I was hoping you would bring that up Ross as I’m curious. This bearing world is very interesting to me.
You and I had talked about your problems with the FM style of bearing but I got good clearance on mine. Now I have to qualify that I am nowhere near your level of expertise and have zero experience with this. But I have questions. I am almost concerned that my combo went together so easily (.0028-.0032). C’mon FE gods.
I note some builders seem to like the 3/4 groove (FM) style as it can stand the pounding of a high performance build. Would using say a Clevite full groove be that much worse off? You are obviously building some good hp. I don’t know anything about King yet as I don’t have a set here but I am soaking up any info I can as I really enjoy this and am starting to collect.
If your clearances are good, the FM bearing design is very good, so don't worry. I have used many and when the clearance is right, it's a great bearing. However, I am not afraid of a full groove bearing in any way with proper clearances
Also keep in mind, mains can handle some clearance that I wouldn't run in a rod, especially a 2.20 journal, so I wouldn't sweat the mains, your numbers look good. The biggest issues I have are with the 7200CH rod bearings.
Clevite, ACL, or King, take a bearing, add one half .001, you get .0005, use both, you get .001. FM, random clearance generators in my book, might see nothing, might be looser, might be the same, no two are alike, and I keep trying with different rod/crank pairs to get my money back out of them, but it is really just insanity that I expect some combo of crush or journal will make them accurate
I wish Speedpro would take these and look at them, especially the one with trash in the surface...but it's like yelling in a bucket.
That being said, even the 7200CH is a great bearing if your clearances come together
As far as Kings, I have used them on stock FE journals before with very good results, even the cheapest versions. Recently Brent turned me on to coated Kings, and man they were spot on, even had a nicer thrust clearance on a SCAT 4.25 without having to massage anything.