[pothole]

I'll give insurance as much grief as the next guy for the efforts they go to regards not paying out or offering lousy settlements. But in this case, I'd have to side with them. Strictly speaking, I would say the benefit of bearing upgrades is unproven. Likewise, one or two isolated examples of a car selling for a bit more than market due to having one fitted should not oblige an insurance company to pay out more.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly believe the bearing upgrade is worthwhile, but when it comes to insurance pay outs, I don't see it as being relevant. I think the bearing upgrade is best viewed as money you pay out to help protect against the cost of engine failure. If you get a little back when you sell it on, great. But I certainly wouldn't expect an insurance company to pay out more on a claim.