Just wondering if anybody has heard of a way to remove and replace cam bearings in a sb chevy without screwing them up. Mine are shot and right now I have no way to move the block to the machine shop for the $30 bearing R&R...thanks

 

Borrow a tool?

Theres really no good way to get them in and lined up without experience AND a tool. If you still want to attempt it, use a piece of wood and find a way to cut it so that it fits exactly inside the middle of the bearing, and has a lip around that so you can hammer it in. You could use metal too, and cover that in rubber so you dont damage the bearing. I'll tell you now its extremely easy to screw them up, and they dont like to stay square with the block either. Being careful is the best suggestion I have if you do this yourself.

And also, do the back one first and work your way to the front.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited February 10, 2001).]

 

I think I'll keep looking for a cam bearing tool...the shop doesn't have one and $135 isn't too attractive...I'll probably find a way to take the block to the machine shop. I'm still open to more ideas, though

 

Plastic pipe.

Just thought of that, if you can get a size that just fits inside the holes in the block, that might work pretty good.

You will have to make sure its 90 at the end though.. if its off, the cam wont turn very well.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited February 10, 2001).]

 

Good idea.
Tell you what. I'll go ahead and look for some pipe and remove the old bearings. If that goes well, I'll try reinstalling the old bearings(if they don't break) and installing the old cam to check rotational resistance. If that's OK, I'll install the new bearings. We'll see what happens tomorrow! Thanks for the idea, man!

 

I would go the shop route. I remember reading that 1 of every 10 SBC have some serious core shift and you need different cam bearings in some of the saddles. 10% chance isn't much, but I'm no betting man on the basics in a buildup.

 

i made my istall tool. bought a set of bearings, measure them, turned a piece of steel in my lathe to size and use all thread, fender washers and a nut to "press" themn in with. you have 5 cam bearings in a sbc, they don't fit in randomily. guess i assumed you had a metal lathe in your garage, with out the lathe not sure how you'd do it.

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