I'm kind of sweating the same thing. I've always had cams that just slid in place and spun easily, but when I installed the brand new cam into brand new bearings on my 394 Olds it was a little tight. I took it back out and rechecked everything, and then put it back in and turned it a few times to loosen it up a bit. But it is still tight. I looked at the wear pattern that was forming on the bearings and they seemed ok, so I lubed it up and buttoned the engine up.

I hope it will clearance itself when I finally fire up the motor (hopefully this year). My machinist tells me some are just tighter than others, and the cam might be just a hair bigger in the journals than specs call for. I guess I will find out real quick when I start it.

I look forward to seeing what Pat, Jerry, and some of our other engine smart guys have to say about this though. Maybe our bearings are slightly cocked in their bores?

Don