BE-FAQ - Bearing measurement marks

Let me explain why BE Bearings have marks on the surface.

Every BE Bearing is hand measured. The measurement process uses a data logging Mitutoyo drop indicator with a rounded roller bearing tip. The roller bearing tip is like a wheel that rolls over the surface of the bearing while it measures the bearing thickness. This process leaves a very small mark on the surface of the bearing. The marks that this process leaves are totally harmless, and you will never be able to fill them with your fingers or even measurement with another device.

As the shells are hand measured, they are sorted and placed in bins according to every 0.00005 inch difference. The measuring, sorting, and binning allows us to advantage of the normal distribution curve of bearing thicknesses to create perfectly matched sets of bearings for each customer. Once the bearings are sorted and binned, they are then used to create matched sets. This article describes how we mix and match individual shells to create perfectly matched sets of bearings.

Q&A:

Q: Does this process hurt the bearings?
A: No, the marks are only on the surface and do not cause any damage to the shells. You can't even feel them or measure them with another devices.

Q: What if I want a set that doesn't have these marks? Can I get a set that isn't measured?
A: Yes, upon special request, you may obtain a set of bearings that are not measured. We do not advise to do this. Since the issue of the S65 bearing clearances is exacerbated by tolerance stacking, measuring, sorting, binning, and creating matched set of bearings is the only way to eliminate the bearings themselves from contributing to the bearing clearance problem. If you do decide that you want a set that hasn't been measured, then you will be giving up the engine replacement warranty offered by BE Bearings. That engine replacement warranty is described here.