Cheapskate Engine Building tricks

[HPP]

Offset ground is not the same as undersized ground.

Two ways to do it, offset the grind down to a common bearing size, such as honda, then when replacing rods, get them with the new undersize.

Or, weld one side of each throw, then offset grind to the original  bearing size, use the stock sized rods.

[scratchinfotraction]

I bought a 65 chevy truck with a 472 caddy engine in it. run it hard a few times and got a rod knock. I pulled oil pan and #7 rod cap.

found a cardboard bearing. so I cut another cardboard bearing, then soaked it in STP oil treatment torqued to specs.

sold the truck 3 days same as I bought it. it was a tire smoker as long as the cardboard held out. that guy did it 2x again after he got it. the #7 came out the side.

used pepper more than once on junk rads in a pinch.

used JBWeld to fill a couple holes in freeze plugs before.

[Kern Dog]

What about some of that stuff like banana peels in a gearbox or sawdust?  Old wives tales or...?

I once ran the axle nearly dry in my daily driver Chevy truck.  It made a light whine on acceleration.  Like a complete asshole, I pulled the diff cover and tossed in two handfuls of oak tree sawdust, then sealed it up and added the required amount of 85w90. It didn't get any quieter but didn't get any louder. A few months later I swapped in another axle with better gearing anyway.