The oil pan has been removed. The results are in. If I’ve learned anything about this Jeep, it’s to set my expectations that the answer to one question simply leads to more mysteries.
If I may have a quick drum roll, let me now present my first bearing!
Now, I don’t tell bearing fortunes every day, but there are some obvious issues here.
First, the fingernail test is a failure. There are two score marks that your nail gets hung up on. That by itself is a note of a bearing that needs replacing. So in fact I do have some scoring that was likely a result of the metal shower from my pushrods. Honestly, the scoring is not so bad that I think this motor would quit based on it alone.
But the scoring is not the only thing going on…
Yes, that’s a significant portion of the bearing that is showing copper bleeding through the babbet. That’s worse than the scoring and while I can’t prove it, I’d bet it has nothing to do with the metal particle scoring.
Still worse about the copper showing through the bearing material, it’s quite uneven. The crank or the bearing is not riding right. Why? Great question, but this is more than just simple wear. I don’t believe this engine has many miles on it since being built, so this is not looking good.
Another issue with the uneven wear, if you look where the bearing meets the edge of the cap, you can see what is essentially completely untouched babbet material. So, no wear by the cap edges, but worn through unevenly at the bottom of the bearing she’ll.
The net of this diagnosis based on just one bearing cap by itself tells the story. This engine needs more than just a new set of pushrods.
Blech.