Bronze cam bearings

[gn69z28]

If you were to make a set of cam bearings out of bronze with an outer diameter of 2.060 how much of a press fit would you give them.. and would you use loctite when installing?

[ProPower engines]

If you were to make a set of cam bearings out of bronze with an outer diameter of 2.060 how much of a press fit would you give them.. and would you use loctite when installing?

.0035" then bore ID to size.
If you are not using a steel backed bronze bushing there is not much to hold it.
Bronze is not really the best material for a cam bearing or they would all be made that way.


Why are you thinking about bronze for a cam bearing??
What application is this for??

[gn69z28]

I'm dealing with a old Ford 312 Y block that Ford bored the cam tunnel crocked. I'm in Virginia. There is a gentleman in Texas that bored the cam tunnel to get it straight then custom makes bronze cam bearings for each hole. I'm trying to avoid having to ship the block to Texas. My research is telling me this is a common problem with these blocks.

[Charliesauto]

If you were to make a set of cam bearings out of bronze with an outer diameter of 2.060 how much of a press fit would you give them.. and would you use loctite when installing?

I would be .0025"" and green Loctite.

[cgarb]

So is that the bearing or is that a sleeve to restore the bore to spec for a babbit bearing?

[gn69z28]

That is the bearing.

[PackardV8]

We repaired an antique which had spun its cam bearings. Bore the tunnel straight and oversize, press in and Loctite steel sleeves and drive in standard cam bearings.

In our case, we lucked out and there was a Redi-sleeve exactly the OD/ID we needed. We trimmed it to length and left the flange on it.

[ProPower engines]

I'm dealing with a old Ford 312 Y block that Ford bored the cam tunnel crocked. I'm in Virginia. There is a gentleman in Texas that bored the cam tunnel to get it straight then custom makes bronze cam bearings for each hole. I'm trying to avoid having to ship the block to Texas. My research is telling me this is a common problem with these blocks.

Its common with a lot of old blocks but they bored the bearings in place straight.
The old blocks never seemed to have straight cam bores but an easy fix is if a .010 undersize is available then you may be able to correct it.
If the block has been bored a larger over size then as mentioned you can steel sleeve the block and use a std babbitt cam bearing.

[houser45]

Make steel repair sleeves and press in. Home to size for the factory bearing

[mt-engines]

i dont see why you couldn't use an Ampco bronze alloy. A18 or A15

[panic]

Bronze is not really the best material for a cam bearing
"Bronze" is only slightly more precise than "metal", there are hundreds.
SAE 660 (CDA 932) has been used for cam bearings for 90 years that I know of.
Why is this wrong?

[mt-engines]

Bronze is not really the best material for a cam bearing
"Bronze" is only slightly more precise than "metal", there are hundreds.
SAE 660 (CDA 932) has been used for cam bearings for 90 years that I know of.
Why is this wrong?

it must be bad for wrist pin bushings and valve guides too..

[rebelyell]

super auto machine shop in Virginia (for our project Kevin rebushed lifter bores for a Ford racing Busch car some years ago) near VA-NC border
Kevin Blanks Performance Inc
VA Hwy 58, Clarksville, VA 23927-1811
(434) 374-2188

[engineguyBill]

We repaired an antique which had spun its cam bearings. Bore the tunnel straight and oversize, press in and Loctite steel sleeves and drive in standard cam bearings.

In our case, we lucked out and there was a Redi-sleeve exactly the OD/ID we needed. We trimmed it to length and left the flange on it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is the best procedure to repair this situation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^