97 Cavalier 2.2, I spun a rod bearing so I replaced the crank and put new rings and bearings in the bottom end but I had an issue with the main (crank) bearings. One of them didnt have a groove in it like all the others. I checked both my blown engine and the parts engine and they all had the grove in every bearing. I was in a rush assembling this on friday and racing saturday so I just threw the funny no groove bearing on the pulley side of the engine, first crank bearing.
Car fired right up and ran great. I found an oil leak when i got to the track and had to drop the pan and reseal it so I missed out on practice and the only run time the motor had was about 2 hours of idling. I drove out on the track for the first race and under the pace laps the motor was fine then about 20 feet after the green flag I spun a rod bearing.

Today i pulled the car in the garage and droped the pan and pulled the #1 rod bearing and of course thats the one thats screwed. Is this because of the crank bearing with no groove not oiling the rod or is it just a coincidence it was the #1 rod. I was thinking of throwing just one rod bearing in it and seeing if it happens again but i dont have the time if it doesn't work whish im almost sure it wont. I'm thinking of just droping another junkyard bottom end in for now. They've always worked in the past.

I'm just curious what i did wrong? Is that one weird bearing for a 2200 or something. I thought all 2.2/2200 bottom ends where the same from 90 something through 02 with the exception of the roller cam and cam sensor.

Still debating on a new bottom end that I know will work or just swap out this one bearing and hope for the best.

thoughts opinions?

thanks

They may have packaged two lower halves, instead of an upper (block half) and lower(cap half). The uppers are grooved, to help maintain pressure to the rod bearing for a longer period of crank rotation.

The Chevrolet Power Catalog 6th Edition (circa1988) details modifications to the main bearing saddles, main bearings and crankshaft mains. Basically the oil grooves in the main bearing saddles of the block gets extended, the main bearings get additional oil feed holes and the crackshaft main to connecting rod bearing oil feed holes get lead in grooves to supply a smoother transition for the oil. PM me if you need more info on this mod.

accually i ran in to the same problem a couple years ago i bought a an engine kit from northern auto parts and when they looked up a 97 engine kit it showed one style bearing (the wrong one) and when they looked up just engine bearings they showed the right ones and if i remember right they were all the same except the middle main bearing

The middle main bearing is a little diffrent cause of the wheel on the crank for the cps. I never thought about upper and lower bearings. They were packaged in pairs and both non grooved bearings were a pair so I never thought to mix them up an put the non grooved ones on the bottom.
Thanks for the info madjack but i think for now I'm just going to stick with a stock bottom end and build another one when i have the money and i wont have to rush it together cause the car wont be in pieces. I ordered a copy of that book you mentioned btw, thanks.

the 2200 have the 3rd main bearing with the notch on the opposite side. i found this out i can get some pics

Thanks that would be awesome.
Still tho why wouldnt 2200 bearings work in a 2.2? I thought the bottom end was the same other than the pistons.

the tabs are different on one bearing

Thats the ones I had. I took a file to the block and cap to make that tab fit. My own stupid fault I know, but I was assembling this friday morning due to parts delay and racing saturday. A lot of good it did me tho. I have it on the stand now and am doing it again.
Yet another short cut that always ends up being the longer more expensive way in the end.