Can brand new cam bearings be removed and reinstalled?

[urbex]

I'm building a 489 for the K5. It started out that it was just supposed to be a dirt cheap budget clean and reseal of a stock 454, then my clumsiness resulted in a damaged piston, and a decision to go bigger with the 489 setup.

Before the piston damage occured, I had painted the block, got new core plugs installed, new cam bearings installed, and cam installed. Now that I'm putting in new pistons and rings, I need to hone the cylinders. For obvious reasons, I don't any bearings installed to soak up honing grit and to make after cleanup easier.

Problem is that I've never had this situation before...can I pull the cam bearings, clean the block, and reinstall them, or are they basically one time install, and I'll need to install another set of bearings?

 

[nvrenuf]

Imo, being an interference fit I'd go with a new set. That's a big gamble for less than $40 worth of bearings.

 

[MEMO43]

I agree with nvrenuf, going with new cam bearings is cheap insurance as far as not having tear it all back down.
now if it were something external to the engine then I would say go with it

 

[diesel4me]

My experience with cam bearings we had at the machine shop at one parts store I worked at,is you were lucky to get a full set installed with no damage..I doubt it would be possible to extract and re-use them..

A few times the engine builder there messed up and installed the bearings in the wrong order,I think they are not all the same inner diameter,so removing the camshaft is easier..when he went to remove them,they got mucked up and had to install another new set..