Help??! Did I Install a main bearing incorrectly??

Ok, so i just did a crank, mains and rod bearings on my 86 vw golf tdi. im unsure about how installed the bearings though. All of my mains were flat with a thrust bearing in the middle. Except, there was one bearing with a groove or valley in it that was different from all the rest. A friend of mine told me that it is supposed to go in the rear, flywheel main bearing. So i installed it and have put about 50 miles on the car, now, he said he may have been wrong about which main to install this bearing on. Anyone run into this?? Any help from someone with experience would relieve a ton of tention for me. ???ThanksBrianGJ, Colorado

anyone?

Drop the oil pan and check it out.

You can pull any of the main bearings in that motor in under 20 minutes.

When the bearing caps come off you should have marked them to avoid any possible confusion.

The bearing caps are line bored and cannot be turned around otherwise you will overheat and spin the bearing.

One idea is to turn the motor by hand, if the motor turns relatively easily then the bearing is fine. If the motor feel somewhat bound up you more than likely will need to pull and replace that bearing due to damage on the contact surfaces.

DB

thanks for the reply. My question isnt as to how i installed the bearing caps though. I know i got the caps in the right way. Im just wondering which main this grooved bearing is supposed to go on. any idea? i'd like things to last.

Grooved bearings are on top, the solid bearings are on the bottom (Bearing cap). The groove allows oil to spread out from each of the oil galleys and then work under the crank. When installing you can see each of the oil galleys through the bearing groove.

DB

No one seemed to answer this question. Grooved Main bearings go in the block. Flat main bearings go in the cap EXCEPT #4 main takes grooved bearing in block and Cap.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but his question was never answered and I wanted the answer there for anyone else who searched.

still never answered... hmmm. and i have found 2 manufacturers that have done the 6 and 4 combo vs the 5 and 5.

There is an issue that crops up only under high stress situations (high heat, long grade). this causes either the #3 or #4 CONNECTING ROD bearing to fail with disastrous consequences. Usually a holed block and broken rod.

The 'extra' grooved bearing goes on the #4 crank cap. That provides additional oiling to the #3 and #4 rod bearings, curing the issue.

Franko6 said:

There is an issue that crops up only under high stress situations (high heat, long grade). this causes either the #3 or #4 CONNECTING ROD bearing to fail with disastrous consequences. Usually a holed block and broken rod.

The 'extra' grooved bearing goes on the #4 crank cap. That provides additional oiling to the #3 and #4 rod bearings, curing the issue.

Click to expand...

Whoa, does this apply to ALH's as well???

I am not sure what you mean when you say, "Except, there was one bearing with a groove or valley in it that was different from all the rest"

I just consulted my Bentley Manual for the '85 - 89 Golf/Jetta and for the diesel it makes no mention about differing main bearings. The diagram given is not much help either. It appears the thrust washer may be on both sides of main bearing #3, but even that is unclear from the diagram.

--Nate