Tri-metal crankshaft main bearings Opel C20XE X18XE X22XE

The Opel C20XE, X18XE and X22XE four-cylinder petrol engines

ACL lists main bearing set 5M2327H for many Opel and Daewoo four-cylinder petrol engines, notably the C18NE, C20NE, C20XE, X18XE, X20XEV, Z18XE and Y22SE. King lists the MB5179XP for the C20XE, X18XE and X22XE. They share the same crankshaft journal diameter: a single main bearing set covers the whole range.

The crankshaft of this engine runs on five main bearings. Each journal turns between two half shells, one seated in the block and the other in the main bearing cap: they carry the crankshaft. The ACL Race Series and KING RACING tri-metal sets shown here replace them on built engines.

Tri-metal main bearings

A tri-metal bearing stacks three layers: a steel back, a copper-lead intermediate layer with high load capacity and an anti-friction running surface that protects the journal. The complete set contains 10 half shells, five pairs for five main bearings.

An aluminium bi-metal takes around 8,000 psi, a performance tri-metal up to 12,000 psi, 50% more. Hence better resistance and better durability on turbocharged, supercharged and high-revving engines.

Technical specifications

Technical guide

The ACL and King main bearings shown here are trimetal bearings, designed for engine building and racing. Compared with an original bearing, they handle far higher loads: they cope with increased power, high rpm or the addition of a turbo or supercharger, where a standard bearing quickly reaches its limit.

The two brands

	ACL Bearing Company, an Australian manufacturer of high-performance engine bearings since 1949, offers with its Race Series precise tri-metal bearings, available in many sizes and proven on built engines worldwide.
	King Engine Bearings, an Israeli manufacturer of high-performance engine bearings since the 1960s, offers with its pMax Black tri-metal alloy bearings designed for heavy loads.

Construction and advantages

Criterion	ACL Race Series	King Racing
Cross-section
Type	High-performance trimetal bearing	High-performance trimetal bearing
Country of manufacture	Australia	Israel
Construction	Trimetal: steel back, copper layer, soft surface	Trimetal: steel back, copper layer, soft surface
Alloy	Race Series (copper-lead)	pMax Black (hardened copper-lead)
Protective coating	Calico CT-1 (HC versions): thin dry-film lubricant that reduces friction and wear. No coating on the H and HX versions.	pMaxKote on the XPC versions. No coating on the XP versions.
Available sizes	Standard to +0.50 mm (+ increased clearance HX) ; Calico: standard, +0.25 and +0.50 mm	Standard to +0.50 mm (+ increased clearance STDX); XPC: standard and STDX

Vehicle compatibility

This main bearing set fits the Opel and Daewoo four-cylinder petrol engines of the following vehicles, depending on the engine code: