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Cam bearing install - dry or lube #2897628
03/10/21 08:43 AM
03/10/21 08:43 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,331
Clinton, NJ
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njmopar Offline OP
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njmopar  Offline OP
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Joined: Apr 2003
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Clinton, NJ
Hello.

I will be tackling the replacement of cam bearings on my 5.9 magnum. Do I install the new bearings dry or with any sort of lube? In one BB cam bearing thread, I see some used ivory soap on the leading edge for lubrication. Any videos I have seen of bearing install (all makes) when dry you can see little pieces of the bearing scraping off. Then I hear that using oil could cause bearing to spin. Only want to do this job once.

Thanks.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: njmopar] #2897653
03/10/21 10:06 AM
03/10/21 10:06 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,319
Marion, South Carolina [><]
an8sec70cuda Offline
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an8sec70cuda  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,319
Marion, South Carolina [><]
I've always put them in dry.


CHIP
'70 hemicuda, 575" Hemi, 727, Dana 60
'69 road runner, 440-6, 18 spline 4 speed, Dana 60
'71 Demon, 340, low gear 904, 8.75
'73 Chrysler New Yorker, 440, 727, 8.75
'90 Chevy 454SS Silverado, 476" BBC, TH400, 14 bolt
'06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Duramax
Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: an8sec70cuda] #2897654
03/10/21 10:16 AM
03/10/21 10:16 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,560
S.E. Michigan
cl440 Offline
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cl440  Offline
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S.E. Michigan
We always drive them in dry. I assume a light coat of some type of lube wouldn't hurt? Maybe a spray of wd-40 would work?

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: cl440] #2897666
03/10/21 10:44 AM
03/10/21 10:44 AM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,319
VA
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dragon slayer Offline
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VA
A lot of Mopar have tight cam clearance no? Master engine builder does light oil on install, and make sure if any metal shaves off on install properly removed. Followed by a test cam to make sure the cam fit and movement is fine.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: dragon slayer] #2897724
03/10/21 01:09 PM
03/10/21 01:09 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,944
Apollo, PA.
B1MAXX Online content
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B1MAXX  Online Content
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Joined: May 2005
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Apollo, PA.
A shot of wd when I do them.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: an8sec70cuda] #2897742
03/10/21 02:28 PM
03/10/21 02:28 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,007
Bend,OR USA
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Cab_Burge Offline
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Cab_Burge  Offline
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Bend,OR USA
Originally Posted by an8sec70cuda
I've always put them in dry.
iagree
I've installed hundreds of cam bearings in Mopar blocks dry, BB,SB and Gen 1 and Gen 2 Hemi blocks with no lube, in fact I've never heard of any shops in SO CA or up here in Oregon that uses lube to install them work
Don't do that tsk twocents


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: Cab_Burge] #2897947
03/10/21 09:51 PM
03/10/21 09:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 257
Alberta
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440_Offroader Offline
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440_Offroader  Offline
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Posts: 257
Alberta
I agree with dry. You don't want anything behind a main or rod bearing, just clean and dry. One would think, you'd want the same behind your cam bearings.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: 440_Offroader] #2898086
03/11/21 10:45 AM
03/11/21 10:45 AM
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Posts: 1,319
VA
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dragon slayer Offline
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VA
Not the same load on a cam bearing as a rod or main. They definitely need to be clean and dry on the back side. Considering how hard cam bearing can be getting out it is funny that it is thought to be a no no for a chrysler. Any machine shop you talk to the first thing is how tight cam bearing are on Chrysler, followed by make sure you line hone or bore the main. shruggy

So you also have a man who has built hundreds of motors, set several SS records and won a world championship and he lubes them. Not a break or make subject in my opinion.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: dragon slayer] #2898699
03/13/21 11:43 AM
03/13/21 11:43 AM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 288
Nevada
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merpar Offline
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Nevada
Cam bearings can be a [censored]. I have found the most help on install is to deburr the leading edge in the block. Do this before you send the block to the machine shop. Those leading edges are sharp and they will scrape the outside of the bearing. resulting in an out of round bearing. I use a piece of aluminum about 16" long in a drill motor with one end threaded to adapt a grinding wheel or what ever you have. It doesn't take a lot of work. Just get rid of that sharp edge. Then my lube of choice is Ivory bar soap rubbed around the leading edge of the bearing. Then prayer helps to line up the oil holes.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: merpar] #2898701
03/13/21 11:47 AM
03/13/21 11:47 AM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 288
Nevada
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merpar Offline
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Nevada
Does Face Book fact checkers work here? Hope you will allow the word you (censored) Since when is [censored] a bad word??????????

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: njmopar] #2898919
03/14/21 04:50 AM
03/14/21 04:50 AM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,399
Aurora, Colorado
451Mopar Offline
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451Mopar  Offline
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Aurora, Colorado
Dry. I like to put a slight chamfer on the cam bores, just breaking the sharp edge before installing the bearings. Sometimes the bores sharp edge will gouge the outer part of the bearing.

Re: Cam bearing install - dry or lube [Re: 451Mopar] #2898926
03/14/21 07:19 AM
03/14/21 07:19 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,036
Mooresburg, Tn
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'72CudaRacer Offline
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Mooresburg, Tn
I install them dry. A trick that I find helpful is to use a Sharpie to mark the location of the oil holes in the block(on the front face of each webbing) and then mark the bearing with a straight line from the oil hole to the bearing edge. When you are installing them, just make sure the marks are lined up. With a 3' long bar, the engine stand tilted and just all around hard to see down in there, its very easy to get your bearing turned a little off. This way it is very easy to see when you got it lined up just right and focus on getting it square. Go slowly, and use a flash light to look down in the main bearing oil holes to check for proper depth until your oil holes are lined up.
Its not a difficult job, but its one area that you can read books, watch videos and talk to other people about it all you want, but to learn how, you just got to do it yourself. Kinda like welding.

Good luck, Brian







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