THRUST BEARING

FAILURE PREVENTION
& ANALYSIS BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
Diagnosing the root cause of a thrust bearing
failure can be simple, but often is tricky. The
easiest course of action is to take the necessary
steps during engine assembly and installation
to prevent the failure from ever occurring.

C
rankshaft thrust bearings
provide a fore/aft gap-
control for axial move-
ment (or endplay) of the
crankshaft. These thrust
bearings are located at a
specific main bearing location, generally
at the center main or rear main, de-
pending on engine design. A thrust
bearing is either integrated with a spe-
cific main bearing assembly or indepen-
dent of the main journal bearing. If inte-
grated, the thrust bearing area is present
in the form of flanges that extend from
the front and rear of the main bearing
shells. If independent, the half-moon-
shaped thrust bearings are inserted sep-
arately into shallow reliefs on the front
and rear of the main bearing saddle, and
sometimes with the cap.
In either case, the thrust surfaces are
located on each side of the designated
main bearing saddle and cap, intended
to maintain a specified fore/aft location
of the crankshaft, so that the crank does-
n’t walk too far forward or rearward. If
there’s too little thrust clearance, the
thrust bearing surfaces can’t maintain a
sufficient oil film and will overheat and
be destroyed, potentially allowing the
crankshaft’s main journal fillets to walk
into the saddle and cap areas, quickly re-
sulting in severe crank damage. If too
much clearance exists, the much-need-
ed oil film can’t be maintained, eventu-
ally leading to thrust bearing failure as
the crank is thrust forward during con-
verter or clutch operation, pounding the
thrust face and applying unwanted loads
on the rod bearings and even piston
wrist pin/rod/piston surfaces.
Radial bearing surfaces (main bear-
ings, for example) provide a slight out-
of-round taper at the bearing parting
line areas to create an oil wedge that
supports the crank journals. However,

28 August 2010
 thrust bearing faces are generally flat,
facing a flat thrust area on the crank. In
order for oil to be delivered to the
thrust bearing-to-crank gap, the thrust
bearing will generally feature grooves
that allow oil from the radial bearing to
seep onto the thrust bearing face, pro-
viding a film of lubrication. Some thrust
bearings now feature tapered edges that
help to promote an oil wedge. We see
this in some diesel and late-model pas-
senger car engines.
When a thrust bearing failure is dis-
covered, it’s usually too late. The dam-
age has been done, to the thrust bearing
itself and likely to the crankshaft as well.
The causes of a thrust bearing failure
can be traced to a single problem or a
combination of problems.
Naturally, improper assembly—se-
lecting the wrong thrust bearing thick-
ness, contamination during assembly,
etc.—can lead directly to thrust bearing
failure. In general, though, one or more
associated problems are usually to
blame, including poor crankshaft sur-
face finish, bearing overloading or bear-
ing surface misalignment.
Current transmission designs have
been known to contribute to thrust bear-
ing failure due to the greater thrust
loads—often in excess of 2000 lbs. Be-
cause of the original equipment manu-
Photosillustration: Harold A. Perry; images: Mike Mavrigian, Thinkstock & Wieck Media

facturers’ efforts to improve fuel econo-

my and minimize noise, vibration and
harshness, many automatic transmissions
feature increased forward thrust loads
that are delivered through the converter.
In addition, on manual transmission
vehicles, the use of starter lockout sys-
tems (where the clutch pedal must be
depressed in order to start the engine)
adds to the problem, since this places
forward pressure to the crankshaft dur-
ing starting, when there’s little or no oil
lubrication on the thrust bearing sur-
faces. Bearing manufacturers have
tried to address these OE-inherent
problems by adding a fine dispersal of
silicon to the bearing matrix and by de-
signing angled ramp areas on the
thrust faces that help to promote oil
delivery to the thrust areas.
Overloading
The thrust bearing must be able to ab-
sorb forward thrust loads that are de-
livered by the transmission, torque

August 2010 29
 THRUST BEARING FAILURE PREVENTION & ANALYSIS
converter or clutch. Thrust bearing place). If transmission-to-cooler pres-
overloading can be caused by any sure is too high, and the return line
number of problems, including poor pressure is lower, inspect for restricted
crankshaft surface finish (too rough cooler and cooler plumbing.
and/or wavy), excessive “riding” of the In the case of a manual transmis-
clutch pedal, improper clutch release sion, also check the clutch release
bearing adjustment, excessive torque bearing for proper adjustment. If the
converter pressure or an improperly release bearing shows signs of extreme
mounted front crank-driven accessory wear and/or overheating, this is a clear
(a/c compressor, power steering pump, indication that the driver has been rou-
supercharger, etc.). tinely riding the clutch pedal and/or

Photos: Mike Mavrigian

If a failed thrust bearing is found,
don’t automatically blame the engine
builder. It’s very possible that the trans-
mission or a transmission-related area is
the culprit. If the action of the clutch,
torque converter or automatic transmis-
sion hydraulic force applies constant or
frequent forward pressure on the crank-
shaft, certainly the front thrust bearing
surfaces are going to take a beating. In
the case of a manual transmission, this
can be caused by driver error, as a result
of continuously riding the clutch. In the
case of an automatic transmission, if the
converter constantly pushes forward,
the same problem will occur.
If the transmission cooler lines have
been pinched or crimped, excess
pump pressure can cause the convert-
er to act like a hydraulic ram, continu-
ously jamming the crank forward. If
the vehicle in question has undergone
an engine replacement, make a point
to closely examine the transmission
cooler lines for any signs of kinking,
collapse or other problems.
This main bearing features integrated
thrust flanges. Note the relief grooves
that allow oil dispersion to produce an
oil wedge film on the thrust faces.
When beginning to diagnose a thrust
bearing failure, instead of suspecting
improper engine assembly, first consid-
er the transmission-related issues that
can introduce undue forward loading
against the crankshaft. Check to see if
any external changes were made, such
as replacement of or installation of an
additional cooler. Ask the customer if
any performance modifications were
made to the transmission. Verify that
the correct flexplate and flexplate bolts
were installed, and that the transmis-
sion was installed with proper align-
ment to the engine block (dowel pins in
slipping the clutch.
Torque Converter Issues
All too often, performance enthusiasts
who encounter thrust bearing failure
tend to blame a “ballooning” torque
converter. Yes, a converter body can
balloon (expand) under excess pressure,
which would force the flexplate and
crank forward, but this is rarely the case
in a street-driven vehicle. Other con-
verter-related issues should be consid-
ered first, such as the wrong flexplate
bolts being used, the wrong converter
for the application, improper converter
installation or the transmission pump
gears installed backward.
As CEO Dennis Madden noted in
an ATRA report, although all of these
problems will cause undue force on
the crankshaft thrust surface, they will
also cause the same force on the pump
gears, since all of these problems will
put equal force in both directions from
the torque converter. So any of these
conditions should also cause serious

This big-block Chevy rear main cap from an early-generation

A thrust bearing failure sends contaminants throughout the
engine. If not remedied quickly, the failure will result in se-
vere damage to the crankshaft and main thrust cap, and
further scoring damage to most or all internal components.
454 experienced a severe thrust bearing failure. The crank-
shaft was ruined to the point of not being economically re-
pairable, resulting in the purchase of a new crank. Slivers of
bearing material and crank thrust flange surface were found
throughout the bottom-end and sump. The crankshaft rear
thrust flange was also worn down severely to a knife-edge.

30 August 2010
 THRUST BEARING FAILURE PREVENTION & ANALYSIS
pump damage very quickly—within
minutes or hours.
Quoting from the ATRA report:
The force on the crankshaft from the
torque converter is simple. It’s based on
the same principle as a servo piston or
any other hydraulic component: Pressure
multiplied by area equals force.
The pressure part is easy; it’s simply the
internal torque converter pressure. The
area is a little more tricky. The area that’s
part of this equation is the difference be-
tween the area of the front half of the
converter and the rear half. The oil pres- Once the main bearing has been in-
sure does exert a force that tries to expand stalled, apply a coat of assembly lubri-
the converter like a balloon (which is why cant to both the radial bearing surface
converter ballooning is often blamed); (as seen here) and the thrust surfaces.
however, the forward force on the crank- When installing the main bearings, pay Don’t assume that pressurized oil deliv-
shaft occurs because the front of the con- close attention to orientation. Upper ered by the engine’s oil pump will reach
verter has more surface area than the rear (engine block saddle) and lower (main the bearings quickly enough to prevent
(the converter neck is open). This differ- cap) bearings are marked to show damage. The main bearing shown here
ence in area is equal to the area of the in- proper installation location. features integrated thrust flanges.
side of the converter neck.
As noted in the ATRA thrust bearing So, depending on the inside diameter If line pressure is unequal and hy-
report, the most common example is of the hub, it takes between 100 and 119 draulic force is readily available to push
the THM 400 used behind a big-block psi of internal converter pressure to the converter, the simple act of placing
Chevy. General Motors claims this en- achieve a forward thrust of 210 lbs. The the transmission in a forward gear can
gine is designed to sustain a force of 210 best place to measure this pressure is at be enough to jam the crank forward,
lbs. on the crankshaft. The inside diam- the outgoing cooler line at the transmis- placing a direct load against the rear
eter of the converter hub can vary from sion, because it’s the closest point to the thrust bearing.
1.50 to 1.64 in. Therefore, the area of internal converter pressure. The pres- One step for combating restrictions
the inside of the hub can vary from 1.77 sure gauge must be teed in, to allow the in the cooler circuit is to run larger di-
to 2.11 sq. in.; 210 lbs. of force divided cooler circuit to flow. Normal cooler line ameter cooler lines (to increase vol-
by these two figures offers internal pressure will range from 50 to 80 psi un- ume and reduce pressure). Another is
torque converter pressures of 119 to der a load in Drive—far too low to cre- to install an additional cooler in parallel
100 psi, respectively. ate a forward thrust of 210 lbs. with the original, rather than in series.

Note the close proximity of the thrust bearing flanges to the

crankshaft’s thrust surfaces. The oil wedge (created during en-
gine operation) between the thrust surfaces prevents the crank
from digging into the thrust bearing under normal operation.
If excess forward pressure is applied to the crank, the crank’s Always check crankshaft endplay, once all main bearings
rear thrust surface can push toward the rear thrust bearing and caps have been fully installed. Choose a flat surface on
surface with enough force to eliminate the critical oil wedge. the camshaft for the dial indicator probe.

32 August 2010
This will increase cooler flow consider-
ably and reduce the risk of overcooling
the oil in winter. The in-parallel cooler
may freeze up under very cold condi-
tions; however, the cooler tank in the
radiator will allow free flow.
Modifications that can result in high-
er-than-normal converter pressure in-
clude using an overly heavy pressure
regulator spring or excessive cross-
drilling into the cooler charge circuit.
Control problems such as a missing vac-
uum line or stuck modulator valve can
also create high pressure.
When installing an automatic trans-
mission, pay attention to the basics.
Before securing the converter-to-flex-
plate bolts, check for converter freeplay
fore/aft. Typically, the converter should
be able to move about 1⁄8 to 3⁄16 in., to al-
low for expansion. If this clearance is
too tight, the converter will place un-
wanted forward pressure on the crank-
shaft, which can wipe out the thrust
bearings in a matter of days or even a
few hours of driving.

Rebuilding an Engine? Always Check

Crankshaft Thrust Clearance
If you’re performing an engine build or
rebuild, once the crankshaft (along with
main bearings and caps) has been fully
installed, don’t automatically begin to in-
stall rods and pistons. Use a dial indicator
to check crankshaft endplay and thrust.
With the block positioned upside down,
place a dial indicator, mounted to a mag-
netic base stand, onto the block pan rail
or other suitable flat ferrous surface. Ori-
ent the dial indicator plunger horizontal-
ly, parallel to the crankshaft length. Place
the plunger against one of the crank
counterweights. Using a lever, push the
crankshaft fully rearward and preload the
indicator by about .050 in., then zero the
indicator gauge. Next, push the crank-
shaft fully forward, noting the amount of
movement on the indicator.
Perform this check a few times to
verify consistency. Compare your
recorded distance to the factory specifi-
cation range. If too tight or too loose,
you may be able to replace the thrust
bearing with a proper thickness to
achieve the desired specification. Check
with your bearing supplier for optional
thrust bearing thicknesses.
Circle #18
 THRUST BEARING FAILURE PREVENTION & ANALYSIS
Thrust Bearing Installation:
Take Your Time
Before installing the crankshaft and main
caps, be sure to thoroughly lubricate the
exposed main bearing and thrust bearing
surfaces with a quality engine assembly
lubricant or, at the very least, a clean 30-
weight nondetergent engine oil.
34 August 2010
Instead of simply installing the main
bearings and thrust bearings and tight-
ening the main cap fasteners to the fac-
tory-specified torque value (or torque-
plus-angle value), spend a few extra
minutes in an effort to maximize thrust
bearing life.
Once all main bearings and caps have
Circle #19
been positioned, tighten the main cap
bolts (or nuts, in the case of main cap
studs) to a minimal value of about 10 to
15 ft.-lbs., following the factory-recom-
mended tightening sequence. This ini-
tial snugging of the fasteners will seat
the bearings into their respective block
and cap saddles.
Next, loosen all of the main cap fas-
teners, but don’t disturb the main caps.
Using a rubber or plastic mallet, tap the
crankshaft rearward to close up the
front thrust clearance. Finger-tighten all
main cap fasteners.
Next, use a clean pry bar, such as a
long flat-blade screwdriver, to force the
crankshaft fully forward. This will help
to align the rear thrust bearing faces.
While holding the crankshaft in this
pushed-forward position, once again
tighten all of the main cap fasteners to
10 to 15 ft.-lbs. You may now release
pressure by removing the pry bar. Fin-
ish tightening all of the main cap fasten-
ers to their final specification, in two or
three equal steps. In the case of a facto-
ry specification that calls for a torque-
plus-angle tightening, apply the recom-
mended torque value in two steps, fol-
lowed by the additional angle rotation
in two or three steps. You’ll need to
closely note the number of degrees of
rotation during each step to make sure
you end up with the total number of de-
grees of specified rotation.
Taking the extra time to tighten the
main bearing caps in this manner will
help to align the thrust bearing surfaces
with the crankshaft. Aligning the thrust
bearings to the crank’s thrust surfaces re-
sults in maximizing the bearing contact
area, which helps to ensure the thrust
bearings’ load-carrying capabilities.
Poor Engine Grounding
This may sound like a fantasy at first, but
it’s been noted that some thrust bearing
failures have been caused, or at least pro-
moted, by inadequate engine grounding.
How can a poor ground result in trashing
a thrust bearing? When the starter is en-
gaged, the current flow wants to go
somewhere. If the engine isn’t properly
grounded, it’s entirely possible for the
current to run through the crank, and
potentially directly into the thrust bear-
ing’s steel backing. If this occurs often
enough, the thrust bearing faces can yond this initial check, start checking the source doesn’t lie in the bearing/
quickly erode, which then affects the transmission line pressure and look for crankshaft. If the cause is transmission-
thrust bearing. It’s like the thrust surface kinked and/or restricted cooler lines. related, the thrust bearing will act like a
on the crankshaft isn’t finished properly. Try to eliminate the transmission-re- fuse and fail again. In other words, don’t
How do you check for poor ground- lated variables first. Simply rebuilding an simply repair the engine and send the
ing? Following is an explanation of a test engine (and naturally verifying clear- vehicle out the door. The root cause of
taken from a service bulletin written by ances and assembly in the process) and the thrust bearing failure must be deter-
ATRA’s Dennis Madden: reinstalling it won’t cure the problem if mined and remedied.
It’s easy to check for excessive voltage in
the drivetrain: Connect the negative lead
of your DVOM to the negative post of
the battery, and the positive lead to the
transmission. You should see no more
than .1 volt on your meter while the
starter is cranking.
For an accurate test, the starter must
operate for at least 4 seconds. It may be
necessary to disable the ignition system
so the engine won’t start during the test.
If the voltage is excessive, check or re-
place the negative battery cable, or add
ground straps from the engine to the frame,
or from the transmission to the frame.
Some systems may reach .3 volt mo-
mentarily without incurring a problem.
For added assurance, improve the
ground with a larger battery cable or ad-
ditional ground straps.
Although the greatest current draw
usually occurs while the starter is crank-
ing, current in the drivetrain can occur
while accessories are operating. That’s
why you should perform this voltage drop
test with the ignition on and as many ac-
cessories operating as possible. Again, the
threshold is .1 volt.
One final problem that may occur is
current though the drivetrain without
measurable voltage. If the grounding
problem is in the chassis but the engine
and transmission grounds are okay (or
vice versa), the vehicle may pass the test.
What happens here is the ground circuit
can be completed through the driveshaft
and suspension.
To test this, measure the voltage drop
with the driveshaft removed. Both the
drivetrain and frame must pass the .1-volt
test. This is where a ground strap from
the engine or transmission to the frame
does its best work.
Diagnosing a thrust bearing failure can
sometimes be simple, but often is tricky.
Chances are the problem is more likely to
occur with an automatic transmission set-
up. Check torque converter freeplay; be-

This article can be found online at

www.motormagazine.com.

August 2010 35