Tony, gotta differ with you a bit on the babbit bearings! Yes, they do "Imbed" dirt particles, but so do insert-type bearings! The Babbit bearings are just one type of metal, while insert bearings are made of a steel shell, a copper mid-section, and Babbit, or other soft metal against the crankshaft. There's also a microscopic layer of pure tin, a "flash coat" right on top to allow the bearing to fit itself to the crankshaft journal in a hurry, usually less than 10 miles of driving.
There's a machine shop in Nashville where I used to work that does the insert-bearing conversion on the 216 rods, at a reasonable cost. It still allows the splash-type lubrication, but the bearings are replaceable without all the hassle of getting them reconditioned.
Jerry
