Cam Bearing Help!
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (71)
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 737
Likes: 0
From: Chattanooga,TN
Cam Bearing Help! I got my cam bearings installed and the cam wouldnt go in. So I called my machine guy and he told me to sand them down with emory cloth. Well how smooth do they have to be? I mean cause I done that but they still have sanding lines in them.
You need to mind a new machine guy- that's a horrible idea and completely unnecessary. One of those bearings is not in straight. The front one is the hardest to get straight and likely the problem. You need to go to a shop that has an alignment tool for cam bearings (which isn't likely) or just have them stick in another front cam bearing.
Ben T.
Ben T.
Cheap brand? All cam bearings are pretty cheap (unless they're coated, of course). I can't imagine a cam bearing that doesn't have the appropriate ID.
I can gaurantee you they're in crooked. Who installed them? I've ruined hundreds of dollars of cam bearings in my life by simply not putting them in straight. If the cam didn't slide into any of the bearings then they were all tweaked during the install.
Ben T.
I can gaurantee you they're in crooked. Who installed them? I've ruined hundreds of dollars of cam bearings in my life by simply not putting them in straight. If the cam didn't slide into any of the bearings then they were all tweaked during the install.
Ben T.
You should atleast (if it's remotely close) be able to get the cam to slide in. If you can do that, there's a chance to save them. Stick a stock cam in the front bearing and beat on the cam with a 2lb hammer to try and attemp to properly align it. They're toast anyway. That's a better idea than sanding on the bearing (wtf?).
Ben T.
Ben T.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0
Brett Foote
10 Reasons the LS7 Is GM's Most Extreme Naturally Aspirated V8 Engine Ever
Verdad Gallardo
I don't know about an LS1/LS6 but earlier small blocks and big blocks don't have the same OD on the cam bearings. I could never figure out why chevy did that but they are different. Usually only about .002 to .008 difference but that is enough to cause problems if you don't match the new ones with the block holes that they come closest to fitting. If you put the bearing with the biggest OD in the journal with the smallest ID you won't be able to get the cam in. Been there, done that, and it suckes to have to buy another set of bearings. Like I say, this is for SBC and BBC. Late aluminum blocks may not be like that.
Originally Posted by 1999ssls1
Has your cam gotten to you yet?
Ben T.
1997bird is right,there are two different sets,you could have the bigger bearings pushed in the smaller hole,and that would cause it to be too tight,xcall a gm rep with block or vehicle vin to find out wich ones you need
When replacing cam bearings in a GENIII/IV block... the cam bore should be line honed to both correct for ID and to compensate for core shift. FWIW, some bearings on brand new blocks from the factory (new motor takeouts) look "wore out" (have copper showing) due to line honing. This is normal.
Bill
Bill
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (71)
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 737
Likes: 0
From: Chattanooga,TN
Originally Posted by Studytime
Oh! Man, I didn't realize that was you... till now. Yes, it arrived and is in very nice shape. Thanks buddy.
Ben T.
Ben T.
