That might work, but probably only for a short time. Brass would be too soft, and you'd have to find a way to secure the bearing. A lead babbitt bearing is essentialy the same thing; - brass or copper "ring" sheathed in lead, channeled and bored to fit. The only problem is the heat that is created up in the cam gallery, and whether or not the bearing will with stand the load. Which bearing on that shaft is the thrust bearing, the one that sees most of the cam's load? It might be worth your while to gut the block, haul it in, and get it properly built up with steel, if it is possible, and then figure out what went wrong. Do nails suffer from core shift problems like the later series of BBB do?
That sounds like the best option to me.:TU: Give tech support at DuraBond a cal, I'd bet they will have a solution for you.
Had this problem when I built the 300 in my '64 Skylark. Two of the cam bearings in it were an odd size from the factory. One of them would just fall through the hole--it was about .010" smaller than the hole. Had a machine shop put it in the align hone machine and they bored the hole in the block for that cam bearing out by I think .1" and I made a sleeve with a .050" wall thickness on my lathe that we pressed in there with loctite on it, then pressed the standard cam bearing into the sleeve (sleeve was made of steel). The other bearing that had a problem was about .010" too big and I chucked it up in the lathe and machined down the outside of it unti it fit. It appeared that Buick had some special cam bearings made to correct some engine blocks that were machined wrong.
While you may be correct on the problem for the 300 Brian, I don't think I've ever heard about this particular kind of problem with a "Nail". Lifter bores, yes, but not cam bearing bores. Although this may have arisen before I've never heard of it. Yes, the blocks from about '60 had TERRIBLE core shift problems. That's why I always say to sonic test before doing ANY work to ANY "Nail" from 1960 on. And just for added insurance, even on a stock rebuild fill the cooling system with an epoxy filler to the bottom of the big freeze plugs. Adds lower block stability for our HEAVY reciprocating assemblies. Remember, because of this weight any cylinder AFTER boring should be no less than .150" !!!!!!! If the bearing just "Falls through" as you say how much actual clearance is there??? You don't think "Locktite" will hold it in place??? Which bearing is it???? Tom T.
Tom, It is the center bearing,,,, and it probably has 3 thousanths of clearance,,,, I know that i can fix that, but how to fix it perminatly??? I want to be sure that the repair will hold up to the pressures/heat/oil ect that will be there.... First I will contact dura bond tech like was suggested for advice and then consider all that the guys have told me and I figure that combined we/they can come up with a permanite solution.....
