Precision matters when you’re spinning a big-block Verado toward redline, and the Mercury Connecting Rod Bearing – Blue (23-8M0217818) is factory-matched for that job. Used on late-model 350-400 hp V-10 and select high-output V-8 blocks, the blue code indicates a micrometre-tight shell thickness that mates perfectly with the crank journal size marked at the plant. Drop it in and you restore the oil wedge that keeps rods floating, pistons balanced, and power smooth.

Each shell starts as a steel backing, then gains a tri-metal overlay of copper, lead, and thin tin flash. The result handles shock loads at launch while shedding heat during long, mid-range cruises. Precision tangs lock the half shells in the rod cap, and a chamfered edge channels pressurised oil right where it’s needed.

Why choose colour-coded OEM bearings?

• Blue-spec thickness restores factory clearance for quiet, low-friction operation.

• Tri-metal construction spreads load and resists scoring under high rpm.

• Anti-corrosion tin flash protects during lay-ups and winter storage.

• Perfect fit for V-10 Verado and other colour-matched Mercury cranks—no guesswork, no plastigauge surprises.

When you’re rebuilding for another season of hard throttles, fit the bearing that matches Mercury’s original blueprint and keep the horsepower flowing without hiccups.