How To Use Plastigage -EricTheCarGuy

1. Vary interesting as always. Would you happen to know if a reasonably well maintained 2006 1.4 petrol Polo at 100, 000 miles might be pron to small end wear. That is, light tapping noise much more pronounced under load almost disappears with no load.

2. YouTube stop turning off my notifications please thank you

3. Might want to clean of the oil on the rod side of the bearing also to not affect the reading.
   The "broken" rod is also cheaper to produce, so used in mostly factory engines. The downside of it is that you can't resize the big end in a rebuild, it's a throw-a-way part.

4. The video I keep coming back to. Thanks for the simple explanation.

5. I caught that "that'll do donkey". From Don Quixote. Nice!

6. ALWAYS ALWAYS put rod bearing in cap….. doing it the way you did can damage bearing. The bearing locks go lock to lock then you know rod cap is on right. Good video thanks.

7. There's an awful lot of Erics in the automotive industry….

8. What stupid fucking Chevy engineer came up with the stupid fucking ideas using a degree wheel give me a fucking torque number

9. Some great knowledge! I remember working with my dad and uncle using this plastic gauge. Now I can truly understand! Thanks!

10. My new engine has been measured at the engine shop is it a good idea to still check with plastic gauge

11. Just one thing I caught, at 15:00 you said the measurement incorrectly. .0015 is one and a half thousandths, not 15 thousandths. Good demonstration though.

12. Why wouldn't you just press the bearing to the cap instead of the crank pin?

13. What is the effect on plastigauge of oiling the bolts or not?

14. Never used plastigauge before. Is the reading not affected by the fact that that there is still oil between the crank and the other rod bearing that you didn't clean?

15. Hi! Where can i buy plastigage? I'm from Ecuador, and i want to import some of this for my business.

16. I need to measure thrust bearing clearance on an automatic transmission. I think this will work.Plastic guage.Now just to find different size thrust WASHERS to get in spec.

17. I need boy friend

18. Good video as I'm working on a Jeep TJ rebuild. What if the Pastigage shows the bearing clearance to be out of the required specification?

19. Thank you for making this video. Still helping people in 2020.

20. Did you take the crank out afterwards to clean it, meening you would also still have only oil on the mains at this point and not assembly lube?

21. Amazing Eric, love you work , cheers

22. Thanks Eric. Very useful video and well explained.

23. At 15:08 you misread the measurement calling it .015 when in actuality it was .0015, fifteen ten thousandths or 1.5 thou.

24. awsome man , thanks . very good video.

25. remind me of Mike Rowe, dirty jobs

26. 🔥🔥🔥 for the info

27. 🏆

28. Not locking the bearing into the rod cap first….

29. That means I still can use new standar bearings? Thanks for that video

30. Thanks Eric, that is really useful! I just didn't know how to do it! Sorted now!

31. Hey Eric . I have a few questions ! I have a b20z2 that I just had the valve lash done but I’m noticing a tapping sound after a few races . I have since re lashed the valves (no difference) and now have torn off the oil pan to check the rod bearings . Do you know if the b20 had issues with spinning bearings ? Can I replace them with out removing the engine . And lastly , would you recommend using the same nuts/bolts or purchasing new ones ? Thanks for all your help

32. I have tried to read most of the 335 comments below and have some simple answers:
    Bolts: TTA are not throw a way. GM service does not say otherwise.

    Plastigage: It is a controlled product produced to strict standards. It is sold by “Sealed Power” and others and only the color changes. Who cares who invented it, either in the U.K. or the USA, it’s patent is from the 1940’s.

    I you Like Micrometers and inside bore gauges and hate “Plastigage” no one cares. If you can afford the tools, fine. Once again, no one cares.
    Commercial engines or vehicle engines, works the same.
    Just make sure you know the correct readings for your engine. The production date can change the measurements or cam bearing block bores…double check.

    What to call it or pronounce it; 0.0015” to a machinist is pronounced 15 thou. If you want to call it 1.5 ten thousands fine. Just don’t expect a Christmas card from the American Machinist!!!

    What do I do if it reads ????
    #1 When in doubt, take it to a clean well respected busy machine shop and ask them. Guess what? They want to sell work & labor, so they will sell you work and labor! Duh!

    You can purchase bearings that are 0.001” smaller ID, and thus thicker. If the bearing journals are nice, polish out mirror or close to mirror finish, these will work great as they have for decades & decades. If you finger nail catches a groove, then you have to decide to cross the 60 year old rope bridge with the 1,000 foot drop, is your choice! How is this engine going to be used!

    Mix and match bearing sizes; Yes, thousands of engines have been build this way & repair this way! What do I mean? Ok, Buy two sets of bearings, one set is STD and the other is 0.001” under, place on either side of a rod or crank. Torque to crush and seat, then use the Plastigage. Go from there! It works fine, like it did for Ford V8’s during the 70’s. Plus rings gaps where lined up and had mis-matched rod caps factory numbered. I am not picking on Fords, they paid of my house! It is just a shop who had been there 40+ years & who’s customers were 65-80 and owned the car new and never had the engine apart anywhere. These were customers who had every RO in order i the glove box! Yes! This was when glove boxes would hold 3 chickens.

    Two sets of specs; Yes, GM and all others give you new production specs and service specs. Production means this is what they want when new. If your specs are less but above service specs, how far or HP do you want? The tighter the better but a film of oil is only as good as “The Sum Total Of All Leakage Passed All Bearings”

    Volume = Pressure; NO! The leakage passed all loose bearings reduce pressure. Volume is there or adding 18% more volume is like putting yesterdays under-ware onto a clean bottom. It works but still smells wrong!
    Tight bearing clearance equals high pressure because volume is not lost. Don’t fotget cam bearings, as if copper is showing at the bottom where pressures are highest when opening valves. Study hydraulics and automatic transmissions and don’t fall asleep during the math part!

    Plastigage and temperature; While metal expands with higher temperatures and various alloys are different. Alum on average expands twice as much as iron, fine. Is it cast iron? Nodular Gray Iron? LS exhaust are cast steel or close to it. I still elongate the end of manifolds for bolt holes, to allow for movement with flat washers.

    You be you! Plastigage is a proprietary blend of plastic but the amount of “Squish” at 72 degrees F is different that 0F or 100F. So pay attention.Yours will vary!

    Two, Three or Four pieces of Plastigage at a time: This is measurement of one side under normal circumstances. But engine bearing run on a film of oil all the way around the journal. Using two pieces 180 degrees apart, will measure about 1/2” the normal reading. This was never the purpose of Plastigage. My example is a minimum of 0.0009” or 9 ten thou… With plastigauge on both sides of this 2003 Tahoe rod bearing, it measures 0.00007” on each. Add together and you get 0.00014”. The minimum spec of 0.0009”, now half of the 0.00014”, (0.00007) subtract by 2= 0.000083” wont measure correctly. Never does. Now you can find several spots to measure out-of-round. The problem is the bearing is softer than then journal, so it this variation the crank journal or the bearing? I say the bearing! This is when you get the micrometer out. Please use the friction/ratchet tip to tighten. This is the only way to get true repeatable measurements.

    Now, I am not an authority on this subject but also not connected with Eric the car Guy. I am sure he is busy making the next videotape.

    I am a retired ASE Master Tech who did every type to repair on imports and domestics. Just trying to help answer a lot of questions going back 6 years. Hope this helps!

33. Nice job Eric you're the bomb brother

34. Eric, thanks again for a clear to the point subject matter. Iron and aluminum blocks of different years have different specs as oil has dropped to 0W-5 synthetic that requires tighter clearances. But you covered that in your disclaimer. As time passes, GM has taken a very strict position on published specs which is part of their intellectual properties. They are shutting them down one by one. Note: I worked on contract labor in the field for over 7+ years and today, even tech’s change their user password often and monitor the IP addresses used by that PW and time of day.
    As a quick note, I have a 2003 iron block truck LS, but the production specs for the rods are 0.0009”-0.0025”, Service is 0.0009”-0.003” but also list 15 lb. ft. + 75 degree angle. Yours will very. Please folks, don’t give up as ACDelco.com can provide GM’s eSI (Electronic Service Information) for a fee, lasting 24 hrs or more if you desire. The advantage is updates, TSB, or Recalls can be updated with one key stroke. The same is true with programming modules if you have a shop. I had some programming modules wireless while the vehicle is in the parking lot.
    1978 – ASE Master Tech – Retired Everyone, hit the like & subscribed!!!!
    Eric has some of the best videos on these subjects than many!

35. Eric, you are so cool, smart, great teacher, and that's pretty sexy to me! 😍

36. So how do I pick the proper rod bearings after measuring? Assuming the measures being in spec or out of spec? Kind of confused regarding that…

37. Thanks Eric. Always great to to see you out there. Take care.

38. so 30 years after i overhauled my smallblock i finally learned the purpose of that plastic tool 😅

39. Excellent presentation, thanks for clarifying the finer points.

40. Thanks for the video Eric. I have just learnt something new. I'm not a mechanic but like to learn more about my car and how it functions. I had my diahatsu hijet connecting rod bearing changed because it made a loud sound, one was worn down. The oil light used to flick off and on and sometimes stay on. After having the bearing changed the noise is less but the light still comes on after driving for a short while. I heard you said that the if the clearance around the connecting rod is greater the oil pressure will be lower. Do you think I may be experiencing the same problem. If the torque requirements not meet could this be the reason for low oil pressure?

41. so if Ur 1 thour to wide in your plastigage, and in the range, how can i reduce the clearance to make this correct. any help would be awsome

42. wasnt at 85 degrees. looked like 75 bro.

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