Big Block Cam bearing question...

I got a phone call from a friend last night...
He broke the 440 he had in a 71 A Body...found a transplant and is installing a new cam in this motor before putting it back in the car.
The motor he bought was a lower mileage 440 (about 1974 vintage)...
When he removed the old cam one of the cam bearings has a small piece about the size of pencil eraser missing at the edge.
General consensus has been to maybe just leave it alone...

Anyone had anything similar over the years?

Affordable machine shops around here are pretty much non existent...he checked into buying the tool to install new cam bearings but it was a little pricey and he would most likely only be using it once...

Any thoughts?

Sorry no pic available...car is mainly just a w/e driver...no real track time...

O'Reilly's rents some tools but probably not one to put cam bearings in, but I'd ask.

Checked with a few places and they have nothing local to rent...

No Oreilly's local to me...Thx...

I’ve seen that before. No idea how it happens. The one I had almost looked like it was a void in the casting. The cam had no unusual wear or problems. The way mine looked, there is no way a chunk fell out after assembly. My best guess i the factory deemed it insignificant. I replaced mine, but not real sure it needed to be. After all, every cam bearing has at least one hole in it from the start.

I've seen that a lot over the years. I change them now, but back in the day sometimes they were left in, and never had issues.

I think you will be fine (as is).

It might be okay. Myself I would replace anything questionable like that, but not everyone would agree.

If he is thinking about replacing it, maybe just a cheaper tool would make it feasible

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Engine-Camshaft-Cam-Bearing-Installation-Insert-Removal-Remove-Tool/173974774843?hash=item2881b4643b:g:zQoAAOSwmUhdN8VI

He could use it once, then sell it for maybe $40, probably fairly easily?

I bought the Snap On version but it was used/good deal, and it's also quite possible I am a freak anyway but I've got alot of use out of it.