MTFCA Forum

I found a few cam bearings in my parts that have not been split. They look to be NOS. Looked in Service Manual and couldn’t find any mention of how to do it. Maybe in Service Bulletins, but have not got them out. Any idea how to split with out disfiguring them?
I would think a dull cold chisel, but have to be careful.
I ask this also cause I have a customer bearings he sent with cam that is not split. Thanks

I've done it the way you describe. Maybe another way is to stand them up with 1/2 hanging off the edge of the bench and hitting the suspended side?

Older post with some info like splitting with a chisel.

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/4 ... 1395236094[/b]

I put the bearing in a vice horizontal with the split up and down. Take the blade off a hacksaw or coping saw thread it through the bearing and reattach it to the saw. This is after the bearing is milled to size. Now cut down to the split, turn the bearing 180* and cut the other side. It should fall apart, if not remove the blade and with the bearing in the palm of your hand strike one side with a hammer. After it separated file or cut the babbitt to the V shape. If I can help, give me a call at 903-824-1949. Bob.

BobShirleyAtlantaTx wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 07, 2022 4:49 pm

I put the bearing in a vice horizontal with the split up and down. Take the blade off a hacksaw or coping saw thread it through the bearing and reattach it to the saw. This is after the bearing is milled to size. Now cut down to the split, turn the bearing 180* and cut the other side. It should fall apart, if not remove the blade and with the bearing in the palm of your hand strike one side with a hammer. After it separated file or cut the babbitt to the V shape. If I can help, give me a call at 903-824-1949. Bob.

There is NO cutting to be done on a NOS cam bearing. Removing any material to make the "split" mating surfaces smaller will only shorten its life or destroy it.
The chisel & hammer method is the way. For piece of mind, you can insert a .750" piece of rod.
I did slightly egg one once. I re squeezed it gently back to size. Hence forth the .750 rod to be safe.

STOP cutting when you get to the iron, do not cut the outer iron shell.

BobShirleyAtlantaTx wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:52 pm

STOP cutting when you get to the iron, do not cut the outer iron shell.

A nos bearing has the Babbitt already deep V'd @ the inside break points. The Babbitt is very thin here already.
They came ready to split.

I believe we are talking about bearings that have been re-babbitted

In the Ford service book according to one of the posters on Dan T’s reference to an older post concerning cam bearings it says to use a hammer and chisel.

I have the Model T Ford service book and can’t find where that’s mentioned. Does anyone have the location of the reference in question or is it another Ford manual. I looked in the section about installing new cam bearings and no luck. Am I not looking in the right section?

Thanks

Nice Babbitt fixtures.

The OP was about NOS , not rebabbitted bearings.
I agree with your need to V out the babbitt on a rebabbitted core.
I see the confusion.

Your iron cores must be matched/mated as from the factory & still retain their matched surfaces & have very little outside body wear??
If not, how do you have a successful iron mate as was originally done? Outside of making your own outside iron body, this is tough.
I have made my own cast iron bodies, but do not Babbitt the inside. The cam will run on the cast iron like the early T motors did.