Cam choices...

I have been kinda sifting thru all the possibilities and i have come to a conclusion...I need a hand. Not so much the grind and duration but the style of cam.. i.e. roller, mech or hyd...flat tappet or otherwise...I am lookin for a lil insight. This is all part of my homewprk stage before i really start diggin into a first motor build...

A hyd. roller cam is what you want, mechanical cams are for more aggressive engines than you are planning.

Flat tappet cams are obsolete, not saying they don't work but rollers are better.

Hyd. roller for sure, there are lot's of 8 second cars running them. Also dont get to hung up on lift and duration numbers just get a good custom cam made for your combo from a good company.

Bod89lx wrote:

Hyd. roller for sure, there are lot's of 8 second cars running them. Also dont get to hung up on lift and duration numbers just get a good custom cam made for your combo from a good company.

What the guy with an 8 second hyd roller car said!

Hydraulic roller for sure.

Just be aware that if you have a pre-'87 block (assuming Chevy) it's gonna be more costly converting a flat-tappet block over to accepting a roller cam.

1twisted6 wrote:

Hydraulic roller for sure.

Just be aware that if you have a pre-'87 block (assuming Chevy) it's gonna be more costly converting a flat-tappet block over to accepting a roller cam.

Yea its a pre-87 block 2 piece rear main, 4 bolt main. What exactly is it that makes it soo costly to convert???

Gman85DTP wrote:

1twisted6 wrote:

Hydraulic roller for sure.

Just be aware that if you have a pre-'87 block (assuming Chevy) it's gonna be more costly converting a flat-tappet block over to accepting a roller cam.

Yea its a pre-87 block 2 piece rear main, 4 bolt main. What exactly is it that makes it soo costly to convert???

Most people will be retrofitting roller lifters into early pre-'87 small-blocks. The good news is that cam companies have everything you need to pull this off--it's just more expensive than with an OEM roller-cam block. Let's get into the details. The most important point when doing a roller-cam swap in an early block is that the cam not be allowed to move fore or aft in the engine. Flat-tappet cam lobes are ground at a very slight angle to prevent the cam from moving. Roller cams cannot be machined this way, so a roller-cam button is employed to limit cam movement. The spec for this is 0.003 to 0.005 inch. This is because load from the distributor drive gear (which also drives the oil pump) tries to push the camshaft rearward, which usually retards ignition timing. The button prevents this from occurring.

In the old days, engine builders would reinforce the flimsy tin timing-chain covers with a piece of steel welded to the the cover. Now most use cast-aluminum timing-chain covers like those from Bo Laws, Comp Cams, Milodon, and others. If you don't want to spend that $220, you can use an Edelbrock aluminum water pump, which includes a thrust-limiter boss that can use a threaded stud to contact the timing-chain cover and limit deflection. In order to use a hydraulic-roller cam in an early block, you must also use retrofit hydraulic-roller lifters equipped with tie bars that keep the roller lifters from rotating inside the lifter bore. These taller lifters also require a shorter pushrod that is in between the length of a standard small-block flat-tappet pushrod and an OEM replacement roller-lifter pushrod.

Keep in mind that a hydraulic-roller cam will also need much better valvesprings than what worked for a flat-tappet cam. Roller cams tend to pump up the acceleration rate of the lifter, so it's best to step up to a larger-diameter valvespring, like a 1.440-inch dual spring. The best bet is to go with the valvespring recommended by the cam grinder. If you are thinking of using a roller cam with stock iron heads, remember that not all OEM iron heads, especially the older iron castings, can accommodate larger springs. Often if you attempt to cut for larger springs, it's possible to hit a water jacket and ruin the head. So be careful.

I have an obsolete flat tappet cam, oh well at least it matches the rest of the pig


actually it just cost waaay too much to do a roller cam in a SBM

1twisted6 wrote:

Gman85DTP wrote:

1twisted6 wrote:

Hydraulic roller for sure.

Just be aware that if you have a pre-'87 block (assuming Chevy) it's gonna be more costly converting a flat-tappet block over to accepting a roller cam.

Yea its a pre-87 block 2 piece rear main, 4 bolt main. What exactly is it that makes it soo costly to convert???

Most people will be retrofitting roller lifters into early pre-'87 small-blocks. The good news is that cam companies have everything you need to pull this off--it's just more expensive than with an OEM roller-cam block. Let's get into the details. The most important point when doing a roller-cam swap in an early block is that the cam not be allowed to move fore or aft in the engine. Flat-tappet cam lobes are ground at a very slight angle to prevent the cam from moving. Roller cams cannot be machined this way, so a roller-cam button is employed to limit cam movement. The spec for this is 0.003 to 0.005 inch. This is because load from the distributor drive gear (which also drives the oil pump) tries to push the camshaft rearward, which usually retards ignition timing. The button prevents this from occurring.

In the old days, engine builders would reinforce the flimsy tin timing-chain covers with a piece of steel welded to the the cover. Now most use cast-aluminum timing-chain covers like those from Bo Laws, Comp Cams, Milodon, and others. If you don't want to spend that $220, you can use an Edelbrock aluminum water pump, which includes a thrust-limiter boss that can use a threaded stud to contact the timing-chain cover and limit deflection. In order to use a hydraulic-roller cam in an early block, you must also use retrofit hydraulic-roller lifters equipped with tie bars that keep the roller lifters from rotating inside the lifter bore. These taller lifters also require a shorter pushrod that is in between the length of a standard small-block flat-tappet pushrod and an OEM replacement roller-lifter pushrod.

Keep in mind that a hydraulic-roller cam will also need much better valvesprings than what worked for a flat-tappet cam. Roller cams tend to pump up the acceleration rate of the lifter, so it's best to step up to a larger-diameter valvespring, like a 1.440-inch dual spring. The best bet is to go with the valvespring recommended by the cam grinder. If you are thinking of using a roller cam with stock iron heads, remember that not all OEM iron heads, especially the older iron castings, can accommodate larger springs. Often if you attempt to cut for larger springs, it's possible to hit a water jacket and ruin the head. So be careful.

So...lets get into price here. Whats a conversion like this gonna cost?

^ Shooting from the hip...... $400-500 more than a flat tappet.

It might be closer to 400 than 500, but always figure high & be glad when it's less.

Thats crazy...i dnt know if thats the budget friendly option im lookin for. Im tryin to keep it somewhat affordable. I workin simply on a hard budget.

Then run a flat-tappet cam if your block is pre-87. Yes, a roller is a fire & fly way to go, but if $$$ are into play just remember this - that tappet cam worked for many, many years.

Another roller vote here.

But, if money is an issue, go flat tappet. Just be aware that proper break-in & the use of a zinc/phosphorus additive is needed at all times.

Get an lt1.

mtperformance wrote:

Get an lt1.

LT what?

LS3 swap if you wanna do it right.

luvthemud wrote:

mtperformance wrote:

Get an lt1.

LT what?

LS3 swap if you wanna do it right.

^ they're both dumbasses. K20Z3 FTW!!!

luvthemud wrote:

mtperformance wrote:

Get an lt1.

LT what?

LS3 swap if you wanna do it right.

Why

Put a nice roller cam in and never look back,Yes cost is alot more.But performance and reliablity is way better.Not as likey to wipe out a cam lobe if everything is not just perfect when adjusting valvel ash with a roller.Plus the motor with a huge cam is going to be alot better street mannered vs a flat tappet.But if cost is a issue then go flat tappet.

I converted my buick to a billet roller,and put rollere rockers in it also and the difference from flat tappet just driving it is huge.The lift of the cam is fairly big for a lil 6 but ,listening to it idle you would swear it had a stock cam.Small block chevy somebody has to make a nice roller kit for reasonable,money if not call this guy.He works at a performance shop here in oshkosh. He does alot of small block motors and would know where to get you the best bang for your buck...


Butch Patterson

920 233 1176
920 426 8381

tell him buick mike sent ya he will know who i am,my personal engine guy for 20 years.