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ACL Race Bearings, machining thrusts, and building.
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:25 pm
by cj91legss
I'm in a bit of a bind on my short block. I ordered a set of ACL race bearings and they don't seem to sit in the block right, I ordered thrust #3. Had some concerns, and the seller sent me another set. The second set doesn't sit in there well either.
Basically, the bearing ends are a little higher than the case halves. I don't think they squish down all the way when the block is torqued together.
This is my first go at putting a block together, so maybe I'm over thinking it, who knows. At any rate, when I plastigauge the crank, the tolorences are too small, so I may need a new crank.
If I need a new crank, I'm just gonna buy a 2.0 off nasioc and save this for another day. Or pull the motor out of the 93 and sell the rolling shell. Either way, I want this done before the end of the year.
Engine is an EJ22T
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:48 pm
by mike-tracy
If youre gonna keep the car, my vote is get a crank that specs out. Just get a phase I crank so you dont need more machinewoek. Those last > 100k miles even with the "inferior" thrust bearing position.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:46 am
by rallyak
Are they std bearings? Sounds like you might have oversized bearings the reason that its too tight.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:53 am
by cj91legss
No, it's too loose. These are standard.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 3:56 pm
by cj91legss
I think I'm gonna go grab a short block from pick n pull and see if I can get away with putting some turbo pistons in it and throwing that in my build until I can afford to buy a new crank. I really wanted the closed deck block in my build, but it's too expensive to finish at the moment.
Yes Mike, I wanted to keep the car. We're talking about my 92 w/ wrx swap.
ACL emailed me back and said the bearings do infact crush down when torqued and that the bearings halves do protrude a little above the case halves. so I'm fine there.
I'm going to go find a set of bearings elsewhere tho, just to have and see how the block looks before I buy another short block.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:22 pm
by Legacy777
CJ,
In your first post you say the tolerances are too small, but then in later posts you say that it's too loose. Can you clarify which it is and what your seeing with the plastigauge tolerances and what the required tolerances are.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:39 pm
by cj91legss
I can understand how that seems confusing now. I was wondering why everyone said the opposite of what was going on.
To be specific, the plastigauge was too small (loose) when I measured it with the paper, meaning the crank needs machined for over sized bearings.
Sorry guys.
After some research, I'm going to just buy a low mile short block and use that to get the car going. This route, I can take more time and maybe get a new crankshaft and some aftermarket pistons.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:00 pm
by Legacy777
Ok, gotcha

Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 11:00 pm
by macipusy
I always go 0.25 oversized bearings on a used crank, and have them machined. That way you are in spec on used components.
I'm just about to repeat this on my ej236t stroker

Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 11:02 pm
by cj91legss
I'm thinking a brand new crank may be the way I'm gonna go.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 11:56 pm
by rallyak
That's what I did after my clearances weren't what I wanted them to be and the crank was bent .006 thousandths and I don't trust anyone grinding my cranks but me. Even the new crank from Subaru was bent .002 but was able to straighten it.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:02 am
by cj91legss
If I read correctly, ej20 and ej22 cranks are the same, except thrust. Rally sport direct sells wry cranks for a little over 350. It's a bit cheaper than buying from the discounted Subaru place online.
In the mean time I'm going to hold off on this particular build. Donate the block in my 93 to my 92 wrx swap and r ake my time with this engine in the topic.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:03 am
by cj91legss
This is also the first time I have ever built an engine this deep into it, so it's a learning process as well.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:42 am
by 86BRATMAN
If you find some place you can get a crank for the ej20g, ej20h, ej20r, or ej20k it'll be a direct replacement for your ej22t crank, no thrust relocation needed.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:51 am
by cj91legss
What is the purpose of the Thrust bearing anyways? Also, why did Subaru change its location?
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:03 am
by rallyak
Without the thrust bearing the crank would float back and forth. The location change is a better location in the rear where most of the energy is transferred. Less stress on the crank.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:06 am
by cj91legss
So machining for #5 would be beneficial. Which the crank from rallysport might be the best option.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 4:32 pm
by macipusy
Machine for 5, keep 3 and dual thrust....YEAH! That would be sweet.
I think machining for #5 is difficult on the inside face with the halves bolted together. Not sure what the process would entail.
I would love to see what the price on something like that would be.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:18 pm
by cj91legss
Fortunately these aren't bolted together so that should be better for a machinist to work with.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:18 pm
by macipusy
I always thought they had to bolt the halves together to bore the lip for the thrust surface. At least that's what one machine shop told me.
I'm interested in what you find out, because if they can do one half at a time, and it works good....then I'm considering just converting my ej236t stroker to a rear thrust setup.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:21 pm
by cj91legss
I'm only guessing. I have no machining knowledge. It actually seemed logical to me to have them separated, but since you said that it seems more logical that they would have to have it torqued down to get things correct.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:45 pm
by mike-tracy
I think that with a freshly built.block, thrust position isnt really a failing point. I think a better reason to convert would be the better oiling provided by the updated crossdrilled Ej20 crank.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:58 pm
by cj91legss
I forgot about the cross drilled crank. Hmmmm.......
This is seeming more like a better idea by the second.
Re: ACL Race Bearings
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 2:01 pm
by cj91legss
So my next question, being that the 22t has oil squirters, and we're thinking about machining it for a newer 2.0 crank with cross drilled oil galleys, Anyone here think the 10MM oil pump will be enough flow?
Re: ACL Race Bearings, machining thrusts, and building.
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:21 pm
by Legacy777
What size oil pump does the newer 2.0 engine have?