The hydrodynamic effect of viscoelasticity in bearing performance was investigated experimentally by measuring the pressure distribution of viscoelastic liquids and Newtonian liquids in a simulated plain journal bearing. The pressure distribution of the viscoelastic liquids was somewhat different from that of the Newtonian liquids, showing a flattening of the pressure profile and a shift of the circumferential position of the peak pressure. Such a difference contributes to a small recovery of the loss of the load-carrying capacity due to the non-Newtonian viscosity for viscoelastic liquids. It may also contribute to a further reduction of friction beyond the effect of shear thinning. The difference of cavitation on the divergent region of the bearing for these two different kinds of liquid was evident. The viscoelastic liquids showed less extent of cavitation. The experimental conditions conform closely to those used in the classical hydrodynamic lubrication theory. The experimental data indicate that the full fluid film occupies half a bearing starting at 0° and ending at 180°, and the subatmospheric pressure in the divergent region is leveled off at a certain negative pressure. Based on this boundary condition, a computer solution in solving the Reynolds equation for a finite bearing gives very good agreement with experiment.Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the Lubrication Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 18–20, 1966.