TECH!!! SBC cam bearing R & R

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Ok guys. I don't know how many of you read my other post, but my motor needed Cam bearings, So Here's how ya change 'em. I think the process would be pretty similar with any other engine, as long as you had the correct drive spools.

Here's the cam bearing tool I bought. Save the money and make it yourself; I bet it'd work better! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif (1" solid bar with some 1-3/8 tubing plug welded on)
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0005.jpg
Here are the spools. The black one is steel; that's used to actually drive the bearings. The Red and Blue ones are aluminum; they support the drive arbor; The red one fits inside of the bearings, the blue one fits inside of the block (with no bearing).
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0007.jpg
These measurements were taken with dial calipers, so they're not exact, but pretty damn close. The lengths aren't important, as long as they are long enough to go completely through the bearing. (If I were to make my own, I'd have machined the black one the same size as the red one... more on that later...)

Here's the setup needed to drive the front bearing out/in
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0014.jpg
and here's how it goes into the block. While putting it in this way go ahead and knock the cam plug out of the rear of the block (it won't go all the way in until you do)
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0010.jpg
Take a good size (2-3#) brass hammer (or other soft material, so you don't mushroom the end) and knock the first bearing out. NOTE: DO NOT USE a Harbor Freight dead blow hammer! (you'll fill your block with lead shot!!!!) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0018.jpg
The bearing will come out like so...
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0013.jpg
Slide the bearing off of the spool and turn it sideways to get it out...
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0017.jpg
This is the setup you'll use to R & R all of the other bearings
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0015.jpg
Like this:
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0016.jpg
The new cam bearings are different sizes, and they come IN ORDER, so DON'T MIX THEM UP!!!
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0019.jpg
I chose to go with High Performance bearings coated with a dry film lubricant
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0020.jpg
Here is the bore in the block. Make sure that the hole in your new bearing rides somewhere along the oil groove in the block (If you drive it in too far, or not far enough, the hole will be partially blocked... THIS IS BAD!!!)
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0024.jpg
Now to the reason I'd machine the drive spool smaller: The coated bearing fit on the spool fine, but once the bearing was crushed, it was a REALLY tight fit. I actually had to drive the spool out from the backside (it should have slipped right out). As a result, it wore away some of the dry film lubricant!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Good thing I paid $45 for the good bearings! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif You can see that here...
http://www.inkandsteel.com/HAMB/TECH/pict0011.jpg

Ta Daa! You now have new cam bearings!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[kritz]

that poor dead blow hammer...there's a whole $2 down the crapper!!!! hey, i think i may have some bearings that could use changing...then you could do a compare and contrast tech post with your sbc and a flattie.

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Even with new bearings it'd still be a turd Kritz! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[kritz]

well for now, that turd is all i can afford...have to start with the turd, but i'm gonna move up one of these days to a full on piece of crap.....

you think new bearings would take my motor outta the single digit horsepower range...
yeah, i got a 100 horse flatty that will do 9...hp that is.

[Jimv]

is it a pain in the ass to change the bearings with the engine in the car?? theres nothing in front of it.
JimV

[Hot Rod To Hell]

you have to remove and replace the cam plug at the rear of the block... THAT would be the pain in the ass with the motor in the car!

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Come on guys, I went through all the time and trouble to make this post and NOBODY even cares??? I thought everbody would dig it... it's one of the only parts of engine building that most people don't do themselves! IT'S EASY!!! I PROMISE!!! All of the machine shops around here charge $40-$50 labor to do it, and you could make the tool for WAY less than that.

[Fat Hack]

Hey! What kinda lame-ass tech post is THIS??? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Why couldn't ya do a 2.8 or some other REALLY COOL engine??

Sheeesh! What passes for tech these days!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Maybe next time I'll do a 4.3 Hack, but that's about as close to a 2.8 tech as I'll ever do! unless I can devise some sort of winch system to get one back off the bottom of the lake when it's time to move the boat again!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Fat Hack]

LMFAO!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

You'd have to be sportin' an Icebreaker to be moving your boat around the lake about now!!!

(And 2.8s are LIGHT...a big guy like you could yank one up no problem!)

Ha...winch indeed...!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[flatheadpete]

Hey Steve, When it's time to do mine, come on over!

[jdubbya]

I am amazed.... no not at this tech, but at the idea that HotRodtoHell put this up. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Hey Hack, that 2.8 bearing tech is over on the Beretta site!
Nice job with this tech post Steve, I am proud of you! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif -Joe

[flatheadpete]

Good thing no magnets are needed!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Everbody's a f**in comedian... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[BELLM]

Good post! I don't have tools to mak but think I will buy one.

[Hot Rod To Hell]

Honestly, this CHEAP one was $70! I bet you could get a local machine shop to machine all of your spools for about $20 if you couldn't do it yourself! (I have a bunch of friends that are tool and die makers so I can get crap like this done for free most of the time...) You'd have about $10 into the steel IF you couldn't find some scrap that would work... In my case, the time I would have used to make the tool was worth more than the tool cost to buy...