NOOOO!!!!! Never install grease, shims, lube, anything under the bearing shell. It'll cause bearing failure. Take it all apart and clean it good.
For that matter, did you clean the bare block when you got it back from the shop? Any block is full of metal chips and dirt when it comes back from a machining operation.
And the caps should slide over the crank journal and mate with the block saddles easily. Then tighten the main bolts in 3 steps of increasing torque.
Pull the crank and bearing inserts. Clean the hell out of everything. When I build an engine, I hook my garden hose to the hot water heater. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and rifle brushes to clean every oil and coolant passage on my bare block. Then I immediately fog the block with WD-40, cuz the block is totally clean and will rust in a matter of minutes.
OK, OK... I've calmed down.....
When installing a crank with a neoprene seal, the crank should spin freely when torqued into place. You should be able to grab a counterweight and give it a one-handed tug that produces at least one full, smooth revolution. The crank should be smooth thru out the rotation, no binding or sticking. Using a rope seal makes it more difficult to tell, as the rope tends to bind up the crank rear seal surface and make it harder to spin. But it should still spin fairly easily. You shouldn't have to use the bolts to draw the cap down flush with the block. That means something could be terribly wrong.
Did you plastigauge the bearings? Do you know what the oil clearances for each bearing are? You must check the assembled oil clearance of each main and rod bearing, if you want it to live.
Not trying to down on you, but I've blown 235s up every which way to sunday. Trying to help you prevent some of the mistakes I made.
best of luck
chip
