stuff again. We learned to read mics in ninth grade shop class...but I'm old as rocks.

 

exactly .015 would be fifteen thousandths not .0015

 

OMG ok now i totally get it! See i was thinking .0015 is fifteen thousands.

Now if its 1.5 thousands then it totaly make senses!

So its .001 -one thousands, .0015 one and a half thousands, .002 -two thousands, .003 -three thousands.

Lol thanks everyone for schooling me.

 

i said that earlier

 

You did but you did not explain it was 1.5 thousands, i was still confused on why "fifteen thousands" was between the two. Now since i know its 1.5 its clear to me. I would think there would be a extra decimal. Like .001.5 but it looks weird i guess.

Anyways thanks for the help.