On some cranks we have pulled apart just to inspect, and found the clearances too tight, so we hone the rod liners out until my machinist is happy.
I just pulled apart a Norton crank. It didn't have any play, but felt tight in some spots and wouldn't rotate as freely as it should. It was sitting for decades before I got it, so tried flushing it out, but that didn't help. Once split, it took some real encouragement to get the rod to slide off the bearings. Turns out, the bearing is new and has never run which is a good thing. The outer race was obviously pressed into the rod and not honed at all. I'm thinking whoever assembled it must have warmed the rod prior to sliding it over the rollers. It was that tight.