9 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

I've done a little search and come across this...

http://www.aptfast.c...Cambearings.htm

Would this work? Although i would need to have made/find the bearing pullers witch might out weight the cost of getting a machine shop to do it, and i though you should normally have the bearings line bored to size, or is this not necessary?

[Sleepy Stu]

Yes the cam bearings should be reamed once they have been installed!

[samsfern]

that is the same way i done mine, i borrowed the tool from a workmate who builds race engines for his mg midget racer, you shouldnt need to get them linebored either, jsut make sure they are in there straight thats the difficult bit, an engineering place will probably charge 20-30, such as lcp, i used dartford rebore to rebore my engine.

[bigmotherwhale]

you dont need to have them line bored, the bearings you buy today are pre finished like the link says, i think its wise to apply locktite not oil to the outside of the bearing shells to reduce the chance of them spinning in a high rpm machine, its not good if the bearings spin, it happned to me (rover installed) and its so much hassle to take an engine apart just for that, you may want to check this however i dont know anyone else who recomends this apart from me, i dont see the harm tho.

[1984mini25]

Well if the bearings are already pre finished and it’s just a case of making sure the new bearings go in straight and true, I might have to give this a go (I’ve got a few spare engine blocks) would just need to get the bearing pullers made up or unless there’s someone on hear who could do them reasonable?

[Southy]

Your best off getting them fitted professionaly, they are a right pain if they dont go in square and when knocking them in they can tend to close up and go tight if not done correctly but you need the correct tool for this which has a cup which fits inside the opposite end bearing to keep it central whilst its knocked in.

To make fitment of them easier, its best to give the block a flap out with some emry tape to clean it up.

[dlm]

I have just installed some genuine Rover cam bearings and they do need to be reamed. The camshaft wil not fit at all.

[Southy]

Genuine one's need to be reamed yes, but the latest ones available on the market produced by AE are already at the correct size and just need to be fitted using the correct tool which is around the £70 mark.

[1987_ParkLane]

I'm getting mine done from MED, not that much at all .

[DaveRob]

Cam bearings are NOT reamed to size....this implies the use of a reamer......... Ive made 2 sets of those bearing pullers and they work very well.... but you do need some engineering knowlege to use them....... The cam bearings on an A series are a 'white' metal deposited on a steel shell.... they are actually SCRAPED to size by hand after fitting... their are numerous ways of fitting them and those pullers work well but others use different methods...The art of scraping a bearing in is slowly becoming lost as difernt more modern methods are used as journals...... Ive done a few A series now and its one of those theraputic tinkering kind of jobs in my opinion...... Ive just also scraped in the bearings on an old Lagonda for the Paris to Peking rally...... the MAIN bearings......... but then I had to make those as they arnt as easilly as available as parts for the Mini..... Ill say it again..... cam bearings are not reamed


Rob