Cam Bearings

[57larry]

I'm rebuilding a 350 Chevy. Some machine shops say they need the cam when they're installing the cam bearings, other shops say they don't need the cam. what do you guys think? thanks, Larry

[enjenjo]

I have never needed a cam when the bearings were installed.

[UGLY OLDS]

Enjenjo is correct ... The cam should not be needed ... HOWEVER... When I install them, I want the cam that will be used to be available so I can verify no clearance or alignment issues..  

 I remember Back in the Day , Big Block Mopars were especially bad for this ....  We even made a special tapered mandrel that was used on the bearing tool to center on the front bearing register for alignment.... There was more than one block that needed the new bearings to be blued & hand fitted .....

But on a SBC that should not be an issue ........

Bob....

[Pete]

After you have put cam bearings in for over 60 years, you get fairly adept at it but I have ALWAYS required they bring the cam that will be used in the engine in also.
About half the time the cam is bent enough so it would not turn freely. I just routinely check them first.

[57larry]

I took my Chevy 350 block to a machine shop ran by an old guy.  He wanted the cam and the pistons. He's installing cam bearings and boring the block. never had a machine shop tell me this before[/code]

[Jokester]

Perhaps those that don't require the cam already have an old one on hand that they use on these common engines.

Years ago I made an installer using an old axle puller and had a guy machine me a driver to "pull" the bearings into the block.  There was no way to center the puller over the whole length so the bearings would sometimes (rarely) be slightly off.  The hard part was figuring out which one was crooked.  Always had to check it using a cam.

my 2 cents

.bjb

[Arnold]

I think the ones that require the cam have seen enough damaged cam bearing during installation of cam problems.
As for pistons..I guess if you are just doing a basic re-bore/hone..and you got your machinist the mic'd specs' of all the pistons..