302 roller conversion

b78cobra

b78cobra

Forum Member
I have a older style block and want to build a newer style hydrolic roller. Will the newer stock rollers and hold downs work on my block? I've seen some on ebay that have the spider holder thing, bolts and lifters fairly cheap but I dont really know what I need to convert. Any Ideas?
 
I believe you will need these parts in these steps.

Step 1: LS1 Motor
Step 2: LS1 Conversion Parts (wiring harness, fuel system, motor mounts, trans adapter, etc..)
Step 3: Profit

End Thread

Next question.

(Welcome to Motown Bill, haha)
 
b78cobra said:
I have a older style block and want to build a newer style hydrolic roller. Will the newer stock rollers and hold downs work on my block? I've seen some on ebay that have the spider holder thing, bolts and lifters fairly cheap but I dont really know what I need to convert. Any Ideas?
Click to expand...

There are two ways to do this. The first requires a "reduced base circle" camshaft and stock style lifters and spider. You need to drill and tap or otherwise hold the spider down. The cam needs to be reduced base circle due to the height of the lifter bores. This method sucks, and of the two people I know who tried it, there were two expensive failures when the lifters turned at high speed and the motor ate the camshaft. I would not do it this way.

The other way requires the use of expensive "retro" hyd. roller lifters, which use link bars so that there is no need for the spider or H bars. This way works great, but the lifters are expensive.

It would probably be easiest/cheapest to just use an 86-95 302 block...those seem to grow on trees around here.
 
yeah thats what i was afraid of. Shitty thing is I have a ton of money in this block already. I'll probably have to do the retro thing. Unless some one has a line bored and torqe plated block with the mains machined for a girdle sitting around they want to give away
 
Cool, time to start saving then. Any thoughts on the z cam? I have a c4 with a 3500 stall converter and 3.55 rear gear. Victor Sr. heads and Victor Jr. intake, long headers , x pipe, flomasters, and about 11:1 compression.
 
Whats wrong with a flat solid?

you know there not much to gain in a set-up like that by using a roller..

Shit even a agressive hydralic flat would work alot better than i think you would give credit.

Small base circle cams are garbage if you put one in there expect it to be a turd or eat it self from the inside out.

Main and valve girdles are a waste of time and money on any 302 and most 351w set-ups
 
The problem I find with flat tappets is that the quality of lifters is spotty and camshaft cores have been less then stellar lately. Combine that with the issues of the modern oils and it can be a real problem to keep a flat tappet happy.

Flat tappets do have some offseat timming advantages with limited lift rules however.
 
I've only seen it once, and IIRC it was on a tappet SBC, but welding in the two bosses to enable spider mounting might be a cheaper alternative to the bar-link lifters. Have a welder use high nickel rod on a TIG, it will hold up. I have seen cast iron suspension components hold up fine after they were welded in this fashion, and the spider really does not take any load.

Just puddle up some filler where the spiders need to mount, then have them machined.

It might end up just as expensive, but it's worth a look..
 
beertestr said:
I've only seen it once, and IIRC it was on a tappet SBC, but welding in the two bosses to enable spider mounting might be a cheaper alternative to the bar-link lifters. Have a welder use high nickel rod on a TIG, it will hold up. I have seen cast iron suspension components hold up fine after they were welded in this fashion, and the spider really does not take any load.

Just puddle up some filler where the spiders need to mount, then have them machined.

It might end up just as expensive, but it's worth a look..
Click to expand...


It doesn't work worth a shit on a ford, because the tops of the lifter bores are not machined so that the "h-bars" sit nice and flat. They end up moving around at high RPM and the lifter turns and destroys everything. Plus you have to have a reduced base circle cam to do it anyhow.
 
Fryguy302 said:
It doesn't work worth a shit on a ford, because the tops of the lifter bores are not machined so that the "h-bars" sit nice and flat. They end up moving around at high RPM and the lifter turns and destroys everything. Plus you have to have a reduced base circle cam to do it anyhow.
Click to expand...

DOH!

Good to know though.

Fer more learnin', why do you need the reduced base circle cam? Is it to keep the lifters deeper in the bores?
 
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