Went out a little while ago and inspected everything really close. Cannot see the cam bearings in a small block Chevy, BUT with just the lifters on top of the cam I can turn the cam freely with my index finger and thumb. Also, I installed my Chevy oil pump priming tool and the oil pump turns freely. I even kept flipping it with my index finger and thump until I felt it start to pull oil. So I believe I have confirmed the timing chain set was what caused this whole mess.
