Only if you go from a flat tappet to a roller cam (or vice-versa) The cam's materials are different (steel for the roller, cast iron for flat tappet)

 

 

As far as I know all roller cams are steel.

 

Itz been a while so I think this was covered, but your 89 block is "roller capable", it will need a "spider" & "dog bones" to go with a roller cam.

Most all hi-perf small block Ford cams usually have the notation in their specs "must use 351 firing order".

You will need a steel distributor gear. I'd also suggest you take the time to replace the PIP sensor in the distributor since you have to press off the gear.

Use a Motorcraft part.

 

I am running a comp cam in my 331 and was told by comp that all the cam part numbers that end in -8 are iron based and a steel gear was not needed. Maybe want to double check before you change to steel

 

 

The -8 are rollers, so are they steel?

 

The comp cams are a ductile lron core, not billet steel. They use a heat treatment on the lobes to control wear on them.

 

 

The tech dept. at comp cams told me I could use the stock iron gear.

 

Use a steel gear.

This would be fine for your application if you can't a Motorcraft part.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850460/overview/make/ford

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850461/overview/make/ford

Measure the shaft.

(Edit) larger shaft probably for 351/5.8, my bad.

 

 

 

 

Wow. That's pretty lame. It's not hard to drive out the roll pin. The physical effort to press off the gear is minimal.

This is the first hit I got on Google. I'm sure there's more: