One thing to keep in mind when adjusting rod bearings is where the wear is on a rod journal.
When the crank and piston are at the top of the compression stroke and the air/fuel mixture is ignited, there is a tremendous pressure put on the bearing and journal. This pressure is greatly reduced as the piston travels down the cylinder.
This means that the majority of wear on the rod journal is in about one quarter of the total journal.
If you check clearance with the rod at the bottom of the stroke, where it is easiest to work on, you will get a false reading/adjustment of the bearing. You may end up with a too tight of an adjustment.
One should check clearance with the rod journal up near the pan rail, or at the very least make sure you can shake the rod side to side during a full rotation of the engine.
