Needle bearings or Bushings, what's your choice?

Needle bearings or Bushings? what's your choice?

  • Bushings (aka Plain Bearings)

    Votes: 10 50.0%

  • Needle bearings

    Votes: 10 50.0%
  • Total voters
    20
Technocyclist

Technocyclist

Motorized Bicycle Senior Technologist
Needle bearings or bushings?

I would choose bushings or plain bearings... why?

My reasons:
1) my 1st engine got one of those needles stuck between the piston and the cylinder when the needle bearing disintegrated inside the engine, which made the piston and cylinder inseparable.

2) there is a lot of play on the needle bearings that may be contributing to a lot of vibrations and short life span of the engine, and I'm really not comfortable with it.

3) Bushings would continue to work even when it's worn out, although not as smooth, but it might still bring you back home.

4) I noticed that the needle bearing at the bottom of the crank does not spin since it's machine pressed between the cranks and it's stuck there. I think the needle bearings should spin freely here, then it means that a gap must be made when it is machine pressed.

5) Needle bearings tend to have flat sides under extreme load and heat that would increase the vibrations much further.

So, what do you think? needle bearings or bushings?

Note that the durability and quality of the bushings is highly dependent on the type of material that is used. And there are several different types for different applications.

Oh, and here's an article about the subject matter: dance1
Needle bearings or solid bushings?
 
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I voted bushing,,,
when a bushing wears, it gets sloppy at the wristpin and can be replaced
when needle bearings go the little buggers always take out some other part or just destroy the engine
 
My preference is bushings. Most of us do not have the machining capability to create the proper clearance's in the bearing journals and wrist pin. In the dirt bike world, needle bearings are the standard, and hold up well under extreme load. Keep in mind, when they stick themselves, it's usually catastrophic. Most of us are in constant "tune" of how our MB's sound, I suggest one would hear a bushing as it got on to failure. My 2 cents.

Mac
 
I vote bushings. I never had HT bushing engine fail on me (castor oil in oil blend is the secret) but I've had one bearing fail which seized my engine and left me stranded many miles from home.
 
The bottom bearings on these motors are all needle bearing and are good its that wrist pin needle bearing set up that blows..
 
I'm not sure, I've only seen needle bearings around. I think the bushing is just a brass slug machined to fit in the conn rod head, then bored to fit the piston pin. Getting a local machine shop in Portugal to build you one would be cheaper than trying to ship one. I'd think so, anyway...
 
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