SCguy said:
Sorry for my ignorance... What are "big ends" and "thrust bearings"?
"big ends" is British for connecting rod bearings. And on a TRactor motor, I wouldn't even bother checking the thrust bearings/washers ... they will be fine. It's only the TR6 motor (which inexplicably has much less thrust surface than the TR2-4 motor) where the thurst washers are an issue.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]This would be new ground for me, so can anyone point me to a good write-up or get me started.[/QUOTE]Try the Haynes manual, ISTR it had a brief desciption of changing the con rod bearings with the engine in the car. Plus a suggestion to do it as preventative maintenance every 30,000 miles or so (which IMO is a good idea).
To check the clearance, you disassemble the bearing and lay a piece of Plastigage across the face. Then reassemble, torque, and disassemble again. Compare the width of the crushed Plastigage to the bands on the wrapper to read the clearance. Plastigage should be available at any auto parts store. You'll probably want some of both .001-.003 for main bearings and .002-.006 for rods.
A quick Google turned up this article on using Plastigage (on a Ford V8, but similar to a TR)
https://www.fast351.com/cartech/enginerebuild/index4.htm