Engine block back from shop...check out the cam bearings!!!

[pmoore4321]

I picked up my engine block from the machine shop this afternoon. I got it home and was checking it out and observed the cam bearings are trashed. It appears that during installation the tool they used damaged them BAD! It is hard for me to believe that a shop would actually let this out the door. Everything else looks fine, but I guess I will be off to another shop.

Can someone please advise me how the bearings are clocked in relation to the block? I want to make sure whoever I take it to gets it right.

A couple of pics for your viewing pleasure. The grove at the bottom of the #1 bearing is actually quite deep even though the pic does not show it. I did stick the cam in it just for grins so some of the scuffing did come from that, but not much at all. It was a pretty f***** up job! The cam, as you can imagine, did not rotate freely at all.

 

[bmackinnon]

Holy crap! Find a new shop immediately!! Inform old shop that their name is now $hit.. and demand a refund of the cam bearings and labor associated with installing them. I would have a freakin' conniption!!... be proud of yourself that you were smart enough to catch this.... amazingly, some are not.... research here very carefully as there are some recent threads about a shop in your area that at one time was recognized as competant TR engine builders.... but they have now proven themselves to be a complete $hithouse... have the new shop check EVERYTHING!!!! Line bore, bearing clearances, oil galley plugs, oil pump setup, EVERYTHING!!..... leave no stone unturned.... it will be worth a few extra bucks if those idiots screwed something else up.... which they probably did...

 

[bison]

Wrong bearing in front location

 

[WS6]

Those galley plugs ever been out? they don't look like it.

 

[hemi8]

Do yourself a favor and take it somewhere else, I would also have the new shop drill and tap for screw-in oil gallery plugs or stake the hell out of your new ones, its not fun when they pop out and land on the timing gear at 6k rpm.
Mike

 

[Chuck Leeper]

If the plugs have not been out, the engine IS NOT clean!
As Bison said.. wrong brg.
Also, if you paid for a hot tanking, nope. Paint marks, rust, don't survive a real tanking, and proper prep.

 

[pmoore4321]

I noticed those front plugs also. I really don't think they have been out. It looks like I am going to have to start over. I find it amazing that some shops can't even do basic work. Unreal!

 

[WSLN 6]

What bearing is supposed to be at the front? I think my block may be the same.

 

[pmoore4321]

It got me wondering also. I found some pics in other posts and the bearings look the same as mine do. I wish someone would share the correct bearing order and how they are supposed to be clocked in relation to the block. I searched and could not find anything. I want to make sure the next shop gets in right.

 

[gnxtc2]

Don't the plugs look like they are driven in too far?

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[pmoore4321]

Yeah, sure does now that you mention it. I was debating whether they were even replaced. Did the factory put the "half moon" stakes around the plugs?

 

[Mike Licht]

Don't the plugs look like they are driven in too far?

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

Good eye, yes, and oil flow will suffer
Mike

 

[pmoore4321]

I went ahead and bought a cam bearing tool and have decided to just put the things in myself. Too much trouble with machine shops and basic work these days. I wanted to make sure I labeled all the bolts correctly when I disassembled, so I went out to the garage and played "dress up".

​

 

[WarWagon]

Nice Engine pics looks great! Sucks about shoddy machine shop work.

 

[WSLN 6]

Good stuff!

Now maybe Bison or someone could chime in about the location/orientation of the cam bearings to save a few of us some motors? :smile:

 

[pmoore4321]

I need the info on the cam bearings also. The front and rear bearings are the same and the two inside bearings are identical according to the info on the box.

I pretty much detailed everything. I even took the alternator apart and painted it. It really paid off putting all the bolts in labeled Ziplock bags. Everything is accounted for.

I bought some flush mount threaded plugs from McMaster-Carr and plan to tap the front oil galley holes as suggested. Just waiting on the tap.

I went with the Comp Cams 206/206 roller, but it is on back order until 5/12.

Added oil pressure and water temp gauges a couple of days ago.

Need to take the DS header to the machine shop to get the flange milled. I did a backyard MIG job on it and warped it.

 

[pmoore4321]

Forgot to add that I am having to go with the stock heads. I am just running out of funds! I had the heads reworked with a 3-angle valve job and a resurfacing. Don't laugh, but Thunderbolt did the head work.

 

[aminga]

I need the info on the cam bearings also. The front and rear bearings are the same and the two inside bearings are identical according to the info on the box.

I pretty much detailed everything. I even took the alternator apart and painted it. It really paid off putting all the bolts in labeled Ziplock bags. Everything is accounted for.

I bought some flush mount threaded plugs from McMaster-Carr and plan to tap the front oil galley holes as suggested. Just waiting on the tap.

I went with the Comp Cams 206/206 roller, but it is on back order until 5/12.

Added oil pressure and water temp gauges a couple of days ago.

Need to take the DS header to the machine shop to get the flange milled. I did a backyard MIG job on it and warped it.

If your cam has a groove on the front bearing journal then the front and rear are the same. The groove is there to feed the lifters. If the came isn't groved then the front bearing has to be.

At least that's what I was told from reading the Power source book.

 

[pmoore4321]

That's interesting. I am using FM 1755 bearings and they are not grooved. The front journal on my stock cam was not grooved either. Does the Comp 206 roller have a grooved front journal?

The cam bearing tool arrived today so I want to get started on assembly this week.

 

[LOT]

groove

That's interesting. I am using FM 1755 bearings and they are not grooved. The front journal on my stock cam was not grooved either. Does the Comp 206 roller have a grooved front journal?

The cam bearing tool arrived today so I want to get started on assembly this week.

The cam or block or both should be grooved. As I understand the cast cams are not grooved but that is not a problem when installed in a 109 block as it has a groove. The problem arises when the non grooved cam is installed in an older block (4.1) or stage block (no groove in block). Different blocks take different bearing sets. The older blocks and stage blocks take bearings which are the same OD all the way through (goes without saying that the ID is the same on all bearings). A 109 block has .020 (approx.) larger OD on the #1 and #4 bearing. The 2 bearings for a 109 that are wider are the # 1 and #4. # 1 should go in so the 2 holes line up with the 2 holes in block. Actually this is not even necessary if there is a groove behind #1 bearing as it will allow oil to be tranfered behind bearing to drivers side to supply lifters. Put # 4 in so as 1 hole is in the oil feed slot in block. Doesn't matter where the other hole goes. Prefered would be on to top or as close as possible. The hole that feeds oil to cam journal should be as close to 8 o-clock as possible ( the slot in block is LONG) as the load is on the bottom of bearing. If you should install a bearing and don't like where it sits, DO NOT remove and reinstall as when driving bearings in it sizes them DOWN. BTW, Drilling a new .080 feed hole in #2-3-4 and rotating original hole to 12 o-clock is worth a few PSI of oil pressure. Best of luck.-