I just pulled the front cam bearing on the 455 and noticed that there is a grove in the block. I was planning on ordering TA's grooved cam bearing but now I think I need to go with a normal cam bearing. I'm thinking this is a block mod that the person who rebuilt the engine in 2002 made. I'm I correct? So knowing that I have a grooved block for the oil to circulate along with backside of the bearing should I just replace the cam bearing with a normal cam bearing? Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I'd still use TA' back grooved bearings, even for the #1 cam bearing, I do on my 350, and I have the same set-up. Also what I have done is have the groove on the front cam journal spray welded closed, its not needed, and prevents the #1 cam journal from "cutting" the front cam bearing in two, and improves oil pressure. I've done this on V-6 and V-8 Buick engines for years, I started doing this about 10 years ago, it works great:grin:
my machine shop made a groove on the inside of the front cam bearing. but i dont have crazy spring pressures
I would use a normal cam bearing if you plan to keep the groove in the block. do it one way or the other. that said, I have run the TA dual groove cam bearing with a grooved 350 block with no problems. It just made me uncomfortable because the groove in the block sat right between the two TA dual grooves in the bearing, which effectively made one BIG groove on the outside of the cam bearing. my $.02
You can use the reglar bearing, just make sure to reclock the bearing so an oil hole is at the 3 to 4 o'clock location and the other hole is at the 7 to 8 o'clock location.
