So this older design cap may well be of use to you (with the newer design bearing shells). But there are some details to look after when you are measuring the clearances.
The second series 1955-62 engines used more precisely ground caps and bearings which allowed an engine to simply be assembled without shims:
As you can see the specifications on the cranks and bearings are pretty much identical (GM engineers also gave up the fractions in favor decimals). The newer design calls for tighter clearances on the front two caps vs the rear two.
If it were in my garage I would proceed as follows. Take the old (broken) cap and the old bearing shell and measure the clearance with Plastigauge - crush-able plastic that is placed between bearing and bearing surface: torqued to spec and then remove the cap and bearing shell and read the clearance. Clean off the crushed plastic and replace it with new. Now repeat the process using the old bearing shell and the new Cap. I am curious to see if the clearances are different and if so by how much.
Am I reading this correctly for my 1959 engine. The number one (main bearing) should have clearance of between .0008 and .0024 and the ID of the #1 bearing shell should be 2.6856 ?
