New bearings, difficult to rotate the crankshaft.

70dart340 said

I would also verify the thrust bearing is within spec. I had one that needed to be thinned a bit, but it didn't show until I torqued the rods. Also. are you torqueing the rod bolts by foot-pounds, or measuring the rod bolt stretch. They produce different drag when rotating after torqueing.

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Measuring the rod bolt stretch???

I have never heard of anyone doing this.
In any of the data I have ever run across, you can "stretch" bolts when torqueing but never tightened a bolt based on measured bolt stretch. The standard application involving torque stretching required tightening of a fastener to "X" ft.Lb, or inch Lb, then adding an additional fraction of a turn. Have you done something other than this?