Man that stings, $800 is a rough way to learn something your foreman was telling you for free. I feel for you though because I did almost the same thing on a 45 ton a few years back, kept the bearing swimming in grease because it felt loose and I figured more lube equals more protection. Turns out I was just packing the gap and hiding how bad the wear really was, same deal as you. The dry check with a dial indicator is the way to go, and logging it every Monday is smart because you catch the trend before it turns into a jerky mess. You paid for the lesson but at least you came out of it doing it right.

Watched a buddy rebuild his whole fuel system before finding a cracked hose clamp.

Losing that notebook overboard was my worst fear every single trip.