Replacing bearings with engine in car

[Talasas]

Okay, after a headache today I've deduced from the symptoms that I have that I most likely need new bearings. I have a 4AGE turbo that I just got up and running after two years off the road. I can supply detailed specs if needs be but I mainly wanted to know:

how difficult is it to change con-rod bearings on a 4AGE with the engine still in the car? I have an AE92. Can the upper and lower halves of the big end bearings be replaced without removing the crank? I'm thinking move
piston to BDC and lift rod up?

[CELICASUPRA7M]

if you can get the sump off then yeah, but its a prick of a job

[Dale]

Short answer... yes it could be done

[crowncustom]

Easy as,just like riding a bike.
Cheers brett.

[Gary]

ive done it before, can be done but isnt ideal. box needs to come off of course, its a fair decent job. thrust washers can be annoying if you've got em like i did

FWD might be easier to just remove the lot at once then dissemble and do it properly though, checking tolerances and the like as you should

[Talasas]

ive done it before, can be done but isnt ideal. box needs to come off of course, its a fair decent job. thrust washers can be annoying if you've got em like i did

FWD might be easier to just remove the lot at once then dissemble and do it properly though, checking tolerances and the like as you should

If It comes to a must to pull the engine out it'll most likely never get put back in. I would really prefer not to have to remove it, likewise the crank if possible. Even if it means that it's tricky. As long as it's possible. I'd only be looking at replacing the big end bearings as the whole engine was already rebuilt not that long ago. I've just been worried about the big ends as I think the builder left too much clearance as ever since it got done my oil pressure has been lower which also can eat bearings.

[Gary]

i see not doing crank bearings, no box off then should be able to do just the rod bearings if you rotate the crank accordingly, be gentle when moving the rod/piston by hand with the cap off

i cant imagine why not, but i havent pulled a 4A apart before, last time i did this was with a 35 year old pushrod 4 banger heh

["Z" UTE]

Belive it or not, Toyota list one of their special tools do do this exact job. The tool is used to push the bearing cap that is in the rod, out of the tang groove.

With a 4A, the job should be quite straight forward after you remove the sump. Get yourself a decent micrometer to check the crankshaft journals. Measure each journal at 3 points along the axis, and a further 3 points around the circumference. Only buy the bearing shells after you have measured and recorded the crankshaft journal sizes. I have seen a couple if engines destroyed by fitting a larger than required oversize bearing shell. Any signs of ovality in the journal means the crankshaft WILL have to be machined.

cheers Chuck.

[Talasas]

Excellent, I've got the sump off now and I'm going to have a look at the suspected cylinder tomorrow. I have a feeling that the workshop that did the block for me fitted the wrong bearings as I've had low oil pressure ever since I got it back from them. Fingers crossed only the bearing has copped it at worst.

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.