The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Main cap shims 1956 235 car motor dont look right

Just got my engine back from shop. Got new bearings, rings, cam, lifters, gasket set. He said there were main shims included. I said there were no shims when I tore down motor. I was aware of them so I paid attention. The shim kit consists of 4 packages, of 3 items. Two identical for the 2 and 3 caps and different for #1 and #4 caps. These shims fit under the caps with main cap bolts going thru them. There were no number of .002" shims in the shim kit. I am going to plastigage the crank in a couple of weeks to see what I have to work with.

Any ideas what I am working with?
Thanks
Tony

It is doubtful you will need shims on any engine after early 1955.

I hope your right. I can't find a 1956 car manual on line to read. The 55 manual gives the same bearing adj. procedure as my 1954 truck manual.

The shims will only be needed if the clearance is too tight with the cap installed without them. Be sure the shim stock overlaps the bearing shells and keeps them pushed tight into the block and cap. If the bearing gets loose it can move in the block and shear off the anti-rotate tab, or fret back and forth and wear itself out. There should be NO movement possible between the bearing shell and the rest of the engine.
Jerry

What was the manufacturer of your main bearings; and what is the number marked on them (or the undersized markings embossed on backside of shells example: 0.10" or 0.20") ?

Jerry, the supplied 8 shims have bolt holes for the main cap bolts. I hope to not use them after I measure clearances.

Jack, the manuf. is Federal Mogal and they are .040 and.040

Tony

Yes, I know how the shims are made- - -I have fabricated my own rod and main bearing shims from brass stock many times if I didn't have the right thickness. Hopefully, you won't need to adjust the bearing clearance by using the shims. If you've got a choice, a little loose on the clearance is always better than too tight!
Jerry

Do your Federal Mogul shells have a part number? And do the shims look like this? ....>>> SHIM SET

In the past I ordered a set of shims that turned out to be made by that company. Each shim was something like .006" each, totally useless. I returned them after the trying really hard to explain to the vendor that they were useless.

It is my understanding that the 235s with dowels onn the main bearings have shims and the ones without dowels don't use shims.

I am pretty sure they used shims from the factory, but things have changed since then, I think it was momentum, and they wanted to be able to adust things, (they liked doing things like that back then)EGGE doesn't provide shims in kits after 1949, and the shims the machinist wasted my money on, has 8 shims of around .015". I don't know how accurate of adjustment you are supposed to make with 1 shim... Also the bearings I got kind of precluded shimming due to the fact the upper bearing protruded above the parting line ever so slightly, while the lowers were recessed about the same. (maybe vice-versa) Whatever the case I got about .002-.003" crush with no shims.

Sorry Jerry I misunderstood what how you were explaning things. Thanks for everyones input, I'm understanding things a lot better, OH for the days of 1957 MGA rebuilds. Goodnite all and thanks again.
Tony