I plan on doing this but I was wondering if ithe cam will go right in or if I will have to have the block machined. I've heard different things.

 

No machining required.
You will need a cam button on the front to keep it in place, and either buy a cam with a cast distributor drive gear, or replace the gear on your dist. with a bronze one. The stock cast gear on the dist. is not compatable with the hard billet cam gear.

 

O yea another question, do I need to do anything special to use an internally balanced harmonic balancer with a stock crank?

 

Which crank? The only stock 2-piece crank that isn't internally balanced is the 400. And you can add Mallory metal to it to internally balance it, but it is expensive.

 

the stock crank that comes in a pre 87 350

 

From what I understand you'll need a complete cam reto-fit kit for the pre-87 engine, because the lifter bores on the pre-87 block is different. But that should be it. You should be ready to go. But if you are rebuilding maybe you should get an 87+ block because, the reto-fit kit is rather expensive.

 

I did it on a mustang and had to buy the roller lifters with the link bar. They are a little pricey if you get the good ones. (350.00)

 

Chris, i have a solid roller cam in my sb406, no machining is needed but you must use retro-fit lifters. Also use cam button and i suggest buying a good strong timing chain cover cause some of the cheaper ones will flex. Two more things to remember is you must change your distributor gear or the gear on the cam will eat it up, also if you are gonna use a mechanical fuel pump you need a special fuel pump rod (Comp Cams sells one) or the cam will actually wear away at it and youll end up hearing a knocking sound from the fuel rod bouncing around. After running a roller cam i will never go back to a hydraulic. By the way be sure to check valve/piston clearance, these solid roller cams will shove a valve into a piston in a minute(found this out the hard way). Good luck