The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine bearings ?

I did some quick research, and it is saying ALL bearing manufactures have reduced or eliminated lead in bearings, except for maybe industrial engine applications where the rules are less strict.
Anyone know anything about this? And where to get some good bearings especially for a 235?

That is what I understand also. The information claims the new formulas wear better and lubricate just as well. I couldn't tell you where to get good bearings for a 235, however. They're all pretty expensive and as for quality you get what you get. I think I'd be inclined to look on eBay or Etsy and see if anyone out there is selling any old stock.

NOS stuff is still out there. I’d be inclined to think some of the NOS “off-brand” (but still US made) bearings might be better quality than the “name-brand” stuff of today that’s offshore production.

That said, I do think a fair amount of engine bearings are still made in the US. Recently did some shopping for a SBF and was surprised. I cannot speak to specifics, but I know that some recognizable brands are doing production both onshore and offshore. As for who makes 235 bearings and in what country, that would be a little research project of its own.

Having typed all that, for a stock-ish 235….that doesn’t need a line bore or a crank straightened or whatever….I suspect almost anything would work just fine. It’s not like you’re going to turn a bunch of RPM. An inline 6 by nature isn’t going to be subjected to the same kinds of imbalances and block twisting that a v8 would. And a 235, among inline 6’s, is a beefy casting with all kinds of extra heft all over the place.

(That last paragraph is especially scant on data and long on educated conjecture)

There's no real reason to stick with original equipment parts where bearings, pistons, and rods are concerned. With a little creative tinkering there are a lot of "almost-fit" bits and pieces out there that a skilled machinist can adapt to a stovebolt engine. Currently, I'm assembling parts for a big block Chevy V8 and a couple of other modern engines, which will be going into a modified 261. All it takes is an engine builder who's willing to color outside the lines a little!
Jerry

Not sure on what newer standards are or how they may wear. What "235" are you seeking bearings for???

I've got 1 from a 1956 truck, and one from I think a 57 car ? I have not check the sizes needed yet.

At the rate its going soon we will have to be plating them on our own.

Traditional high speed Babbit alloy has never had Lead in it. It's an alloy of Tin, Copper, and Antimony. Since the mid-1940s, precision steel backed insert bearings have been a multi-layer construction with a steel outer shell, with a layer of copper bonded to it, and a soft metal layer that can be Babbit, aluminum alloys of various compositions, and other combinations of soft metal. On top of all that, there is a microscopic layer of pure tin, to facilitate quick "wear-in" to small irregularities in the crankshaft surface. Lead alloy Babbit hasn't been used in engine bearings since the 1920's or earlier. The original equipment "soft" metal used in 216 and early 235 connecting rods is so hard that it will dull a tool steel lathe cutting bit in a hurry. When I'm boring a spray-oiler rod for insert bearings, I have to use a carbide cutting bit.
Jerry