How to determine which OEM rod bearings

[llmercll]

Hi everyone,

I have some slight rod knock in my 2001 Honda Civic HX and I am attempting to replace the rod bearings in high hopes it will go away.

The issue, however, is that I don't know which OEM bearings to get. Majestic Honda has many different colors, and I can't find in a manual anywhere which colors my vehicle uses.

I've read that the proper bearing colors are written somewhere on the engine and unique to each vehicle, can anyone direct me to exactly where they can be found?

Thank you!

 

[Andy636]

Pull the old one out and see if it's color coded on the side.

Even if you drop a new one in identical with the previous one, the problem might still persist as the crank could require machining.

 

[Eddie]

You will need to measure the crank journal to pick the correct size bearing.

 

[Lasthope05]

Rebuild the motor properly or get a new one. Throwing new bearings in is not going to fix the issue. The rod knock will have undoubtedly damaged the crank journal or the rod itself(spun bearings). At minimum the crank will need to be cut/replaced and the rod in question to be resized. After the entire engine would have to be torn down and cleaned from the bearing material running through the oiling system.

Its not as cut and dry as you think it is.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Also, rod bearings might not be your only problem. They don't often go bad all on their own if you have not been abusing the car. They're usually part of a larger problem and just the first to make themselves known.

You could have a blocked or partially blocked oil passage, a damaged crank, a spun bearing or a damaged rod or any number of other problems, too.

Maybe it's time for a new used car. You may have used this one up.

 

[bdcardinal]

If they use a system similar to Ford, you need codes off the block and the crankshaft to determine the proper bearing fit. They have a chart for fitment of the bearings.

 

[Chris142]

Often the over or under size is stamped on the back of the bearing. I rolled bearings into a scout 15 yrs ago and its still going! I caught it in time plus it had a forged crank

 

[bullwinkle]

You'll need to use a micrometer to check the rod journals on the crankshaft, & preferably an internal micrometer on the big end of the rods to see if there's any damage. You could get lucky & only need a .001 undersize rod bearing set-or you could have a chewed-up rod journal & need to pull the crank & have it ground undersize. There's only one way to find out...

 

[mehullica]

You have to remove the bearing & look at the color/number stamp to see what the engine has