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1725cc Big End Bearing Supplier?

JSLoeffl

Gold Level Sponsor
Does anyone know where the tri-metal rod bearings specified can be purchased? Any place I've looked or asked appear to only supply bi-metal ones. I've even had one vendor tell me the 1725 has never had tri-metal bearings. So what's the scoop?
1725cc engine - WSM145 Sec B Page 26 states the bearing specs. Also page 9 general data specs.
Big end bearings: Indium-coated copper lead bearings are fitted to all new engines and must be used as replacements. ...........….and are able to carry greater loads than white metal bearings but they are harder and small particles do not bed themselves into the bearing metal.
Side Note: Crankshaft mains spec as regular bi-metal.

Some information on bearings I have obtained in my quest.
Glacier B4431SA, the SA means Steel Shells, reticular tin-aluminium lined, a bi-metal bearing.
Vandervell bearings are normally their standard VP19 material, a bi-metal bearing.
Vandervell’s VP2 material is the tri-metal version (Appears no longer available for our size).
VP2 is a lead bronze material which is continuously cast onto steel strip. Casting and quenching conditions are controlled in order to produce a microstructure with vertically orientated bronze columns. This gives the bearing material its superior strength increasing its compressive load capacity. When plated with lead indium it has become the favored material for racing engines. The combination of a lead tin alumina overlay with VP2 improves wear resistance by a factor of two when compared with a lead tin copper overlay. In addition the shaft conditioning properties are enhanced and fatigue resistance is improved.
I also found somewhere on-line that if the Vandervell PN ends in “A” (ie.VP91214A) it has the VP19 material.
If no “A” after the number (ie.VP91214), it is most likely their VP2 material but I have not been able to confirm this.
 

husky drvr

Platinum Level Sponsor
JSLoeffl,

I can't answer your main question about vendors, but the WSM passage you referenced comparing recommended bearing composition to "white metal" is just a warning to not use a bearing shell lined with "Babbitt" bearing material.

Any modern bearing material will have better load capabilities than Babbitt material.

The OE style bearings have probably fallen out of favor due to expense of materials and environmental concerns and regulations about lead content.

Just a thought,
 
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