Are these new cam bearings good?

Short Story, long. My son took his disassembled engine to the machine shop to have it made new. It’s a 430 cu. in. engine. He supplied the machine shop with .30 over pistons, all new bearings, and whatever else was needed from TA performance. The machine shop was to assemble the short block. We were going to put the rest of it together. We got the block back about a year and a half ago. Before we were able to unwrap the engine, and take a look at it, a very close friend of the family passed away, and we had to deal with his funeral and the disposal of his estate. Needless to say, the engine got pushed to the back of the garage and put on the back burner. Yesterday we unwrapped the plastic wrapping off of the engine. Yes, it is covered in oil and looks pristine still. But what we did notice were lots of scratches on the cam bearings. In fact the cam bearings were not the ones that were given to the machine shop! We can only guess they miss placed the TA performance grooved cam bearings and installed ones they bought. We’re kind of pissed off, but the shop is long gone. In fact, we were one of its last customers. So, my question is do these scratches look bad. You cannot feel the scratches, but you can see them.

 

PS, from reading other cam bearing posts we do intend on replacing the front cam bearing with a grooved bearing from TA performance.

 

If you have the proper tool, cam bearings are easy to remove and install. Run the bearings that you prefer. Just be sure to install the cam and check for clearance. Everything should rotate freely.

 

They’re cheap enough replaced them and don’t look back.

 

Looks to me thay the shop installed them in the wrong order.. the scratches are from fishing the tool through the holes. It also appears they are not pressed in all the way.. i don't recall ever seeing the bearing sticking out of the block like that.

 

Well that 1 clearly isn't in all the way.

Some of the bearing on the market are wider that others and you get stick out......but that 1 for certain isn't in far enough.

Now yes they are cheap enough and yes it takes the proper tool to do and if u don't have it most ships do it cheap enough.

Many won't agree here....but those scratches, chips, as long as the edge isn't raised up causing a tight condition it's just a spot that oil will puddle in........now if it had worn groove especially on the bottom where it looks like the cam was pushed down that's bad.

Caused by high spring pressure and or angle the way the cam sit in the block.


I've had more than bbb that cams won't spin freely in and wear the bearings very fast without crazy spring pressure

 

A little marred up, but they’re usable.
If you wanted TA bearings now would be the time to install them, BUT, you’ll have to remove crank, rods, pistons.

 

To answer questions and comments...
Joe, I am no expert, but I certainly agree with your statement about the wrong order! They are in all the way because we were able to stick a pipe cleaner through the bearing hole and into the oil gallery easily.
Mark, I am LMAO!!! My son dropped off TA cam bearings along with all the other bearings, and TA .30 over pistons. Guess they thought the "groove" in the cam bearings was messed up so they installed their own?
Yep, we'll have to remove all the bottom end, but as I told my son, If the f*cked up the cam bearings did they get all the clearances on the rods and crank correct? We're going to plastic gauge everything as we pull it apart to make sure everything is right.
Thank you all for your comments.

 

You don't need to dissamble the shortblock. It won't be fun but it's doable.

I also agree with Ben- those marks won't hurt anything. Just a sloppy job.

 

Thank you, Joe. A couple of my mechanic friends that live close by took a look at them and said they looked OK to use. We still want a grooved bearing in the front. I’m pretty sure the machine shop can do that one without the assembly being taken out of it.

 

I've had more than shop not be able to follow directions and actually install 3 of the 5 dual feed bearing flipped......unfortunately you can't hardly trust anyplace to actually do the job 100% right. Sometime I think too many hand involved or too many starts and stops not being at know finish spot.

I agree having the rear grooved bearing up front is important and worth putting in

 

They might be straight or they might be cocked. And are they all clocked correctly?
Given the cam bearings are like the heart' main arteries, and most Buicks run hard, I would knock them out and put new ones in for less than $150. (if you go polymer, < $100 if you just use the grooved) It's cheap enough insurance.

And I might be pulling caps to see how the mains/rod bearings looked. Based on the condition of the cam bearings.

A few light marks from fitting a cam for clearance and free rotation is one thing, but it looks like Nicks Garage put them in with a logging chain.

But I am overkill on some things.

 

Slight marks can be put in bearings just by bore gaging the size. Use light spring pressure setting up the gage and only check once or twice. Bearings are surface soft. 000 steel wool will make them look better.
Installer wasn't very meticulous.

 

Mike and Mart, I so agree with both of you. I’ll have more to say in a couple hours. I had a very very very good day visiting the machine shop. They’re even going to do the engine I want in my car. They’re going to do the bearings with the crank and pistons in place. The guy asked if it had an oil pan on it yet and I told him no. He was happy at that. He said it’s going to be a pain in the ass, but I can do it with no problem. Wait I’m spilling my guts. I’ll be back.

 

Did I tell you all I had a very very good day? I most certainly did. You won’t believe the price of diesel fuel that I bought. Awesome!

 

Mike, most definitely getting some plastic gauge and checking their work.

 

So first I should say this machine shop did my 350 engine a long time ago. Damn, I’m thinking 25 years ago because it was 1990. Anyway, I went to a closer one because the machine shop I went to today is way up the north end of town. The closer one is down the street and always had a really good reputation. I just didn’t know about him back in 1990. So I go and see these people. It was like a homecoming. Same guy that used to be a little bit younger than me and now he’s old. Crap, that means I’m old also! It was a pleasure hanging out at the shop and talking with them. They were actually going to take my son’s engine right there on the spot, but I told him we were ordering the parts from TA performance. I’ll be back in a week. All shops around here are so backed up with work. You’re not getting in. I’m guessing from what I read and watched on YouTube. Cam bearings are pretty fast and easy. Seriously, good time there!
(I see my mistake now. That was 35 years ago! There is somebody on this Buick forum that also has about that old of a 350 engine bored out to 355. He always says he’s beat the crap out of it for 30 something years. Oh yes, I agree. I have 390 gears in my car And I drive it on I 95 at 5000 RPM. Doesn’t phase it! I told the machine shop that.)

 

I dropped off my Sherwin Vega speakers to be reconed. Something like that. Stupid phone. A buddy of mine from the 1980s owns a speaker and amplifier rebuild shop. He actually did the dashboard speaker for my 68 GS. It works good. That was my first stop. Always good to see Carl.

 

Then I went to a wholesale fertilizer place. My neighbor across the street has an account with them so I just used his name. Way way way cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes for fertilizer. Another good stop!

 

Then I went to the machine shop. On the way to the machine shop I saw one of the cheapest mobile gas stations in our area selling diesel fuel for $3.29!!! That is very cheap down here, especially since it all went up about a week ago. I continued onto the shop and as I have already said, had a great time visiting them.