6.0 Missing Cam Bearing?
05-22-2017, 01:35 PM
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6.0 Missing Cam Bearing? Hey whatup everybody, first post on here.
I have a 2006 6.0 with 317 heads, out of a Yukon Denali. Not sure if lq4 or lq9, i have read differing information.
I was pulling the cam out to swap it for a a turbo cam, and it did not come out that smoothly. Attached are a couple pics of what I found. It would appear that #3 cam bearing is totally missing, non-existant, etc.
What is protocol from here? Dissassemble everything and take it to a machine shop for new cam bearings? Is the motor junk? Any help would be awesome. Thanks !
I have a 2006 6.0 with 317 heads, out of a Yukon Denali. Not sure if lq4 or lq9, i have read differing information.
I was pulling the cam out to swap it for a a turbo cam, and it did not come out that smoothly. Attached are a couple pics of what I found. It would appear that #3 cam bearing is totally missing, non-existant, etc.
What is protocol from here? Dissassemble everything and take it to a machine shop for new cam bearings? Is the motor junk? Any help would be awesome. Thanks !
05-22-2017, 05:52 PM
#3
Talk about timing... I just tore down a 2006 Yukon Denali 6.0L today that... wait for it..... Has a spun cam bearing!!!!!!! It also has the 317 heads on it!
In this engine it was the 2nd bearing from the front. Just like you, when I tried to remove the cam it kind of got stuck and did not want to come out. Since I had the rear main seal cover plate off the back of the motor, I used a wooden dowel to tap the cam out from the back while my buddy was pulling from the front. Once the cam started moving we could see the bushing just rolling around on the cam. We reached through the valley inspection hole just above the cam and grabbed the bearing with a pair of dykes and twisted it until we got it off the cam. After that, the cam slid right out. The #2 cam bearing journal on the cam showed some small bits of babbit material from the bushing but running the cam against a wire wheel cleaned it right up. Not that I plan on re-using the cam, just that I wanted to see how damaged the journal was. I'm thinking since the cam journal is not so bad that maybe the block is salvageable.
I took the block to my local machine shop to ask their advise as to if the block can be reused. I'm waiting on a phone call from them in the next few days. I sure hope the block is not bad. In my mind it seems like they could just red loc-tite the new cam bearing in place in the #2 position to stop it from spinning again, or moving back and forth but I guess that depends on how much parent metal is missing-if any-from the block.
Good luck to you on your block! I'll post back once the machine shop calls me about mine.
In this engine it was the 2nd bearing from the front. Just like you, when I tried to remove the cam it kind of got stuck and did not want to come out. Since I had the rear main seal cover plate off the back of the motor, I used a wooden dowel to tap the cam out from the back while my buddy was pulling from the front. Once the cam started moving we could see the bushing just rolling around on the cam. We reached through the valley inspection hole just above the cam and grabbed the bearing with a pair of dykes and twisted it until we got it off the cam. After that, the cam slid right out. The #2 cam bearing journal on the cam showed some small bits of babbit material from the bushing but running the cam against a wire wheel cleaned it right up. Not that I plan on re-using the cam, just that I wanted to see how damaged the journal was. I'm thinking since the cam journal is not so bad that maybe the block is salvageable.
I took the block to my local machine shop to ask their advise as to if the block can be reused. I'm waiting on a phone call from them in the next few days. I sure hope the block is not bad. In my mind it seems like they could just red loc-tite the new cam bearing in place in the #2 position to stop it from spinning again, or moving back and forth but I guess that depends on how much parent metal is missing-if any-from the block.
Good luck to you on your block! I'll post back once the machine shop calls me about mine.
05-22-2017, 06:33 PM
#4
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You still have to wonder how a cam bearing goes completely MIA, unless it completely disintegrates into the pan. I don't quite see that happening.... yet....
05-22-2017, 07:26 PM
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Unreal haha, yes please, absolutely let me know what you figure out!
Talk about timing... I just tore down a 2006 Yukon Denali 6.0L today that... wait for it..... Has a spun cam bearing!!!!!!! It also has the 317 heads on it!
In this engine it was the 2nd bearing from the front. Just like you, when I tried to remove the cam it kind of got stuck and did not want to come out. Since I had the rear main seal cover plate off the back of the motor, I used a wooden dowel to tap the cam out from the back while my buddy was pulling from the front. Once the cam started moving we could see the bushing just rolling around on the cam. We reached through the valley inspection hole just above the cam and grabbed the bearing with a pair of dykes and twisted it until we got it off the cam. After that, the cam slid right out. The #2 cam bearing journal on the cam showed some small bits of babbit material from the bushing but running the cam against a wire wheel cleaned it right up. Not that I plan on re-using the cam, just that I wanted to see how damaged the journal was. I'm thinking since the cam journal is not so bad that maybe the block is salvageable.
I took the block to my local machine shop to ask their advise as to if the block can be reused. I'm waiting on a phone call from them in the next few days. I sure hope the block is not bad. In my mind it seems like they could just red loc-tite the new cam bearing in place in the #2 position to stop it from spinning again, or moving back and forth but I guess that depends on how much parent metal is missing-if any-from the block.
Good luck to you on your block! I'll post back once the machine shop calls me about mine.
In this engine it was the 2nd bearing from the front. Just like you, when I tried to remove the cam it kind of got stuck and did not want to come out. Since I had the rear main seal cover plate off the back of the motor, I used a wooden dowel to tap the cam out from the back while my buddy was pulling from the front. Once the cam started moving we could see the bushing just rolling around on the cam. We reached through the valley inspection hole just above the cam and grabbed the bearing with a pair of dykes and twisted it until we got it off the cam. After that, the cam slid right out. The #2 cam bearing journal on the cam showed some small bits of babbit material from the bushing but running the cam against a wire wheel cleaned it right up. Not that I plan on re-using the cam, just that I wanted to see how damaged the journal was. I'm thinking since the cam journal is not so bad that maybe the block is salvageable.
I took the block to my local machine shop to ask their advise as to if the block can be reused. I'm waiting on a phone call from them in the next few days. I sure hope the block is not bad. In my mind it seems like they could just red loc-tite the new cam bearing in place in the #2 position to stop it from spinning again, or moving back and forth but I guess that depends on how much parent metal is missing-if any-from the block.
Good luck to you on your block! I'll post back once the machine shop calls me about mine.
05-22-2017, 07:27 PM
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05-23-2017, 08:47 AM
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The pictures aren't very good, you should be able to shine a light in there and get a better view. If you still can't tell, it would be worth it to tear the engine down and investigate rather than cross your fingers and drop it into the vehicle. If it's missing, it's best to tear it down anyways to replace it.
05-23-2017, 10:17 AM
#10
If a cam bearing was missing and your engine was running would you not realize a total loss of oil pressure? I am wondering if when the cam came out with some resistance if that was the bearing coming out of the race due to being loose. Maybe it is in the bottom of the pan.
05-23-2017, 10:43 AM
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Engine is upside down on engine stand
"If a cam bearing was missing and your engine was running would you not realize a total loss of oil pressure? I am wondering if when the cam came out with some resistance if that was the bearing coming out of the race due to being loose. Maybe it is in the bottom of the pan. "
"Probably fell down and wedged on the crank somewhere when pulling the cam out... "
"If a cam bearing was missing and your engine was running would you not realize a total loss of oil pressure? I am wondering if when the cam came out with some resistance if that was the bearing coming out of the race due to being loose. Maybe it is in the bottom of the pan. "
"Probably fell down and wedged on the crank somewhere when pulling the cam out... "
05-23-2017, 10:45 AM
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I'll see if i can get a smaller flashlight in there, or maybe borrow a boroscope from a friend and see what i can find out.
The pictures aren't very good, you should be able to shine a light in there and get a better view. If you still can't tell, it would be worth it to tear the engine down and investigate rather than cross your fingers and drop it into the vehicle. If it's missing, it's best to tear it down anyways to replace it.
