Fitting Camshaft Bearings - Opinion Wanted

[ModelTWoods]

With the cost of camshaft bearings being $125.00 each (front or center) in the last catalogs that I have from Chaffins, Langs, and Snyders, and with the "in stock" availability at any vendor in question, is there a problem with using used cam bearings on a brand new camshaft? If a pair of used cam bearings, lightly oiled, fit a new camshaft without 'slop or play', is there any reason why used bearings can't be used? I don't want future problems, but I find it hard to pay easily half, if not more, for new cam bearings of the price that i paid for the new cam.

[speedytinc]

IF as you say the fit is good, INCLUDING the fit in the block, I would use the used bearings.
In the past, new cam bearing were crap.
I cant attest to whats available now.
The issue was the center hole not & re-babbited units fit on a split Babbitt surface instead of a cast iron split face.

[Kerry]

Use good fitting ones all the time, I have a small bucket full to find the best for the job, it's usually the block diameter that's the problem, like the OD of the bearing, nothing is the same size. Another important thing is the endplay, if more than 5 or 6 thou, use one of the aftermarket thrust kits, a floating cam can sound like the engine has done a big end.

[Dan McEachern]

Clamp the halfs together and mic the od 90 degrees to the parting line. If they don't measure near 1.375 they will be loose in the block and let the cam move around. Very few used shell pairs are not worn out.

[John kuehn]

There is usually a few people that have a bucket of used and greasy engine parts at swap meets. That’s where you find those good internal parts. Cam bearings. camshafts and etc can be had in those buckets of good used parts. Sometimes we can use brand new pieces and parts when you don’t need to in low rpm engines such as a T.

[Steve Jelf]

I don't know if this is still a problem, because the picture is ten years old.

At that time new cam bearings weren't quite round, and Mike Bender used this fixture to press them into a proper state of roundness.

[RGould1910]

I've knurled them as a last resort. Seemed to work OK.

[BobShirleyAtlantaTx]

Built this jig years back. The cores must have rough mating surfaces imo if they don’t look as if it’s a fresh break on each half the shells are no good. Here’s the jig I use, then chuck the bearing and cut it to fit the camshaft in a lathe. I’m at 903-824-1949 if you have questions.