Hello, I am working on the kids hotrod at the moment. We also pull garden tractors when dad(me) isn't working on the truck.

I need a rod bearing designed for a 1.575-1.600 crank pin. Width isn't critical, but needs to be under .750 so less machining is required. It needs a wall thickness around .0585-.060. My big end of the rod I am using can go out to a 1.6940. The current rod is just aluminum with no bearing material. I have had a set machined for .0035 oil clearance but when you buzz the engine up to 6000 they don't last that long before the rod glues itself to the crank. Basically I am machining a non insert bearing rod for a bearing insert for the reliability and I'm trying to get a season out of the engine without catastrophic failure.

Oh, The engine is a Briggs and Stratton 180 degree opposed twin flathead. The kids need to get interested early in life and as of now my 7 year old daughter is a real gear head.

If anyone can help I'd sure appreciate it. My local performance machine shop says there to busy for this kind of thing.
Thanks Dennis

Maybe this will work for you.

This is odd but very first bearing I looked at would be almost perfect I think.

Its for a Toyota 1295cc, 1425cc, or 1587cc

I see them listed under GM engine too so this is probably out of that little Toyota-Nova car also know as the "Toylet".


Federal Mogul part # 1025RA

std shaft diameter 1.574-1.5748

parent bore diameter 1.6931-1.6939

wall thickness .0587

bearing width .673

Thanks for the reply Greg. I will give that a shot. If you find a bearing close to what I need with a thinner wall thickness could you please post the part number. The thinner I can get one, although they probably don't come any thinner than .050, the better.

Has any one ever done this before. I know its been done to kohler single cylinders and I've heard of it being done to some model t or a engines.

Dennis