Originally Posted by Maximo

It very well may be possible that once the engine is up to operating temperature the crank contacts the bearing...as everything expands differently...the aluminum case will expand much more then will the steel crank.....So the gap I speak of may just be clearance for heat expansion...I Am not sure if the clearance is still there when the engine is running as it is impossible to test........As I say I went thru all this a few years back when I got a batch of engines that were machined incorrectly ...When you mounted the flywheel there was thrust put onto the bearings and the engines behaved very badly because of it... Some would run, but get tight when hot, others would just lock up when you mounted the flywheel........