Cam bearings


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By Cactus - 13 Years Ago
I know that this sounds crazy, but I have a 272 that was supposedly rebuilt, and since I can't get oil to the passenger side, I was considering drilling into the bearing from the top while turning the oil pump to possibly float out metal fragments. I am pretty sure the bearing was not installed correctly and since the motor at this point is leak free, I was hoping to not tear it down.
By Rono - 13 Years Ago
Are you getting oil to the driver's side rocker shaft? If so, it could be that you passenger side rocker shaft is upside down with the oil hole in the shaft facing up. Just a thought.

Rono

By Cactus - 13 Years Ago
Heads are off, measuring both sides there is an obstruction about the width of a bearing in the passenger side. Tried pressurizing the passage and no air goes through. This is a motor that I am not really sure about, so if this does not work, I will tear it down. Just thought I might try the drill bit trick. Heard about drilling out carbon many years ago from some old time mechanics, and I feel quite sure they got into the bearings with no apparent damage. Might work.
By The Master Cylinder - 13 Years Ago
Jan, And your sure you don't have a cross drilled cam? With cross drilled cams, oil only flows to the rockers when the cam is in a certain position. Try rotating the engine.
By NoShortcuts - 13 Years Ago
Jan, I'm having trouble picturing how you would drill though the cam bearing with the camshaft in place.



Even if you had a cutting tool ground like a two flute end mill cutter, you would damage the bearing surface of the cam shaft before you completed the cutting of the full circumference of the oil hole opening due to the curvature of the bearing surface. Too, getting those cutting chips out would seem to be a real challenge.



IF you remove the timing chain cover (and all!) the camshaft could be moved forward a small amount to permit the drill to penetrate and miss the camshaft bearing surface. To permit doing this, you'll have to use clothes pins to hold the lifters up. Do they still make clothes pins? Unsure



Not fun...
By mctim64 - 13 Years Ago
NoShortcuts (11/18/2012)

IF you remove the timing chain cover (and all!) the camshaft could be moved forward a small amount to permit the drill to penetrate and miss the camshaft bearing surface. To permit doing this, you'll have to use clothes pins to hold the lifters up. Do they still make clothes pins? Unsure

Not fun...

I have done this exactly the same way about 20 years ago to my uncles old F-600, someone had installed the center cam bearing incorrectly.  still working all these years later. Wink

By Cactus - 13 Years Ago
Thanks all. Since I am sure that this is a grooved cam, I am going to try it. Tim, I am glad you chimed in as I was beginning to think that age was getting to me and maybe I was delusional. What size drill bit should I try?
By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
mctim64 (11/19/2012)
NoShortcuts (11/18/2012)

IF you remove the timing chain cover (and all!) the camshaft could be moved forward a small amount to permit the drill to penetrate and miss the camshaft bearing surface. To permit doing this, you'll have to use clothes pins to hold the lifters up. Do they still make clothes pins? Unsure

Not fun...

I have done this exactly the same way about 20 years ago to my uncles old F-600, someone had installed the center cam bearing incorrectly.  still working all these years later. Wink

Yes, me too, many moons ago.Smile