I've been back to the machine shop again today to check with the chap who advised me to do it that way - I got it a bit wrong - he said it doesn't really matter but that way round is really to check out of roundness if you don't have a micrometer. I misunderstood him and followed his instructions incorrectly.

I'm still planning to do the comparison I mentioned in post # 15 above on the (new) bits when I put them all back together.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

PlastigaugeUSA.com)
http://www.plastigaugeusa.com/

How Plastigauge Works
http://www.plastigaugeusa.com/how.html
http://www.jensenhealey.com/tech/plastigauge/how-to-use-plastigauge.html

Using Plastigauge to check clearances
http://guy-croft.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=950&p=4964&hilit=plastigauge#p4964

Fundamentals of Measuring bearing clearences
http://www.fordmuscle.com/fundamentals/plastiguage/

How to use plastigage to measure clearances
http://www.ehow.com/how_2142943_use-plastigage-measure-clearances.html

Plastigaging bearing clearances
http://mechdb.com/index.php/Plastigaging_bearing_clearances

Inspecting and Measuring the Crankshaft,
Main Bearings, and Saddle Bores
http://webtools.delmarlearning.com/sample_chapters/had73024_139_ch139.pdf

I have seen the Plastigage used in multiple spots on the same bearing surface on plant machinery. To each his own, use te tool for what it does to help, right?

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Leave it to the English to provide a Plastigauge kit with 2 types of grease.

I most recently used it on my 91 Jetta 1.6 IDI diesel where I did a quick and dirty in situ re-ring ( no chassis crossmember to get in the way on VW). I pulled the pan and checked several of big end and main bearings. It's handy stuff and will give you at least a ballpark idea on bearing condition.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)