Did I ruin my new motor?

[Dad's72]

God I hope not. I got a crate motor out of a 79 from a buddy of mine for next to nothing as a favor to me. Well I degreased it and power washed it as it has a few leaks. My plan was to install new gaskets and paint the motor before install. The motor has close to 20K miles on it but is in great shape. Or was.

Fast forward to my dumb a$$ last night when I was installing new freeze plugs into it as two were leaking and one of which is the large one that goes on the back of the cam. Well it did not pop out easy like all the rest so I used a screw driver so I could help pry it out. It finally came out but not before destroying the cam bearing. I heart sank after seeing what I had done.

This is my fist crack at this so I ask y'all who have way more experience with all this, did I ruin my motor? I know you cannot replace one cam bearing so does this mean that the motor will have to be completely torn down to install new cam bearings?

[BILT4ME]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, in my opinion, you screwed the pooch.

You MAY be able to push the cam forward slightly and smooth out the bearings with a file or sandpaper or emery cloth, but you will eventually have to replace the cam bearings.

You could POSSIBLY do that, install a new cam plug and install the engine and run it until it pukes, then do it all. You MAY end up with low oil pressure due to this (because it opens up gaps and allows it to leak out) but again, since it is on the back side, there may be enough oil cushion to allow it to work for 50K-75K miles.

Good luck. Just my opinion. Many others will have theirs as well. Read the manuals before jumping into things. That's why they are there.

[Ironangel]

The short answer is "YES" Heres the positives, you can now opt for a new cam and lifter set that will make more power than the stock cam. You already have the motor out of the truck so thats a plus. Pull the valve covers and the intake. Drop the pan and the front timing cover. If your reusing the same cam and lifters make sure you keep track of where each lifter was located before you pull them, that's critical! If you go with a new cam and lifters then it wont matter. I'm not sure whether or not a single cam bearing can be replaced from the rear of the motor so you might post this in the "engine and drive train" section to get more expert advise. Make sure you ask questions as the reassembly takes place. Those guys know all the tricks to keep from wiping out cam lobes and correctly installing intake gaskets so no leaks will occur.

[Grumpy old man]

I wouldn't even try to start that engine ,don't even turn it over once .you'll send metal through the engine .They make a tool for installing freeze out plugs . Always ask for advice before tackling repairs your not fully familiar with . time for new bearings and you may as well drop in a new cam and lifters .

[GRX]

Ouch! Some lessons are learned the hard way.

That is not a freeze plug, as you have discovered. If it was leaking oil it was not installed properly & needed replacing anyway.

Did you screw up your motor? Yes. Is the whole thing a total loss? Not likely.

You may be able to correct things as BILT4ME said above. Not the approach I would take. The proper way is to completely remove the camshaft as Grumpy stated, along with all related parts such as timing set, lifters and such. Then have new cam bearings (all 5) installed. The cam should be closely inspected too.

Before doing anything else check back here, or consult a local engine builder.

[rcazwillis]

You did not ruin the engine. You ruined a cam bearing. That does not mean the entire engine has to be rebuilt. You will need to install new cam bearings. It sounds like you need to get some assistance on the repair. Short answer is you will have to removed the intake manifold, valve cover gaskets, rocker arms, push tubes, lifters, oil pan, timing chain cover, timing chain, pull cam, knock out cam bearings, then reverse the process. Hardest part is correctly installing cam bearings and setting rocker arms correctly. If you can't do all this, get some competent help.

[webfoot]

If you don't want to replace the cam and lifters, you can just put them away such that you can put each lifter back in the same exact hole, and reuse everything if you don't want to put the money into it, or go through the breakin procedure. New cam bearings are cheap, and installation you'd likely want to have a shop perform but shouldn't cost you too much either. (I'd guess my local shop would charge me a full hour or $60) So you can get out of this little flub up for as little as <$100.

Just an option - personally I'd rather put new cam & lifters back in there.

[Dad's72]

I feel so dang stupid right now. Costing myself money I do not have to spend. I looked up bearings and they seem cheap in cost but I have to check machine shops around town. I looked up some videos online and they all removed the crank and pistons before doing the bearings. Is this the correct way?
I told my buddy about what I had done and he laughed at me and gave me hell. He said he would rent the tool and bring it over to help me replace all the bearings. He says it isn't hard and that we can do it in the garage and use all the same stuff as long as I didn't mar up the back of the cam. He said the same thing some of y'all did about installing a new cam and lifters at this time but that is out of the question at this point because I am on a tight budget. I just hope nothing else goes wrong.

[Dad's72]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

I wouldn't even try to start that engine ,don't even turn it over once .you'll send metal through the engine .They make a tool for installing freeze out plugs . Always ask for advice before tackling repairs your not fully familiar with . time for new bearings and you may as well drop in a new cam and lifters .

I'm not. It is out of the truck already so I will replace all the cam bearings at one time. I cannot afford a new cam and lifters at this point.

[GRX]

You do not have to remove the crank. Although having oil pan off, crank out of the way, with block flipped upside down, makes things much easier.

Be sure the cam spins freely after the new bearings are installed. Remove any high spots on the leading edge from install tool if necessary.

Far as sealer goes ... opinions vary. I do this for a living and like to apply a thin film of Permatex form-a-gasket to the press area, then install the special shallow plug.

[Dad's72]

I just called the machine shop in town and they will charge $40 to install and $35 for new cam bearings. BUT I have to bring them a bare block or pay them to tear down and rebuild.

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by Dad's72

I just called the machine shop in town and they will charge $40 to install and $35 for new cam bearings. BUT I have to bring them a bare block or pay them to tear down and rebuild.

Couple things to consider with this. Tearing it down isn't hard, mark the Pistons, main caps and bearings so they go back in the same spots and you'll be fine. But you need a ring compressor to install the Pistons, more cost if you don't have or can't borrow one. You already need new gaskets for intake, front cover, oil pan and valve covers. Doing a complete teardown means you'll need head gaskets too. There are kits that include everything so you have some shopping and price comparing to do.

If you're going to have them do this work, consider having them install the freeze plugs. If nothing else you'll have someone else to blame if they leak again.

[Mike C]

Why does entire engine have to be disassembled? Usually cam bearings are replaced when the block has been hot tanked and after machining. But I don't see why it can't be done with just pulling the cam.

What am I missing here? Call another machine shop, tell them what you did, and see if they can't just replace bearing.

There is no step in the bore so I don't see why just the rear bearing couldn't be replaced then the welch plug.

[Aruba1]

Look into cam bearing replacement video and you will discover that you NEED a cam bearing tool and knowledge to do that as they have to be install in a certain orientation. I do everything myself and I have tons of tools but it's very cheap to have a machine shop do the cam bearings that it's not worth my time to fool with it.

[Dad's72]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Why does entire engine have to be disassembled? Usually cam bearings are replaced when the block has been hot tanked and after machining. But I don't see why it can't be done with just pulling the cam.

What am I missing here? Call another machine shop, tell them what you did, and see if they can't just replace bearing.

There is no step in the bore so I don't see why just the rear bearing couldn't be replaced then the welch plug.

Mike you live around Austin like I do. Do you know of any other reputable machine shops around other than South Austin Machine Shop? That is who said they needed it bare block.

[MikeB]

I didn't read all the comments above, so this may have been mentioned. Rear main bearing, rear rod bearings, and lifters, along with the rest of the valve train, is fed filtered oil through the rear cam journal. So when you eventually have the rear cam bearing removed, be 100% certain there are no metal shavings in the cam journal groove.

I haven't removed/installed cam bearings in years, but I'm not sure if you can get the old one out once you've knocked it forward. Typically they come out from the bottom side.

On another note, please use the proper tools to install the new bearing and cam journal plug. And use a mirror and flashlight to make sure the cam bearing holes are aligned with the 360 dgrees groove in the journal. Do not knock the plug in farther than flush with the block. And smear some sealant around the plug before installing it.

Regarding replacing the stock cam with something bigger, no one should blindly recommend you do that without knowing more about the engine, rear axle ratio, tire height, and the truck's intended usage, not to mention your experience and skill level. Last thing you need is mis-adjusted lifters or a wiped lobe, or possible loss of torque at the RPM where your engine spends most of its time.

[Aruba1]

I forgot to mention that my machine shop (in BHM) charges $120 labor to put short block together. Great price for someone un experienced and it buys a lot of beers for someone that has the experience.

[jr1000yarder]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

I wouldn't even try to start that engine ,don't even turn it over once .you'll send metal through the engine .They make a tool for installing freeze out plugs . Always ask for advice before tackling repairs your not fully familiar with . time for new bearings and you may as well drop in a new cam and lifters .

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[cypressbog]

These trays are good to have because you want each part returned to the engine in the exact configuration as removed. installing a lifter or pushrod upside down from original install can cause issues.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...zkQaAjrT8P8HAQ

[webfoot]

Did you explain to them that you damaged the cam bearing removing a freeze plug and the block didn't need to be stripped down?

[GRX]

The shop is likely executing a CYA (cover your ass) policy which is very smart when running this type business. As said, fixing it the right way will entail a lot of disassembly & reassembly, plus new parts.

[gvnick]

Call me a hack but based on the pics that doesn't look too bad. I'd slide the cam forward and file/sand it smooth and run it. There is alot more unharmed bearing surface to run on IMO.

Or as others said, if you gotta tear it down you might as well throw some more cam in it and have some fun.

[Troy Sr]

Originally Posted by gvnick

Call me a hack but based on the pics that doesn't look too bad. I'd slide the cam forward and file/sand it smooth and run it. There is alot more unharmed bearing surface to run on IMO.

Or as others said, if you gotta tear it down you might as well throw some more cam in it and have some fun.

I wouldn't say hack.. more like thrifty. I would say I could remove and install that one bearing from the rear with a few machined press spuds and a threaded rod. I'd remove the cam. Pull out the bearing, and pull the new bearing in with threaded rod run through the block to the front of the block and use a nut to pull it in.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by Dad's72

Mike you live around Austin like I do. Do you know of any other reputable machine shops around other than South Austin Machine Shop? That is who said they needed it bare block.

Wolf Auto Machine
Precision Engine
HD Machine

Those are at least a few. David Wolf is who I usually use anymore but have used all of the above. Just call and explain just need rear bearing replaced and see what they require. Complete disassembly seems excessive.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by gvnick

Call me a hack but based on the pics that doesn't look too bad. I'd slide the cam forward and file/sand it smooth and run it. There is alot more unharmed bearing surface to run on IMO.

Or as others said, if you gotta tear it down you might as well throw some more cam in it and have some fun.

This is what I would do. Or just replace rear bearing.