Hi!
Had a cam bearing failure in my Indy aluminum block. It went so bad that the block actually have melted a little in the #3 and 4 cam bearing bores, so just can't install new bearings. Others are ok. You can't get it welded either, no room for that.

So, does someone make needle bearing cams (and bearings) for a bigblock? It could be one solution to drill the cam tunnel bigger for roller bearings.

Any other ideas?

Go to a larger bearing, either roller or babbit or have it sleeved. S/F....Ken M

I'm sure this guy could do it. Sorry, I don't have any contact info for him.

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=581711571&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA949CA949&q=robwendland&tbm=isch&chips=q:robwendland,online_chips:block+repair:A6GdU-cpMKU%3D&usg=AI4_-kR7ymvhENoxAr-QLs51CvOJxc2WLw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKw5j70b6CAxUnHjQIHe6dC_oQgIoDKAN6BAgzEB4&biw=1024&bih=700&dpr=1.25

Your choices are 55mm roller or 60mm babbit. I like babbit however there can be some caveats. Is the block standard cam height or +.250? I would give Indy a call in this one.

Rob Wendland search. -> clickable Rob Wendland Google search <-

If it were mine, I would probably attempt to sleeve it. I assume there is enough meat there for a sleeve - I would leave a slight shoulder for the sleeve to rest against. I would do it on a horizontal boring mill. Trickiest part is the setup.

Tony Bischoff (BES) is my engine builder. I would trust whatever he says. Why don't you send him an email and ask?

I agree, not a hard problem to fix with the correct equipment. But, it could be difficult to find a shop with that kind of equipment. It is more of an industrial type of problem than an engine repair issue.

Don't forget he is in Finland
I'm wondering if you could have it spray welded or not and then have it remachine back to stock
I agree with Jeremiah if you can have that machine work done there and buy another cam core for the bearings you use
I had a similar experience with a 1971 6 pack 440 motor, it spun the #4 cam bearing and cause a lot of problems getting that block fixed Dang Mopar on using five different cam bearing sizes

Can you find anyone with a portable line bore machine like this? 60mm cam bearings and cam cores are available. Or use it to overbore for sleeves.

The bore for a 60mm roller bearing is going to be 68mm from memory. A babbit bearing bore will be around 63mm. Obviously a 55mm babbit bore will be smaller, but I don't believe Cam cores to be as plentiful. If you have to replace the camshaft as well, this might be the best option??

Alternatively, you can sleeve the number 3, 4 and 5 bores to facilitate the repair. Maybe pin them with some aluminium rod to minimise the possibility of the sleeves moving.

Finland????? LOL!

I know - he was kind enough to give me a beer when I visited him........ Got nothing but the highest respect for what they do.

I'm wondering how many people on here recognize what era, years and brand block that pictures is of
Hint it isn't recent and it is not a Mopar brand block

A favourite of a lot of early Hot Rodders!

Yes, the cam is shot too, so have to get new one or two anyway. So,only the available cam core is the limit for the cam bearings that will be used.

My KB blocks didn't have cam bearings (other than the bores that had been repaired) , ran on the machined block material. An option may be to open the bores and have straight aluminum bushings pressed in and re line hone. Tap the feed hole(s) in the block, then drill out a dog point set screw as an anti rotation pin.

ford flathead, 8BA block maybe ?

Close. It's a Lincoln 337 flathead. Basically a big block version of the Ford flathead.

8 AB maybe I can't tell without seeing the top of the motor to see if it had a cam driven distributors on the front of the motor or the later top mounted distributor and I don't know how to tell the differences visibly between the Ford and Mercury blocks, let alone the bigger Lincoln blocks
I started getting interested in cars in the later 1950s, I especially liked the 1958 Chevy Impalas, still do

Seems that the camcores for BB rollerbearings is next to impossible to find. So far one offer for 54mm bearings, 1500$.

The direction I’d be leaning would be to bore & sleeve the two bad cam bores back to the original sizes.