Main and Rod bearings... Mini Spares confuses...what to get?

[sandman]

I am about to order some new bearings for an engine and am getting very unsure on what to get.... Mini spares have some ratgher confusing descriptions:

AEM91120:
Main bearings, 1275 2" mains. Heavy duty steel backed bearing for durability and long life. The bearings to use if you want it to last. The only bearings to use on a competition motor. Duraglide F780 ( Tri-Metal ) Sintered copper lead, lead plated,steel backed Nominal Composition Copper 74% Lead 24% Tin 2%

VP91120:
Main bearings, 1275 2" mains. Heavy duty steel backed bearing for durability and long life. The bearings to use if you want it to last. The only bearings to use on a competition motor. Mahle manufacture

Looking at the A-plus type does not shed much light on it either:

VP91886:
lead indium bearing and is considered the best type available for race engines but most road cars will cover greater mileage on Glacier tin/alluminum type

AEM91886
Original equipment quality for factory built engines giving longer life expectancy on road cars under variable conditions of oil and use.These are the 1275cc mains as fitted to A Plus engines with the locating tab in the middle rather than to the outside edge as per Pre A plus engines Duraglide F780 ( Tri-Metal ) Sintered copper lead, lead plated,steel backed Nominal Composition Copper 74% Lead 24% Tin 2%

So what type is the best to use in a race engine???
Rich?

[guru_1071]

ed

this is all due to various bearing suppliers going bust (acl), other suppliers going in short supply (vandervelle) and others changing production (ae/marhle)

bearings sold under the 'vp' number will be vandervelle, or if stock is exhausted marhle - these are the better heavy duty bearings.

bearings sold under a 'ae' number will be either acl, or if stock is exhausted (which most are now) std ae bearings - the std bearings are nothing special, but the acl where fine.

its a constant battle to get both quality bearings and bearings in the sizes that are required and we are constantly having to update what we can get - it varies from month to month which is why the web desciptions tend not to be up to date - different sizes of the same bearings can come in three different boxes!

as a very rough rule of thumb, if the 'ae' description doesnt mention heavy duty etc then its fair to assume they are ae 'std', if it does then they 'may' be 'acl' ones, but as the acl stock exhausts they are reverting back to the 'std' ae material ones

its one of those parts where its always best to ask at the point of order if you need the heavy duty bearing, or use the vp number as that will always have the best quality bearing that we can get.


simples - ish!

[sandman]

I take it the same applies for rod bearings?

Let see if I et this right.. the best preferred bearings to get is:

Cooper S:

Rod : VP572
B/E: VP91120

1275:
Rod: VP91306
B/E VP91120

A+:
B/E: VP91886

Is this correct?

We were planning on making a internet order... so talking to people is difficult.. does this mean I cannot rely on that I will be getting what I am ordering from the webshop? (if I order VP91886-20 and VP572-10 - will I get the H/D bearings or not?)

[guru_1071]

ed

as you list above:-

Cooper S:

Rod : VP572

marhle - 00
vander - 10
marhle - 20

B/E: VP91120 (this is the a ser main, not B/E)

marhle & vp - 00
vander - 10
vander - 20

1275:
Rod: VP91306

marhle - 00
marhle - 10
vander - 20


A+:
B/E: VP91886 (this is actually the a+ main - not B/E)

marhle - 00
marhle - 10
vander - 20

no sizes over +20 are kept in vp (at this time, may alter as more marhle come on line), sometimes 30/40 are kept under the ae number and sometimes they will be acl, but this is hit & miss

as long as you use the 'vp' prefix you will get the heavy duty bearings

[sandman]

Thank you for the clarification Rich... ACE customer service!

OIh.. sry for mixing up B/E and Mains.. I started with one list and ended up changing it completely.. but overlooked some bits..

[guru_1071]

OIh.. sry for mixing up B/E and Mains..

somebody i know got mixed up with bearing numbers and bought (not from me) & and supplied a set of mini 1000 bearings to the crank grinder and left him with the instructions 'please grind my crank, here are the bearings'

only problem?


its was a sa1100 crank.......(with 1275 size journals)


opps!