They were probably going to convert the rods, not the main bearings. That's been done pretty regularly for many years. Currently, I'm working on a procedure to salvage "worn out" 216 and 235 crankshafts by using Massey-Ferguson rod bearings in rebored rods.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!