FAQ
pMaxBlack™ is a surface hardened lead tin copper overlay that is electroplated onto a copper alloy substrate making up the third layer of a King XP bearing. pMaxBlack™ also has additional copper content, when compared to regular tri-metal bearing overlays, increasing the fatigue strength to handle loads up to 10,200 psi.
pMaxKote™ is a factory applied nano composite polymer coating formulated especially for pMaxBlack™ overlays. pMaxKote™ provides excellent wear and cavitation resistance while protecting bearing surfaces during periods of oil starvation and minimum oil film thickness. pMaxKote™ is applied with no added wall thickness therefore not altering oil clearances.
In order to prevent a oil leak path, therefore lowering oil pressure, the lug has been removed from the King thrust bearings for the Subaru EJ, FA/FB engines. Symmetrical thrust bearings do not need a locating lug for exact placement because the flanges do this automatically.
There is absolutely no effect or damage causes by pMaxBlack™ to the journal surface.
pMaxBlack™ bearings differ from the competitive bearings due to a special surface treatment of the overlay. The treatment produces a strong ultrathin (nano-scale) skin which inhibits formation of fatigue cracks. Therefore load capacity of Pmax black bearings is at least 17% greater than that in the competitive racing car bearings. Hardness of Pmax black overlay is also higher than that of the competitive overlays (by 24%).
The value of hardness 18 HV in comparison to 11-14HV of competitors is still low enough to provide excellent anti-friction properties of the bearings (embedability, conformability and compatibility). For example hardness of aluminum alloy in bi-metal bearings is about 40HV.
The extremely low (nano scale) thickness of the hardened surface layer of Pmax black bearings guarantees that the journal surface can not be damaged (scratched) during metal-to-metal contact. If direct friction occurs the surface shield wears off from the overlay surface producing no scratches on the steel surface.
The effect of direct friction between tri-metal bearings (surface hardened and non-treated) and steel journals has been tested in King Test Rigs. The results proved total indifference in regards of the journal surface damage between the treated (pMaxBlack™) and non-treated bearings.
In order for bearings to maintain a stable oil film, which is vital to their life, there must be a perfect match with clearance size, oil viscosity, engine operating temp, crank surface finish and geometrical alignments. General rule of thumb for determining oil clearance is .001 of clearance for every inch of shaft dia. Ex .001 x 2.00 shaft dia. = .002 oil clearance. For clearances smaller and larger than the rule of thumb ,refer to the factors listed below:
Factors for tighter oil clearances:
• Smaller journals
• Lower viscosity oils
• Surface finishes min 4 RA
• Near perfect crank and engine block geometry
• Higher engine operating temperature due to decreased oil flow
• Perfectly balanced cranks
Factors for looser oil clearances:
• Larger journals
• Higher viscosity oils
• Surface finishes rougher than 5 RA
• Not so perfect crank and engine block geometry
• Lower engine operating temp due to increased oil flow
• Weaker housing bores causing distortion at high RPM’s
Engine bearings should operate with the least amount of oil clearance as possible. Tighter oil clearances produce less peak loading on the bearings and the engine runs smoother with less vibration. Remember, you can mix bearing sizes offered by King to achieve desired oil clearances. Ex. Pair a STD half bearing with either a .001 or STDX half bearing to obtain your clearance.
HP bimetal aluminum bearings are best suited for street/strip, all out drag racing, monster truck and medium loaded circle track racing engines. HP’s have great embedability and conformablility characteristics for absorbing debris and conforming to crankshaft deflection. They also work very well with nodular stock type and steel crankshafts. The high silicon content in the aluminum alloy helps keep the ferrite cavities rounded off to prevent excessive bearing wear.
XP pMaxBlack™ trimetal bearings are best suited for very high loads for extended periods of time such as circle track, off shore boat, and off road racing. Their load rating is more than 2000 psi higher than the HP bearings and are compatible with all types of steel crankshafts.
pMaxBlack™ is a unique trimetal structure the has been developed to meet the ongoing demand for bearings with increased load capacity. As engines evolve and gain more power, engine bearings have to be able to handle the extra loading.
pMaxBlack™ consists of three layers that come together to form the strongest trimetal bearing in the industry with load capacity exceeding the competition by as much as 24%. King Racing’s new hardening technology modifies the overlay molecular structure and creates a fatigue resisting shield.
Intermediate layer load capacity is the load capacity of the bronze second layer of trimetal engine bearings. Overlay capacity is the load capacity of the top third layer of a trimetal bearing like CP & XP. However, the fatigue life of the trimetal bearing will be determined by the load capacity of the overlay.
King developed the King Racing line to improve engine bearing performance under extreme conditions. King Racing combines innovative research and development processes and rigorous lab tests with on-track trials conducted by selected racers. King’s Racing line combines sport compact and domestic race engine bearings with ground-breaking geometrical and metallurgical features.
Yes, in racing applications, King has narrowed bearings to clear large fillet aftermarket crankshafts. The letter N as part of the part number is an indication of this feature.
King’s Bull's Eye Tolerance™ is a production technology that combines highly accurate machining, overplating, and computerized wall thickness monitoring that adjusts the process on-the-spot. Bull’s Eye Tolerance™ outperforms the industry’s wall thickness tolerance, ensuring the least thickness variation shell-to-shell. The outcome: A new standard in bearing thickness consistency. Better accuracy means less time fitting bearings to achieve desired oil clearances and less bearing sets on hand.
King Engine Bearings has the widest range of applications and undersizes for automotive and light truck OE replacement bearings as well as sport compact & domestic high performance racing bearings.
Yes, in limited applications, King offers its customers oversized thrust length and oversized housing bore bearings to do these repairs. Oversizes are listed in both the E-Catalog and the paper bound master catalog under each application section.
Yes, but do not mix a STDX and a .001
No. You should never use any kind of abrasive pad on the bearing surface as this practice will reduce bearing life significantly and is harmful to the overlay.
Yes, but using plastigage only gives you a close reading. A more accurate method is to use a dial bore gage.
The perfect King bearing for this application is HP because it will take high loads for short durations of time while offering superior embedability and conformability characteristics.
After removing the plastic film that surrounds the bearings, simply wash them with a solvent and wipe dry with a clean lint free cloth. Make sure there is no debris on either the bearing steel back side or the bearing surface. King bearings are spayed with light oil during manufacturing to prevent any corrosion during storage and transportation. Do not attempt to use any abrasive material on the bearing surfaces. Overlays and lining materials are softer layers that can be damaged reducing their thickness.
King Engine Bearings manufactures all of our half shell rod and main bearings. This is all done under one roof so the quality can be maintained to King’s high standards. In fact, King actually designs and manufactures its own machinery and equipment for production of its products. This way bearings can be made more efficiently and at lower costs.
Bearing consisting of two layers bonded together and it is usually an aluminum alloy on steel. King's bimetal bearings are AM, SI, and HP.
Bearing consisting of two layers bonded together with a plated overlay third layer. King's trimetal bearings are SX, CP, XP, XPC, GPC, TFC, SV and SP.
Yes, usually STD’s through 040’s. The widest assortment in the industry.
STDX
Yes, but only in the HP Series.
Yes, on some applications. Usually on the more popular ones including the new cracked rods.
No. You should never alter the height of a bearing as this might cause the bearing to spin in its bore.
Yes. The housing size and shape can be altered due to previous extended use.
The perfect King bearing for this application is XP because it has the capacity to sustain very high loads for extended periods of time.
Generally heavy viscosity oil is used with large clearances and lighter viscosity oil is used with tighter clearances
Yes. You only need enough oil pressure to keep a sufficient amount oil at the main bearings. Anything more is only wasted.
Yes. Our cam bearings are solid one piece Babbitt type including high performance versions.
Yes. Silicone particles help reduce/eliminate microscopic ferrite peaks on improperly polished nodular cranks.
Both the HP & XP Bearing can be used with steel cranks.
King manufactures its product to the tightest wall tolerance in the industry. +/- .0001” (overall .0002”) vs other manufactures +/- .00025”. (overall .0005”)
There is absolutely no effect or damage causes by Pmax Black to the journal surface.
pMaxBlack™ bearings differ from the competitive bearings due to a special surface treatment of the overlay. The treatment produces a strong ultra thin (nano-scale) skin which inhibits formation of fatigue cracks. Therefore load capacity of pMaxBlack™ bearings is at least 17% greater than that in the competitive racing car bearings. Hardness of pMaxBlack™ overlay is also higher than that of the competitive overlays (by 24%).
The value of hardness 18 HV in comparison to 11-14HV of competitors is still low enough to provide excellent anti-friction properties of the bearings (embedability, conformability and compatibility). For example hardness of aluminum alloy in bi-metal bearings is about 40HV.
The extremely low (nano scale) thickness of the hardened surface layer of pMaxBlack™ bearings guarantees that the journal surface can not be damaged (scratched) during metal-to-metal contact. If direct friction occurs the surface shield wears off from the overlay surface producing no scratches on the steel surface.
The effect of direct friction between trimetal bearings (surface hardened and non-treated) and steel journals has been tested in King Test Rigs. The results proved total indifference in regards of the journal surface damage between the treated (pMaxBlack™) and non-treated bearings.
King Racing XP series consist of rod & main bearings that meet the most challenging demands of today’s and tomorrow’s racing engines. Incorporating technologically advanced geometrical and metallurgical features, King XP race bearings meet these requirements.
STDX bearings are for extra clearance - use STDX bearings in order to get .001" (0.026mm) extra clearance. STDX bearing shells are .0005" thinner than STD size.
.001" / .026 bearings are for tighter clearance - use in order to get .001" (0.026mm) tighter clearance. .001" / .026 bearing shells are .0005" thicker than STD size.
.001" is an inch size while .026mm is a metric size, but both are essentially the same.
How To Identify King Bearing Set


Bearing Types:
- MB – Main Bearing Set
- CR – Con Rod Bearing Set
- CS – Camshaft Bearing Set
- TW – Thrust Washer Set
Number of Pairs in a Set
Random Code
Material Construction:
Main & Rod Bearing Suffixes- HP – Bi-Metal Aluminum Silicon Alloy
- XP – Tri-Metal Copper Lead
- XPC – Tri-Metal Copper Lead Polymer Coated
- GPC – Tri-Metal Silver-Plating Polymer Coated
- TFC – Tri-Metal Stregthened Steel, Special Coper Lead, Polymer Coa
Thrustwasher Sufi
- AM – Aluminum Based Material
Cam Bearing Suffix
- BB – Lead Base Babbitt Material
- HP – Micro Babitt Chill Cast & Burnished Construction
- HPT – HP Construction With Fluoropolymer Coating
Bearing Features:
a. N-Narowed
b. D-DowelDimension/undersize e.g “STD” For Standard, X equals .001” extra Clearance
Dimension/Sizes:
Item Barcode
i-King Code for online verification and warranty activation
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT US AT inquiry@kingbearings.com