[Infinite Monkeys]

Hi,
I'm in the middle of building a 1971 scout 2 for my wife's birthday present. (Aug 22nd). I told her she will be able to drive it by then.
I just pulled the oil pan and found the remnants of cam bearing babbits.
I have driven the truck around the block and it runs well, does not smoke and has good oil pressure, no noise from the motor. There is a high pitched squeal from the front of the engine, which I thought was the water pump. Can this squeal be the bearings?


I realize that I will have to pull the engine and rebuild it, but right now I don't have the time to finish before the big day.
Can I put it together and expect to get a couple of hundred miles out of it, or can it go south at any moment and then I'm looking at a major rebuild. I am in a rush to finish it, but not at the expense of destroying the motor. If I can run it as is, I will still rebuild the engine in the near future.

Thanks

 

[FmrStrtracer]

If the squeal is one of the cam bearings(and they do squeal when they fail), them that means its damaging the journal on the cam while youre running it. When it finally decides to seize up, things are gonna break.

I had a motor that the cam seized, it broke 6 lifter bores, the back of the block, the cam, a rod, the distributor, and 2 pistons.

 

[S10 Racer]

Can I ask what makes you think it's cam bearing debris? Could it be rod or main bearing debris or can you actually see that it is cam bearing? The hopes that it will run a couple hundred miles is a crap shoot, it may and it may not. It may get the wife where ever she wants to go but it could also leave her stranded ain:.

 

[Infinite Monkeys]

S 10 racer:

The International motors are notorious for the cam bearings failing due to poor maintenance. This truck probably could win some awards for NASTY under-carriage. I could not see where the material is coming from, but according to guys that live and breath International vehicles, this is MOST likely the case.


FmrSrtacer:

I see your point. I could replace the water pump now and see if that takes the noise away. Could you hear the squeal before you bearings failed for good?

 

[Mr. P-Body]

Rather than replace the pump, just remove the belt and fire it up. It won't hurt the engine to run it for a minute or two without water circulation.

Agreed, it's probably a cam bearing.

Jim

 

[68NovaSS]

Rather than replace the pump, just remove the belt and fire it up. It won't hurt the engine to run it for a minute or two without water circulation.

Agreed, it's probably a cam bearing.

Jim

Good idea, it could also be a bushing on your alternator, power steering pump. AC compressor....do you have any water out of the pee hole at the water pump?

 

[Infinite Monkeys]

Great idea on the belt.
There is no water from the pee hole. And to honest with you, I didn't know there was a weep hole on the pump. The water pump is working properly.
The alt gauge is showing a bit high, maybe that is the noise.
Thanks guys.

 

[FmrStrtracer]

Slikely the case.
FmrSrtacer:

I see your point. I could replace the water pump now and see if that takes the noise away. Could you hear the squeal before you bearings failed for good?

Id didnt squeal, then it did, then it broke, all about that fast too.

Do you have bearing material in the oil?

 

[Infinite Monkeys]

there were slivers of lead in the oil pan. I am told that the cam bearing babbits were made of a lead mix.