[tekuhn]

Originally Posted by wbnapier

Remember, this is my first rodeo... Not an expert.

Ah, OK. I didn't realize it was missing from the beginning. Not being critical at all. Has me rethinking whether I need to pull an engine I've had sitting installed in the chassis and never fired yet. I'm pretty sure I used Clevite 77's. This bearing thing could have been easily missed. I think I do understand what the machinist is saying. When you measured your thrust end-play, the crank was stopping short of reaching the rear-facing thrust face on #4 and instead stopping because the crank journal radius was hitting the rear edge of the #5 bearing shell. That would explain the weird noise that you heard when you pushed in the clutch in the final moments before seizure. The number 5 bearing edge and crank journal radius was under extreme contact from the pressure plate pushing the crank forward until it failed.