Zinc

What are some signs that you have a spun cam bearing? I tried a search, but didnt really find anything.

WS6 RULES

It happened to me a few years back. The oil pressure started to go lower and lower. It was an old motor with over 100k miles so I pulled it out to rebuild it. When I pulled out the cam a bearing came out with it! Those were the only worn bearings in the motor so that is where the pressure loss was. Good luck. I have never heard of only one cam bearing going out. They usually all wear the same.

crizain

Copper colored metal shavings in the oil is a dead giveaway.
Rob

Zinc

Would bad bearings make a really high pitched noise? Im still pretty sure that my oil pressure is low because of my oil pump install while doing my cam swap. Im pretty sure that the loud noise is coming from a serpentine pulley being put back on wrong (the one right in-front of the water pump)

luv2spd

iTrader: (1)

Just take the belt off for a little bit and see if the noise goes away. If it does than you know if its not the motor.

crizain

Would bad bearings make a really high pitched noise?

Yes but you would not hear it for long... I would go back and like luv said, check the belt with some wd40. If you have low oil pressure, and odd sounds, you are on the right track to a bearing problem. I suggest you find the problem(s) before its too late.
What did you install, what other problems are you noticing?
Rob

Zinc

Just did the common cam/ret/spring/ls6 oil pump/ rollmaster double roller swap.

I think its the pulley because I originally put it back on wrong, so we had to take it off and re-install it. The noise hasnt went away, and its the only "odd" sound that I can hear. No weird clinking or clanking from the engine itself. I also haven't really driven the car more than 10miles since the swap, and I haven't taken it abouve 3k rpm's because of the low pressure (it now starts out at 40psi, and slowly drops to 20psi while driving (at low rpm's, but it should still be way higher).

That is why I think it may be the o-ring. At start the pressure is fine, but once the oil starts cycling the oil pump looses vacuum because of the possible o-ring??

Zinc

Welp no more squeek. Just sprayed a little dubya-dee 40 on the belt and that went away, so my guess is the oil pump o-ring..

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

Got a story for ya.

I installed a brand new crate motor in my 79Z, except I replaced the cam and valvesprings. Got 'er started up, she squeaked pretty bad. I pulled the belts and ran it briefly with no waterpump and no alternator. Still squeaked.

Pulled the motor back out and apart and went through everything (pulled crank, cam, etc). Found: nothing. Everything looked perfect and new. Put it all back together. No more squeaking.

Sometimes you just never find your gremlins. Glad yours was the belt.

Zinc

Yeah, like I said, I sprayed a little wd40 on the known "bad" pulley and it stopped squeeking.

Now, the oil pressure stayed at 40psi while I just took it for a 15min drive and back, it dropped to 20psi at idle, but it went right back up as I drove it around. I also did a little pull to 4.5k and the pressure was at around 45-50psi.

I still think it ~should~ be higher, but I dunno...

BJM

iTrader: (1)

If the pressure rises as soon as you rev it it sounds fine. One thing that might have changed is the journals of the cam itself might have one that is undersized a little and is spilling more oil out of it. Your install might be perfect but if the cam journals are smaller, pressure will be lower.

Armageddon

iTrader: (41)

If oil pressure goes down when you give it gas instead of up oil is getting past your bearings. If oil pressure is not up to par after a cam install and everything else seems fine, it sounds like you pinched your O-Ring.