Cam bearing advice needed
Cam bearing advice needed 
Doing a SBE 6.0 LQ9 turbo build, I pulled the cam out tonight and found the cam bearings showing copper and feeling a little rough on the top side. I've about had enough setbacks with this build. I have new everything (lifters, trays, pushrods, rings, ETC...) and am on the fence of "screw it". I just don't want to "throw away" the money I have spent on the rest of the motor stuff if this is bad, and maybe my OCD is getting the best of me. Seriously considering buying a fresh shortblock...save me from myself if I am overthinking this.
I would change them since your doing a full rebuild anyways.
But i have seen worse cam bearings with great oil pressure. I dont think ive ever seen a ls engine without some copper showing on the cam bearings. Its pretty normal for these engines.
But i have seen worse cam bearings with great oil pressure. I dont think ive ever seen a ls engine without some copper showing on the cam bearings. Its pretty normal for these engines.
Well, the intention was not a full rebuild, hone/re-ring (gapped for boost), and put it together. The added cost of this (and now may as well do crank/rod bearings) kinda negates the "cheap" refresh breaking point.
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I believe I'd run that. The front one always gets "more" wear because of the cam drive load. Chain pulls it down, gear drive pushes it up. What you have there is totally normal wear that any motor with more than 50k miles or so might have. By no means scary or a sign of imminent death or failure or any such.
"Rough on the top side" = all the minute trash from the last xxx,xxx miles that made it that far past the filter, is now safely embedded up there out of the way where nothing ever touches it and it can do no harm.
That said, a set of cam bearings is what, like, $30 or something? takes what, 20 minutes to install? not a big deal one way or the other. Doesn't seem like a gut-wrenching decision; neither one is "wrong" as in your motor is going to instantly implode the minute you first fire it up.
"Rough on the top side" = all the minute trash from the last xxx,xxx miles that made it that far past the filter, is now safely embedded up there out of the way where nothing ever touches it and it can do no harm.
That said, a set of cam bearings is what, like, $30 or something? takes what, 20 minutes to install? not a big deal one way or the other. Doesn't seem like a gut-wrenching decision; neither one is "wrong" as in your motor is going to instantly implode the minute you first fire it up.
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I wouldn't touch those bearings, nothing wrong with them. Fooling with cam bearings in a LS1 is just asking for trouble, its a very complicated technical install. Those cam bearing don't just press in like a old SBC. Good luck finding a machine shop that would have a clue how to do it. Most will say no problem and try to push new ones in and when it goes way wrong its back on you. LEAVE IT BE.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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That said, a set of cam bearings is what, like, $30 or something? takes what, 20 minutes to install? not a big deal one way or the other. Doesn't seem like a gut-wrenching decision; neither one is "wrong" as in your motor is going to instantly implode the minute you first fire it up.
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I wouldn't touch those bearings, nothing wrong with them. Fooling with cam bearings in a LS1 is just asking for trouble, its a very complicated technical install. Those cam bearing don't just press in like a old SBC. Good luck finding a machine shop that would have a clue how to do it. Most will say no problem and try to push new ones in and when it goes way wrong its back on you. LEAVE IT BE.
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