Roller cam retrofit

Okay this is for the record a lot of people ask this question And here is the answer if you want to run the factory style roller lifters that use the dog bones and spyder tray then you MUST run a cam with the smaller base circle this is the less expenscive way. If you want to run a normal base circle cam then you MUST run the 450 dollar link bar lifters and you can runn any cam you want you are not required to run the small base circle. This only applies to non roller blocks. they all require differnt lenght push rods if not they at least need to be checked for lenght. The reason for the small base circle with the factory roller lifters is the roller blocks from the factory came with taller lifter bores because of the roller and the hydrlic lifter are taller so the smaller base circle allows the lifter to stay in the bore during lift by running the smaller base circle it sits lower. Also so you can use the dog bones with the spyder to prevent the lifter from rotating. The link bar lifter has the bore guides all the way up the lifter and the bar prevents the lifter from ratating.

comp cam makes a linked lifer for $221.99 part number 851-16
you will also need part number 31-1000 $56.99 to hold the lifters

total 278.98

Paul78Zephyr said:

Ive recently read (on another board) that to retrofit a roller cam (ie E303) into a non-roller block (ie 1982) you just need the roller lifters with the tie bar between pairs. Is that it? I always thought you needed the small base circle cam, etc. Do the tie bar lifters require different push rods? Please give me all the gory details.

Thanks,
Paul

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Paul-
Avoid the reduced base cams at all costs...
They cause geometry issues...


If you want to run a standard 302 base cam in a NON-roller block, then you need the link-bar lifters.
They are pricey, but they are also better than the stockers...


good luck,
jason

insread of spending all that money for a roller conversion why dont u just run a 351 hyd flat tap cam. its the same firing order as a 5.0 ho. you can pick any size cam u want and get a better cam than the e303

myslo50 said:

insread of spending all that money for a roller conversion why dont u just run a 351 hyd flat tap cam. its the same firing order as a 5.0 ho. you can pick any size cam u want and get a better cam than the e303

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A hydraulic-roller cam offers much more aggressive lift-curve capabilities compared to a flat-tappet cam. In order for a flat-tappet cam to generate as much lift as a roller, it requires more duration. Flat-tappet lifters will actually dig into the lobe flank if the lobe is designed too aggressively. Roller tappets do not suffer that problem, so the designer can put much more lift into a roller-cam lobe.