2003 Cadillac 3.2 L bearings ??

[JohnnyB]

OK, Talking with a guy I work with. He has a 2003 Cadillac CTS with a 3.2L engine. He has it torn down due to previous owner had head issues with it. He tore down the whole thing, and found some bad rod bearings. His problem -- He cannot find anybody that has replacement bearings for it. GM tells him they are obsolete, he went online and can only find partial shells, some uppers, some lowers, no complete sets from anybody. And what he found people are asking several hundred dollars for pieces of bearings, no complete sets.

What gives with this particular engine?? Is it that much of a turd that nobody rebuilds them? EVER ? I think it is ridiculous
if this is true. He said some rebuild shops told him to junk the entire engine!

So, anybody ever, or recently have to get parts for this particular pile of dung? Is it that bad of an engine that when they die, you just bury the car?
I told him I would go online to speedtalk and consult the experts.

So, any info anybody has would be appreciated. I have to help him, the engine stand it is sitting on is mine, and I cant get it back till he gets done with this thing.......

[dirtracr5]

Yep basically its a piece of limited production opel garbage.

Try this link.
http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,carcode ... aring.html

[wyrmrider]

would a Northstar fit?

[JohnnyB]

Yep basically its a piece of limited production opel garbage.

Try this link.
http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,carcode ... aring.html

Sounds like it. My friend also said it looked like an old opal design from years ago. I kinda thought that was weird for it being in a Cadillac engine bay. Lots of places come up when you Google it.
Until you actually try to find the availability of rod and main bearings. So, what do people do that have these things come into a shop? Can the cranks be turned to a size bearing from something else that might actually be available? He did try Rock auto. They list the rods and mains as obsolete and discontinued also.

[EthylCat]

I do not know how wide those bearings are, but it looks like an Ecotech bearing ( CB1827) fits a bore only 4 thou bigger (2.0477 Cad vs 2.0519 Eco) for the same rod journal size. The 1827 bearing is .798" wide


Maybe that is an option for you.

[peejay]

I do not know how wide those bearings are, but it looks like an Ecotech bearing ( CB1827) fits a bore only 4 thou bigger (2.0477 Cad vs 2.0519 Eco) for the same rod journal size. The 1827 bearing is .798" wide


Maybe that is an option for you.

Makes sense, since the 3.2 is based on a SAAB engine (54 degree bank angle so it fit in existing chassis designed for fours) and the Ecotec had heavy SAAB involvement, too.

[EthylCat]

Check out CB1654 as well. It is a little wider .846".

The bore is mid spec for the 3.2 Cadillac, but the journal is a tad smaller. 1.9262-1.9268"

[JohnnyB]

Check out CB1654 as well. It is a little wider .846".

The bore is mid spec for the 3.2 Cadillac, but the journal is a tad smaller. 1.9262-1.9268"

Thanks for this info, I will pass it along to him. I talked to him at work today, he "might" have some possibly useable rod bearings. However now he let me know the mains also are unobtainable from any source he has went to. Any help on mains for this obviously dog of an engine? seems if it were a decent engine SOMEBODY would be making parts for it. Based on what I an finding out it should have never been built let alone anybody try to service it. Not a better idea by Cadillac I am guessing.....

I could understand this if he was searching for a 50's or 60's fiat or something. But a 2003 Cadillac???

[EthylCat]

1UZFE LEXUS 4.0l

CAD MAIN BORES = 2.8347-2.83516
LEXUS MAIN BORES=2.8346-2.8352

Have to turn the Cad crank .0391 to get to standard Lexus
CAD main journal=2.6764-2.6770
LEXUS main journal= 2.6373-2.6378

Bearings 1+5 are .886 wide
Bearings 2-3-4 are .768 wide

MS2103 FOR A SET
MB3475P FOR 1+5
MB3476P FOR 2-3-4

Hope you can make something out of this. Good luck

[JohnnyB]

1UZFE LEXUS 4.0l

CAD MAIN BORES = 2.8347-2.83516
LEXUS MAIN BORES=2.8346-2.8352

Have to turn the Cad crank .0391 to get to standard Lexus
CAD main journal=2.6764-2.6770
LEXUS main journal= 2.6373-2.6378

Bearings 1+5 are .886 wide
Bearings 2-3-4 are .768 wide

MS2103 FOR A SET
MB3475P FOR 1+5
MB3476P FOR 2-3-4

Hope you can make something out of this. Good luck

Thank you very much for this help. I will give him this info. I figured his best bet might be to have the crank turned to whatever size it needs to be to "fit" some currently available sets of main and rod bearings. Never would I think an engine platform that is eleven years old would already have been made obsolete this way. I mean, if you wanted a new engine from a major engine rebuilder company, how would they even support you? I am pretty sure I could find bearings for an old 73 VW bug 1600 cc engine I use to have, but not this Cadillac? Just seems strange. Thanks again for your help.

[wyrmrider]

I'll stick this in my list of great Caddy motors since the 500/ 364 were discontinued
I can still get parts for my brother's 81 V8-6-4 which still runs great incidentally