m42 replacement engine.. questions on what to replace

[jrobie79]

how hard is it to change the thrust bearing? and how can I tell if the crank is worn too far?

[AndrewBird]

Well, if it is really badly worn (like mine was) the crank will move back and forth a noticeable amount. To measure it, you need to put a dial indicator on the end of the crank and see how much it moves.

Replacing all the main bearings is just a matter of unbolting the bearing caps, pulling the crank out and putting new ones in. I would replace the rod bearings while you were at it. I can't remember is the main cap bolts are reusable, but the rod cap bolts are not, so you will need new ones of those as well.