Experience with King rod bearings?

[Pentroof]

I have no experience with the brand and thinking about trying them.

[My427stang]

I generally use FM/Speedpro, but got a set of +.001s Kings in here to hit some numbers.  I didn't end up using them, but they looked very very nice and the numbers were spot on

These were the narrowed HP series for a BBC journal, not the cheaper SI series though, which look to be a VERY good value, but I have never used them and their width seems to be right on the edge for room on a BBC/SCAT crank combo

BTW, if someone needs a set of BBC +.001s (meaning +.001 MORE clearance not less) let me know, I'll give a great deal on them.  This brain surgeon read it backwards and thought I was closing up clearances and when I measured, I realized the error of my ways.  These make the rod end .001 bigger, not .001 smaller. 

[ntheogen]

They are an aviation bearing manufacturer mostly to my knowledge so they're probably okay for our old rusty junk.

[blykins]

I use a little bit of everything, including Kings.  Good bearings.

[RustyCrankshaft]

I've used a LOT of King bearings on stock-ish/mild performance builds just because there is a local shop here that has a pretty good inventory and their prices are good. So far I've had good luck with them. They are consistent in dimension. I've run them in a number of 500hp 460 based engines and one of them I recently to fix an oil pan issue and we decided to take a look around and at 60k miles they still looked new after some racing, a few truck pulls and I know he's been pulling a trailer with this thing.

May not be my first choice for a full race build, but I've had good luck with them. Whatever that's worth. I'm even using some for a Navion with an O435.

[My427stang]

As I said, I am a fan, but be sure to look at what you are buying.

King has a HUGE range of bearings, surface materials, backing, etc, as well as different widths and coatings.  Likely not as many choices for a standard FE journal, but when you hit the stroker stuff, the 21 dollar sets of the SI series are very different in material, width and behavior than the multiple other lines.  In fact, the SI sets would likely bind on the chamfer of a performance FE cranks as they are significantly wider in that application

That being said, side by side with even the FM performance stuff, Kings sure look pretty and measure nicely, just reiterating that the brand has many more options than most of the other manufacturers and they are significantly different from line to line

[67428GT500]

As Ross stated: King has been making Aircraft bearings for years. I don't like their lower line offerings. I am still using the Tri-metal Clevite.  They also have been right on the money size-wise.
I recently had an issue with cam bearings. I have never seen them look almost peeled where babbit had squeezed out. I also had to pry my cam out of the block.
Probably the only upside of a thin cylinder wall making it's appearance and anointing the Brad Penn oil, not once but twice. Pulling an intake and heads isn't a fun job, especially twice.
                                                                       -Keith

[mike7570]

BTW, if someone needs a set of BBC +.001s (meaning +.001 MORE clearance not less) let me know, I'll give a great deal on them.  This brain surgeon read it backwards and thought I was closing up clearances and when I measured, I realized the error of my ways.  These make the rod end .001 bigger, not .001 smaller.

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