Bearing reviews/feedback ?

[Bruce.m]

Hello,

Will be shopping for type1 rebuild parts soon.

Any suggestions on bearing brands to use or avoid?

Looking for crank / cam / rod bearings in standard sizes, for a mild engine spec.

Also gaskets sets, any tips there?

[V8Nate]

I use silverline main and rod bearings and Kolbenschmidt double thrust cam bearings(2 sets of silverline cam bearings were so damn tight on the thrust surface it wasn't even funny! The Kolbenschmidt bearings needed the smallest amount of massaging to get em dialed in they were almost perfect. For gaskets I use an elring set(im pretty positive thats the brand) as far as sealer I've had very good luck with Indian head gasket shellac and ultra black rtv. My latest motor I tried curil t and dirko from elring but didn't have the best of luck with a leak free motor. Hope that helps

[Bruce.m]

Thanks.

Can you use a set of WBX cam bearings to get the double thrust? Can’t remember if they fit.

Will be using Curil K2 for the case halves but wanted to check wanted to check on the latest status of bearing quality as this has changed over the years.

[V8Nate]

I'm not sure about wbx bearings I just look up vw double thrust bearings and alot of options come up on ebay

[Bruce.m]

No joy with KS cam bearings locally. Either Silverline or “Mahle” (the quotes because they are sold by JP group so quality is not certain).

Can get “VW Classic” set though for an acceptable price so that might be an option (double thrust, ie WBX).

[Lingwendil]

silverline mains, mahle double thrust cam, and clevite rd bearings is what i used on my current build, and they all fit perfectly- no surprises.

[sideshow]

Refresh my memory, do we as an industry have a choice in mains? From what I can gather silverline is the only vendor in stock.
I am sure I am an outlier, but in my own motors I have been re using mains (I tend to run split #3 mains, also know as NLA) and back in during the turn of the century I would make my own double thrust cam bearings by using 5 new bearing, and 1 used thrust. Today all my cam bearing are made of used ones.

The logic I have been using is that bad cam bearings are rare and I don't like the "feel" of super light weight mains. I personally only use VW sized rods so I have not had much hands on with the buick rods that seem the way to go.

[Tom in PA]

I kind of had the same question recently. I've not built an engine in some time and was wondering where things stood.