OEM Dodge Dakota Rod Bearing

Dodge Dakota Rod Bearing Parts and Q&A

• Rod Bearings
  2421305
  Q: How to Ensure Proper Alignment and Clearance When Inspecting and Replacing Rod Bearings on Dodge Dakota?

  A:

  See if the rod bearings are scoring, bent, are out of alignment and if they are worn normally. Change any bearing that seems worn out in a way it shouldn't be. Make sure to inspect the journals where the connecting rods attach for signs of scoring, nicks and burrs, so you avoid abnormal Piston and Crankshaft damage caused by bent rods. Whenever the rod alignment becomes obvious from the signs of stress and damage, check the connection and change any bent or twisting rods you find. Oil the connecting rod journal and use sections of short rubber hose covered over the rod bolts when installing. Grease the top bearing guide area and place it into the connecting rod. Set up the piston and rod while using the piston ring compressor to confirm the oil squirt holes in the rods are aimed at the camshaft and the arrow on the piston is showing toward the front of the engine. Place the lower bearing insert into the bearing cap, check it's dry, then attach Plastigage right across the center of the lower insert. Slide the bearing cap and connecting rod into place and pull the bolts tight to 45 Nm (33 ft. lbs.) before turning the crankshaft to ensure the Plastigage is neither wasted nor stained. After taking off the bearing cap, measure the compressed Plastigage to estimate the gaps between the journal and bearing, compare them and ensure they are the same at each end of the insert. Should the clearance fall outside the spec, make sure the inserts are 0.0254 mm (0.001 inch) smaller than needed, put the odd size inserts one the bottom and test the clearance one more time. A diameter undersize of 0.025 mm (0.001 inch) from the 0.0762 mm (0.003 inch) original clearance results in a final clearance of 0.002 inch, fulfilling the standard. Make the Plastigage measurement again before putting together the machine to check the bearing size. When the appropriate insert is found, put it in and the cap, fasten the connecting rod bolts securely to 45 Nm (33 ft. lbs.), then fit a feeler gauge between the connecting rod and crankshaft journal flange to look at the side clearance, replacing the connecting rod if it doesn't fit the Engine Specifications.
• Bearings
  5012363AE
  Q: What Is the Proper Method for Installing Rod Bearings to Ensure Optimal Assembly and Lubrication on Dodge Dakota?

  A:

  Place all of the rods on a bank, ensuring that only one bank is being worked on at a time, because connecting rods and Pistons aren't interchangeable between banks. Mark the part where the bearing sits so that you assemble it properly, since many bearing caps look alike. There is a small V-shape across the parting face of the cap; line up this V-groove with the one on the lower shell as you fit them, to ensure the engine wall is well lubricated in the adjacent side. Insert every bearing shell so that the tangs fit into their required machined grooves in both the rods and caps. Keep the taper or out-of-round on any crankshaft journals under 0.025 mm (0.001 inch). These bearings have dimensions of 0.025 mm (0.001 inch), 0.051 mm (0.002 inch), 0.076 mm (0.003 inch), 0.254 mm (0.010 inch) and 0.305 mm (0.012 inch) less than the standard. Fit the bearings in sets of two, preventing the use of paired bearings with different halves and do not touch the bearings or rods with files.