which bearings?ACL? help needed! - GT-R Register - Official Nissan Skyline and GTR Owners Club forum

NickGTS · 18th July 2008, 02:31 AM

I've been searching for weeks now, started my first RB rebuild and it's time to order new bearings, which ones should i use for approx 600bhp?

most people are saying that ACL are fine but i've been quoted anywhere from £60 (ebay usa) to £220 (uk trader) for rods and mains??? are these different bearings? do acl offer different types of bearing for the RB26 and if so, which should i use?

or... does anyone recommend a different brand for a budget rebuild?

many thanks in advance for your help

steveyturbo · 18th July 2008, 06:29 AM

ACL race series would be a good choice , be careful of the ones on ebay the size on some of the bearings are not always correct. I dont quite know why it is, its possible they are seconds.

kismetcapitan · 18th July 2008, 08:04 AM

what kind of bearing doesn't matter. At all. What matters, and it utterly critical, is fitment. That being said, it is the opinion of several builders that the ACL-type bearings, which come in fewer sizes, are more tolerant of wear than Nismo/Power Enterprise/other bearings with special coatings. You can precisely fit Nismo bearings, as they come in increments of 0.003mm. Just wrap your head around that figure - 0.003mm. Scratch the bearing with your fingernail, and you've changed the thickness.

Bearings that come in seven sizes and have special coatings can be fitted exactly out of the box and the coatings hold oil better. ACL or Cosworth tri-metal bearings are more "rough-fit" and require very fine machining of the journals to get clearances equal across the board. They don't have fancy coatings to hold oil better. But they will hold up to wear and maintain constant oil clearances longer than coated bearings.

I used Cosworth bearings in my current engine build. I spent a FORTUNE on Power Enterprise black race bearings with the coating with microscopic pyramids to hold oil better. A thin high-tech coating won't save the bearing or the crank pin if the crankshaft wobbles and causes brief metal-on-metal contact. After 12,000km, my bearing set that cost a grand was trashed, but drivable (maybe without such pricey bearings my engine would have broke itself into pieces). But the facts are that the bearings had not been fitted correctly, and so 20 months later, problems arose.

paul cawson · 18th July 2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickGTS

I've been searching for weeks now, started my first RB rebuild and it's time to order new bearings, which ones should i use for approx 600bhp?

most people are saying that ACL are fine but i've been quoted anywhere from £60 (ebay usa) to £220 (uk trader) for rods and mains??? are these different bearings? do acl offer different types of bearing for the RB26 and if so, which should i use?

or... does anyone recommend a different brand for a budget rebuild?

many thanks in advance for your help

ACL have changed the design of their bearings and now share the same design as Tomei who they supply, just make sure you get the later type

NickGTS · 18th July 2008, 12:16 PM

wow, fantastic info, where's the cheapest place to get the new ACL bearings and how do i go about fitting them properly? i really need to get this right!

paul cawson · 18th July 2008, 01:22 PM

Here is the link to the Tomei bearings it says in the foot note that they are made in cooperation with ACL
Competition Bearing Series

Just make sure the ones you buy look the same as these

https://www.horsepowerparts.com/inde...roduct_id=1194

18th July 2008, 02:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
NickGTS GTR Register Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 26	which bearings?ACL? help needed! I've been searching for weeks now, started my first RB rebuild and it's time to order new bearings, which ones should i use for approx 600bhp? most people are saying that ACL are fine but i've been quoted anywhere from £60 (ebay usa) to £220 (uk trader) for rods and mains??? are these different bearings? do acl offer different types of bearing for the RB26 and if so, which should i use? or... does anyone recommend a different brand for a budget rebuild? many thanks in advance for your help

18th July 2008, 08:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
kismetcapitan GTR Register Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Seoul Korea Posts: 6,608	what kind of bearing doesn't matter. At all. What matters, and it utterly critical, is fitment. That being said, it is the opinion of several builders that the ACL-type bearings, which come in fewer sizes, are more tolerant of wear than Nismo/Power Enterprise/other bearings with special coatings. You can precisely fit Nismo bearings, as they come in increments of 0.003mm. Just wrap your head around that figure - 0.003mm. Scratch the bearing with your fingernail, and you've changed the thickness. Bearings that come in seven sizes and have special coatings can be fitted exactly out of the box and the coatings hold oil better. ACL or Cosworth tri-metal bearings are more "rough-fit" and require very fine machining of the journals to get clearances equal across the board. They don't have fancy coatings to hold oil better. But they will hold up to wear and maintain constant oil clearances longer than coated bearings. I used Cosworth bearings in my current engine build. I spent a FORTUNE on Power Enterprise black race bearings with the coating with microscopic pyramids to hold oil better. A thin high-tech coating won't save the bearing or the crank pin if the crankshaft wobbles and causes brief metal-on-metal contact. After 12,000km, my bearing set that cost a grand was trashed, but drivable (maybe without such pricey bearings my engine would have broke itself into pieces). But the facts are that the bearings had not been fitted correctly, and so 20 months later, problems arose. Last edited by kismetcapitan; 18th July 2008 at 08:07 AM.

18th July 2008, 01:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
paul cawson New Users Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Essex Posts: 2,098	Here is the link to the Tomei bearings it says in the foot note that they are made in cooperation with ACL Competition Bearing Series Just make sure the ones you buy look the same as these https://www.horsepowerparts.com/inde...roduct_id=1194 Last edited by paul cawson; 18th July 2008 at 01:27 PM.

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18th July 2008, 06:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
steveyturbo GTR Register Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: N.Ireland Posts: 212	ACL race series would be a good choice , be careful of the ones on ebay the size on some of the bearings are not always correct. I dont quite know why it is, its possible they are seconds.

18th July 2008, 12:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
NickGTS GTR Register Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 26	wow, fantastic info, where's the cheapest place to get the new ACL bearings and how do i go about fitting them properly? i really need to get this right!