The oldtime method (before Plastigauge) was to put a small piece of .002" shim stock between the rod cap and the crankshaft and shim until the flywheel could be turned with a firm drag. Then remove the shim stock, torque up the rod cap, and move on to the next rod. Rotating the crankshaft 90 degrees and checking to see if the rod could be moved fore and aft by hand checked for out of round. These old engines were designed to survive some pretty primitive shade tree repairs, but the more accurately they're assembled, the better. Since Babbit rods don't have insert bearings, ignore the advice about mixing and matching different undersizes- - - - -it doesn't apply to the early stovebolt engines. It is possible to use an extra .0005" or .001" shim on one side of the rod cap to split the difference between even numbers of shims on both sides.
Very fine grit cloth-backed emery can be used to polish crankshaft journals before checking clearances, but be sure to do a thorough cleanup of any abrasive leftovers. 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!
