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Is there a way to remove wiggle on rod bearing? Engine rebuilt years ago with insert bearings and finally close to getting it to run. Apparently machinist didn't turn crank the same for each bearing?

What are you working on? You’ve got to help us help you!

Sorry.....52 chevy pick up with a 216 bored to 235. New pistons,rods, insert bearingsm and crank turned. three bearings are tight, three not so tight.

Get you some plastigauge at your local parts store. This will let you see how far they are off. Some of our machinists will be along soon.🛠

First, measure the crankshaft- - - -accurately. No guesswork allowed! How far undersize is the crank ground? There's about a .001" tolerance between acceptable "high" and "low" dimensions, which is about half the width of a strand of hair. Insert conversion bearings for 216's are getting a little scarce, and .020" undersize bearing are virtually impossible to find. If somebody has botched the conversion job, you might need to start over with another crankshaft and/or connecting rods. Conversion inserts CANNOT be shimmed for adjusting oil clearance.

I'm working on a project to use Perkins Diesel engine rod bearings for a Massey-Ferguson tractor as 216/235 spray oiler conversion bearings. They allow "worn out" .030" undersize crankshafts to be salvaged by grinding the rod journals to Perkins engine diameter. The crankshaft doesn't care what diameter it is, as long as the bearings fit properly. There are plenty of those bearings available, and they only cost about $8.00 apiece.
Jerry

I checked the clearances with plastigage. How accurate us plastigage? I don't have a micrometer to measure the journal or rod bore.

Buy, borrow, rent, or steal a micrometer and get some accurate measurements. Also check the inside diameter of the modified rod bores with an inside micrometer or a dial bore gauge, which might also be the source of the incorrect clearances. I'm accustomed to getting fussy about half a thousandth of variation in bore size or out-of-round while reconditioning rods. That's a strand of hair split into three equal slices. Otherwise, you're just shooting in the dark. Plastigauge is OK for a final check, but it's no substitute for precision measurements by someone who knows what he's doing. It sounds like your "machinist" doesn't qualify in that respect.
Jerry

Jerry is spot on with his recommendations. That said, What did the plastigage say the clearances are.

Maybe something else that needs to be asked is what do you mean by "wiggle"? And how much "wiggle" is there? Certainly do as others have suggested and measure.

"Wiggle" is OK- - - - - -as long as it's no more than an "RCH"! That's when we choose to use the WAG/SWAG/T-LAR measuring system!
LOL!
Jerry

Well..... when my daughter was little she liked to "wiggle" and it was a lot.