Cam bearing a lifter question..

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71_Duster

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I’m in process of putting engine together. Not a rebuild, I just wiped cam bearings with a dry towel. I realize they’re coated but can I get anyone opinion if they’re fine or not. I don’t feel anything of concern and while I don’t think I nicked anything, the cam did tilt a tiny bit upon removal while it was maybe halfway out. Cam lobes seem fine. Any input would be appreciated. Lastly, I had lifters out to the side in order it was removed. One side was knocked over by accident. While I’m aware theres a wear pattern. Am I left with no choice but to replace all?
 
Cam bearings look fine, lifters should be replaced with new if there out of order. IMO 65'
 
Picture #1, 11-12 o-clock position of that cam bearing, at the parting connection is that missing bearing material?
Picture #1, that piston skirt looks like no hell.
 
Max1196 said:
Picture #1, 11-12 o-clock position of that cam bearing, at the parting connection is that missing bearing material?
Picture #1, that piston skirt looks like no hell.
Click to expand...
Yes pic 1 looks like the coating has worn out a bit. Piston skirt is no hell?
 
Bearings generally look OK. Any nicks can be smoothed over with a file or sandpaper. Make sure oil holes are oriented correctly to block.
 
OK one more opinion;
If the bearings are properly oriented and installed, then,
for a NON hi-po engine,
I would slap that back together in a heartbeat.
But I would knock any high-points off first.
Here's a tip; to install the cam put a handle on the nose, any old pipe that fits. Thus you can feed the cam into the last two journals by lifting and steering it with the pipe. If you need to take the woodruff key out, don't lose it! lol.
BTW
Great camera work!
 
The damage looks like installation damage: damage installing the brgs & damage installing/removing the cam. A few nicks here & there. Wouldn't worry about it unless it is for a long distance Nascar race.
 
Sand paper is usually not a good idea. The grit gets imbedded into the bearing. You can carefully scrape the high spots. The issue with cam bearings is you knock out the old and install new ones with surgical precision. Not a knick, not a scratch!!! Then you go and try and install the cam and it won’t turn!!!! If you get it in!! You can send the block out to have the cam bores “corrected” if you can find someone who can do it correctly or you can do what I did and cut diagonal grooves in an old cam core, lube it up and slowly turn it as you push it in. Pull it out frequently to clean out the grooves and relube it. You can cry a bit at this point, I did, once you get it in and turning smoothly. You need to clean the oil galleys. It’s heart breaking, but works.
 
The "old" cam, or another cam, and a 2 inch piece of all-thread connecting the 2 cams, - makes an excellent "handle" to install the new cam .
 
I would polish those camshaft bearings with some very fine steel wool. and blow everything out really well. I wouldn't run them as is.
 
furrystump said:
Sand paper is usually not a good idea. The grit gets imbedded into the bearing. You can carefully scrape the high spots. The issue with cam bearings is you knock out the old and install new ones with surgical precision. Not a knick, not a scratch!!! Then you go and try and install the cam and it won’t turn!!!! If you get it in!! You can send the block out to have the cam bores “corrected” if you can find someone who can do it correctly or you can do what I did and cut diagonal grooves in an old cam core, lube it up and slowly turn it as you push it in. Pull it out frequently to clean out the grooves and relube it. You can cry a bit at this point, I did, once you get it in and turning smoothly. You need to clean the oil galleys. It’s heart breaking, but works.
Click to expand...
I've never had a problem with installing a cam with new cam bearings or with it turning once installed. I don't put in the crankshaft until the cam is in, that way I can reach into the block and guide the cam carefully through the bearings, in my opinion the crankshaft should not be installed before the camshaft.
 
furrystump said:
Sand paper is usually not a good idea. The grit gets imbedded into the bearing. You can carefully scrape the high spots. The issue with cam bearings is you knock out the old and install new ones with surgical precision. Not a knick, not a scratch!!! Then you go and try and install the cam and it won’t turn!!!! If you get it in!! You can send the block out to have the cam bores “corrected” if you can find someone who can do it correctly or you can do what I did and cut diagonal grooves in an old cam core, lube it up and slowly turn it as you push it in. Pull it out frequently to clean out the grooves and relube it. You can cry a bit at this point, I did, once you get it in and turning smoothly. You need to clean the oil galleys. It’s heart breaking, but works.
Click to expand...
furrystump said:
Sand paper is usually not a good idea. The grit gets imbedded into the bearing. You can carefully scrape the high spots. The issue with cam bearings is you knock out the old and install new ones with surgical precision. Not a knick, not a scratch!!! Then you go and try and install the cam and it won’t turn!!!! If you get it in!! You can send the block out to have the cam bores “corrected” if you can find someone who can do it correctly or you can do what I did and cut diagonal grooves in an old cam core, lube it up and slowly turn it as you push it in. Pull it out frequently to clean out the grooves and relube it. You can cry a bit at this point, I did, once you get it in and turning smoothly. You need to clean the oil galleys. It’s heart breaking, but works.
Click to expand...
furry, I hear about the "sandpaper"
In a pinch I have used 1000 grit Emery paper to remove slight imperfections in old bearings never had any issues, very light pressure small area not the whole bearing. Back in the day scraping bearings was the only way to make them fit, kind of a lost art, pretty tough to due to a cam bearing that is installed already.
Keep posting I always like reading yours
 
Absolutely agree. Scraping is a lost art and you can easily make things much worse. My father would scrape the crank bearings on 200+ ton metal stamping presses. Much harder bronze like material, but still interesting to watch. They also had an very fine abrasive paste they would coat the bearings in and run it the machine. They had a stand alone filter system to filter the lube oil and the paste was self diminishing. I use scotchbrite on things everyone say is a no no. Had no issues.
 
furrystump said:
Absolutely agree. Scraping is a lost art and you can easily make things much worse. My father would scrape the crank bearings on 200+ ton metal stamping presses. Much harder bronze like material, but still interesting to watch. They also had an very fine abrasive paste they would coat the bearings in and run it the machine. They had a stand alone filter system to filter the lube oil and the paste was self diminishing. I use scotchbrite on things everyone say is a no no. Had no issues.
Click to expand...


So was that paste what they call abradable? I know you can use that as a coating but who knows, maybe it started out as a paste.
 
It was a paste and smeared on the bearing. As they ran the machine slowly the grit/abrasive would get finer and finer. Then they would filter then change the lube oil.
 
If you got it apart... I'd change those ******* cam bearings.
They're cheap garbage anyways when's the last time you seen a cam bearing with a parting line in it..lol
 
Most the time the bearing doesn't need scraped it needs straightened in it's bore... with the same tool used by the person who put it in crooked.
 
I wouldn't be using any abrasive paste on soft brg material, where it will embed itself & cause future problems.
 
Test fit with used cam, angle reliefs cut in and dressed. Good coat of engine assembly lube on bearings and cam journals.

Put a bolt in the end of the cam for something to grab onto to help with balance and centering the cam as you install it.

Slowly wind in the cam to remove any high spots until it turns free, keep it well lubed when doing this. Stop and clean it if the lube starts turning gray, then relube and go again.

You can use some small pieces of high density foam to plug the oil galley holes to keep debree out while fitting the cam, then pick them out when done.

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I say no to any sand paper as the grit will imbed into those soft bearing layers.

The fine steel wool sounds like a better alternative if you need to go that route.
 
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