That is sort of like the problem I had and I don't know if it was the bearing or the cam journal. Both were shot, but the thing had just kept on running until it melted the pick-up off and killed it.

There were all sorts of discussions concerning the replacement of the cam bearing. HD had removed some of the metal rollers and installed plastic spacers and cam bearings started failing almost right away. They blamed failure problems on aftermarket cams due to differences in metals in HD cams as opposed to aftermarket cams. It's almost like they purposely cheapened the bearing to thwart the aftermarket. The rule-of-the-day was just to automatically change the "plastic" inner cam bearing with a Torrington that had all metal rollers and you could then run any cam. I am sure the guy I had bought that 97 FLHT from had not changed the inner cam bearing.

That rule has continued on through to this day in the Twin Cams....anytime you get close to the inner cam bearings....yank them out and install the Torrington.