GM Insignia 2.0 Diesel Middle Main Bearing Delete Update.

[Donald64]

About one year ago, I was given a beautiful Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 diesel. The engine has a unique design of oil seal between the sump and oil pump. This seal deteriorates and around 80-120k miles, the pump draws air and after a few dashboard warnings of 'low oil pressure' the central main bearing spins. The ECU won't let you drive the car to safety and you're stuffed...
There's tons of videos on YouTube if you'd like to learn more. Search ' Insignia oil pump seal'.
So, I couldn't find a decent engine for less than a whole car.
I pondered and in a mad moment, shaped a brass plug, drove it into the central bearing oil feed and threw it back together.
Paranoia made me hear various noises on start up. Initially I did a few short journeys. Then as my confidence grew (hah! still too scared to go on the M65) I used the car more and more. Driving like a kitten, the car has now covered just over 4k miles since I improved it.
I still haven't ventured above 2.5k rpm. There's no warnings on the dashboard. No knocking or fault codes.
My reasoning is this: the high speed diesel was designed for a 'worst case scenario' such as towing a 25' trailer in a heatwave with low oil level, old engine oil, a car full of passengers and luggage.
It simply doesn't 'need' that fifth main bearing.
I don't recommend doing this, but it's a way to save yet another collection of metallurgical mastery from the scrap yard?
Discuss.

 

[dumkid]

take it up to redline and see what happens when you're ready to get rid of the car. I wonder if it can handle hard driving

 

[Jetronic]

or just replace the seal before then?

I had 9 years and 110k miles on mine without a single sign of seal failure.

 

[Chris142]

You blocked oil to a main bearing?

 

[dumkid]

You blocked oil to a main bearing?

the main bearing left the chat, he's just keeping the oil in the galleys so he has oil pressure. his old post explains better

 

[Exhaustgases]

the main bearing left the chat, he's just keeping the oil in the galleys so he has oil pressure. his old post explains better

What is a galley?
Definition: A low flat ship with one or more sails and oars. Or a Kitchen on a plane or ship.

Hmmm then it must be GALLERY?? Definition: A long room or passage.

What is really sad is when so called professionals continually use the wrong nomenclature. Just saying.

Now on topic,
How dumb of those engineers to install more bearings than needed in that engine.

 

[Jetronic]

What is a galley?
Definition: A low flat ship with one or more sails and oars. Or a Kitchen on a plane or ship.

Hmmm then it must be GALLERY?? Definition: A long room or passage.

What is really sad is when so called professionals continually use the wrong nomenclature. Just saying.

Now on topic,
How dumb of those engineers to install more bearings than needed in that engine.

Probably a single key stroke that didn't register, happens to me all the time

 

[dumkid]

What is a galley?
Definition: A low flat ship with one or more sails and oars. Or a Kitchen on a plane or ship.

Hmmm then it must be GALLERY?? Definition: A long room or passage.

What is really sad is when so called professionals continually use the wrong nomenclature. Just saying.

Now on topic,
How dumb of those engineers to install more bearings than needed in that engine.

ok, go to Oreilly's or another parts website and look up oil gallery plug. most parts websites call it a galley plug.

I call them oil galleys. the dictionary isn't always perfect and it's usually not written by mechanics or engineers.

besides you knew what I was talking about so it's not the wrong word for the job

and I didn't think it would last this long without a main bearing, I'm impressed.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Yeah, its because too many unknowings nowadays. Just look at all the real information from the old days, things then were named correctly.
Gosh the lesser generations now can't even spell BRAKES correctly every Oil galley talker spells them as BREAKS.
If you find a true engineering document they will call the oil passages "Oil Gallery's" simply because it is the CORRECT name.
You will also not find "OIL GALLEY" in a shop manual either.
If I see some tech article someone wrote, and they use that improper term, I ask myself, what else did they get wrong.
Oreilly's just has some unknowing goof that doesn't know the proper word, and is why that is on their site. Very unprofessional.
But then Oreilly's doesn't even list the proper parts for a few cars on their website, so its understandable.
Oh this is not to pick at you but to explain. You post some good stuff.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

I’ve seen them called the oil rifle too. I believe I read that in a service manual for a Cummins 6B.

 

[eljefino]

Ford's flathead V8 only had three main bearings.

What's stopping you from running emery cloth over what's left of the crank and pushing an oversized bearing shell into place? You could build it slightly loose but still have something there.

 

[dumkid]

Ford's flathead V8 only had three main bearings.

What's stopping you from running emery cloth over what's left of the crank and pushing an oversized bearing shell into place? You could build it slightly loose but still have something there.

the crank is ok, the block is damaged iirc

 

[oil pan 4]

Ford's flathead V8 only had three main bearings.

What's stopping you from running emery cloth over what's left of the crank and pushing an oversized bearing shell into place? You could build it slightly loose but still have something there.

Yeah and they blow up when they hit around 250hp.