Just wondering what my exact options are with a 1980-85 truck block, it is 4 bolt main. Unfortunately it is not a roller motor. So I would like to know what lifter I can run, solid roller with no mods to block, hydraulic, mechanical. Pretty much any that are not roller i assume.

I know that they make conversion kits to retro-fit old blocks to roller setups. What all is needed. Hold down plate, lifters, cam plate??? Is it really worth it. It is going to be a daily driver that is a 383, AFR 210 heads, 240 or so duration cam.

Just wondering what to go with in terms of reliability and overall maintance. How many miles will a non roller setup last versus roller?

 

If you wanna run a Hydraulic Roller cam, u need the following parts - it requires no machining as far as I am aware. Summit don't seem to show it, but the Comp Cams catalog says 853-16 lifters are the ones with a bar connecting 2 lifters which makes em work in a pre-roller block.

1 - Retro fit hyd roller camshaft - basically any comp cams camshaft intended for a 55 & up block. It will typically say "retro fit", go to compcams.com n look at the catalog.

2 - Retro fit with a vertical link bar, Summit# CCA-853-16

3 - Roller Cam Button Summit# CCA-200

4 - Crane cam bolt & cam button retainer - CRN-99168-1

As far as I remember, thats all you need to go hyd roller in a pre roller block. Solid roller is the same deal but u'll want lash caps and the solid roller retro lifters, solid flat tappet requires just some solid lifters and lash caps, hyd flat tappet just needs new lifters since thats what was stock.

I would definately go roller if you can afford it, flat tappet cams are very sensitive to break in, lubrication and spring pressures. I love roller cams, they are practically invincible and the power is second to none (ofcourse, solid is better than hydraulic, but they require lash caps or you'll be adjusting valve lash all the time).

 

thanks, i guess i will drop the coin and get the roller setup likely

 

If you've got the engine tore down to the block you can just drill and tap the holes for the lifter "spider" and install the factory style roller lifters. Remember, they will require shorter pushrods...

 

There's no place to drill and tap to put a factory roller lifter spider into an older 86-down block. Gotta do an aftermarket roller conversion kit.

For the money- forget roller lifter cams. You'll get WAY better bang for the buck with good flowing heads. WAY better.

If you're building a race motor or have an unlimited budget or are trying to eek the last few percent out of a motor then a roller cam will make a little more power and be a little more streetable. But it's FAR from the bang-for-the-buck champ. Power is still found where it always was: in the heads.

 

I didn't think so either. However, my neighbor did so on his 82 Corvette. He built a 383 using his original block. All he said it needed was the 87+ factory style roller lifters and spider, and a small base circle cam (which he needed anyway with the 383 and 6" rods).

Regardless, like Damon said there isn't a hole lot to gain anyway. With the grinds offered today, such as Comps Xtreme Energy series, you get nearly all the benefits of the roller cam. The only advantage would be a little less friction from the lifter design.

 

I beg to differ - here's a pic comparing a flat tappet and roller cam, the flat tappet is a 292H Comp Cams Magnum, 244 duration and I believe .525" lift if I remember correctly. The one beside it is a Comp Cams Magnum 300AR, 255 duration and .575" lift (.613" with 1.6 rockers). See how pointy the flat tappet cam is? And how sloped the sides of the lobes are? But on the roller, notice how the slope is almost straight up? And the tip of the valve is so flat? With a roller, you're basically slamming the valve open, holding it open for much longer, then slamming it shut at the last possible second.

It's not about how much duration and lift you have - its about how long the valve is open at as high a lift as possible. Like Arao Engineering say about their heads - there are heads that can flow as much cfm as theirs do at peak lift - but by unrestricting everything between full close and full open, you're unleashing the full potential.

The only real investment is the lifters, once you've got those, you're gonna re-use em over and over, I've spent probably $400 on hyd. lifters on one engine before then wished I'd just gone roller to start with.

If you're gonna start picking on roller cams to be too expensive, then you should also tell people with a 383 that the gain from using a 3.750" crank isn't enough to offset the extra cost involved with that either.

Lets say you only gain 25hp from a roller cam - thats no 150hp from nitrous for $500, but if you've got headers, intake, carb and heads - theres not all that much else you can do to get a gain like 25hp unless you're going way radical.

Like I originally said - if you can afford it, go roller, I've never heard of anyone regretting it.

Roller on Left - Hyd Flat Tappet on Right

 

There are to raised nubs in the valley of the block but 87 and up block have spots for three bolts not two.

 

Don't even compare the Magnum cam to the roller. I said "grinds offered today", meaning the newer stuff, not the 30 year old grind you showed. The Xtreme Energy cam lobe looks more like the roller lobe than the traditional flat tappet. I have a new XE 274 sitting right here. They are designed with intake ramps nearly identical to their roller cams, and the exhaust ramps are a little less aggressive.

 

http://www.compcams.com/catalog/031.html

Take a look at the cam profile samples here, look at the hyd vs hyd roller. The Xtreme Energy flat tappet's are good grinds but I would still choose a roller cam over flat tappet any day.

 

Eh... Again, that is not an Xtreme Energy grind. The Xtreme Energy lobe is a compromise of the two.