Crank bearings/shells

[matthewmosse]

True, properly speaking I think plasitigauge or some such product should be clamped in the cases and the ammount of streach measured. This cannot be done without cases so the best they could achive is to measure the crank very accurately and supply according to that and rely on total accuracy and consistency in the manufacure of the cases. I know Honda are really good, but that really good every time? On the other hand it's streaching my skills for me to do that job - part of the reason I just swap engines if needed.

[Bryanj]

Perhaps I am cynical but i don't think there is a machine show in the UK that can measure to the accuracy of the original Honda air gauges

[ginger_jim]

Conjecture doesn't do anyone any good IMHO.  I was looking at paying ~ £200 for the shells from Dave Silver so im sorry chaps, but  as no-one has actually provided a solution as to how I would have measured the big ends with out a legible code on the rods i'm sticking to my guns.  SEP have done the same for others on the forum without any problems so we'll just have to wait and see. 

[ginger_jim]

OK - Mains are 10.74 each inc VAT = 107.40
Big ends                                         = 69.60

I gave SEP the case codes (BBBBB) so actually they are just going to sell me the shells that I would have got from Dave Silver but cheaper because they buy them in bulk.  My concern was the Big End measurement so it really depends which camp you sleep in - fit the biggest bearing or pay a very reasonable (in my opinion) price to get someone else to measure up. While I have a huge amount of respect for the collective knowledge on this forum, especially ex honda mechanics, lets be careful not to introduce too much anxiety for less experienced readers who may be unsure when faced with ambiguous decisions 

[Mitchv60]

I haven't gone any further with this as I made the decision to leave it until the cases had been painted so not to contaminate the clean metal.