Was there ever a problem with cam bearing alignment from the factory in Clevelands.

 

not that i've ever heard, but i have heard of a recommendation thet the front bearing be set at .003? back from the front edge. not exactly sure why but it has to do with oil control.

 

Yes there was. I've heard that it's because the factory bored half the bearing journals from the front and the other half from the rear of the motor but I don't have any hard evidence to back it up. I do know that some knowledgable sources will tell you if you don't have to replace the cam bearings during a rebuild then you shouldn't because you may end up having to blue & scrape the bearing inserts in order to make the cam fit properly.

Just as an FYI Cleveland and M block cam bearings also taper from front to back which means that each insert has a different diameter and they have to be installed in the correct order or you'll never get the cam installed.