Should I replace cam bearings?

New bearings are definitely recommended. Not only because of the wear and fatigue of the old bearings, but also because they have much more surface area and more rollers than the original style bearings. The replacements are much better and more supportive of the cam surfaces.

What type of bearing is used for a camshaft?

The most traditional design of camshaft bearings is a steel tube with a layer of lead based Babbitt alloy applied onto the inner surface (bush type camshaft bearing).

Are all cam bearings the same size?

The cam bores in the block are not the same size, meaning the shell thickness on the bearings are different. There are three bearing sizes. Front to rear they are installed #1 #2 #3 #3 #2. 1 is the larger OD and 3 is the smallest.

Are all small block Chevy cam bearings the same?

Just to clarify, the cam journal diameters are the same on all five cam journals on a small block Chevy. The cam bores in the block are not the same size, meaning the shell thickness on the bearings are different. There are three bearing sizes. Front to rear they are installed #1 #2 #3 #3 #2.

Can you polish cam bearings?

Even if not ground to provide additional clearance, camshaft bearing journals should be polished to a surface finish of 10 micro-inches Ra or better with the camshaft rotating in the same direction it will rotate in the engine.

Why are cam bearings different sizes?

The bearing inside diameters are all the same while the outside diameters are different. It’s a manufacturing tooling thing. The bore and thus the boring bar tooling diameter is largest on the #1 or front hole and gets progressively smaller with # 2 and #3.

What must be done after the camshaft bearings are installed?

Rinse the block completely and dry it using compressed air; make sure that all oil and cooling passages are thoroughly blown dry. Immediately afterwards, coat all surfaces with light oil to prevent surface rusting. Next, you’ll need to install the crankshaft main caps, tightening all main cap bolts to specification.