I am considering installing a roller cam in a 1989 F150 with a 5 Liter non roller block. The engine has been converted to Mass air sequential EFI, a Ford Motorsport kit. Also have Edelbrock p/n 6037 aluminum heads waiting to go on.
Crane offers roller lifters p/n 36532-16 that install without any block machining. The big question is will a 5.0L High output cam work in this setup? The firing order is the only difference? Can't I re-route the spark plug and injector wiring to match the firing order? I ask since there are more available cams for this motor that are computer compatible. Anyone with experience here please respond. Thanks
mjb1962(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

 

>I am considering installing a roller
>cam in a 1989 F150
>with a 5 Liter non
>roller block. The engine has
>been converted to Mass air
>sequential EFI, a Ford Motorsport
>kit. Also have Edelbrock p/n
>6037 aluminum heads waiting to
>go on.
>Crane offers roller lifters p/n 36532-16
>that install without any block
>machining. The big question is
>will a 5.0L High output
>cam work in this setup?
>The firing order is the
>only difference? Can't I re-route
>the spark plug and injector
>wiring to match the firing
>order? I ask since there
>are more available cams for
>this motor that are computer
>compatible. Anyone with experience here
>please respond. Thanks
>mjb1962(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

You can change it over to a roller without any problem. I don't think you have to touch the injector harness. It works off the firing order. Just change the spark plug wires. I don't know about the part #'s but, you do have to make sure you buy the retrofit kit and not just lifters. I think the kit is around $350.00

 

Who are you getting that price from? I'd love to find one for that, but all I have gotten price quotes of is over $600!

Let me in on this deal man.


1988 F-150, SWB, 5.0 EFI (formerly 4.9 EFI), M5OD 5 speed, 3.08 gears, Summit shorty truck headers, Custom built Flowmaster exhaust system. Force 4 LP6000 lightbar, Federal signal PA-300 100 watt siren, Icom IC-V100 50 watt mobile radio.
=======================================
1965 F-100 (just purchased 1/18/01), SWB, 390, C-6 auto. Dual exhaust, Not much else to do to it.

Can see both below.

[link:www.geocities.com/hotrodford_88/|Hotrodford_88's Webpage]

 

You think the "HO" cam will fit properly? Is the base circle going to be a problem? I think I will call Comp Cams and Crane for their advice again. The problem is, in the past I've got conflicting stories when speaking to different techs on the phone. Confusing. The Crane 36532-16 lifters are supposed to drop in with no other mods except pushrods. They have a vertical locking bar mechanism which eliminates the need for the stock Ford setup. Sounds good, about $390 for a set from Summit and the roller cams seem to be in the $200 range. My thinking is as long as the lifters ride in the bores without dropping to deep or extending to far either cam (HO or non HO) should work. Injector and spark plug wiring will have to change to match the cams firing order.
Thanks
Mark

 

With a non-roller block you are supposed to use the smaller based cam and i think special roller lifters because the locations of the oil hole is different from roller to non-roller blocks. If the top of the lifter bores are not machined flat, then it is a non-roller block. With the smaller based cam, the lifters ride a little lower in the block to compensate for the oil hole location difference.
This is unless they now make a lifter where you can use the regular cam. Best bet is to call Crane again.

 

Do not forget to change the distributor gear. As I understand it, the standard gear does not hold up to the roller cam.

89 F150 4x4 300/4 speed 33.12.50 w/Rancho lift 3.55 gears
82 Mustang GT 302 C4 + nitrous=FAST
91 Mustang GT basic bolt ons- GM Eater

 

I have just done a 302 to 302HO roller cam swap in a 86 Gran Marquis , Yes the roller cam distributor drive gear will!!! eat your distributor gear as it is some kind of plastic, the gear profile does not match the cams. Also you will have to change the injector wire loom to match your new firing order as well as the spark plug wires.This is not as hard as it sounds, as long as you have a good manual with both firing orders to compare with.I suggest that rather than trying to buy just the gear for the distributor, that you try a wreckers for a used one, from any 87 and up 5Ltr. Mustang. I found this to be @$75.00 Cdn. as apposed to $135.00 just for the gear.Perhaps you should consider the entire swap, to avoid frustrations with parts that dont fit, try a entire 302HO from any 87 and up Mustang.I chose to go with a fresh rebuild with some improvements to stock, estimations are at roughly 250hp.

 

Hey guys,
The Ford Performance Parts catalog says you cant use a roller cam in a non roller block. So how are you guys doing it?

 

DO NOT USE A ROLLER CAM IN A NON ROLLER BLOCK WITHOUT PROPER MODIFICATIONS! A roller cam's lobe profile is more accelerated than a non-roller cam. A roller cam's cam lobe profile looks very ovular while a non-roller cam's cam profile is shaped just like a cam. YOU NEED roller lifters to operate with a roller cam. If you don't the flat tappet lifters (for an non-roller cam) will "BITE" into the roller cam because of its accelerated profile (it opens the valves quicker). If you do this you will screw up your valve train and assembly!!! Don't install that roller cam without the appropriate lifters and additional hardware. Trust me on this!!!!!!!!

 

you guys are mixing stories together. paul no one said they were going to put flat lifters on the roller cam. stock ford HO roller cam and lifters wont work in a non roller block, BUT there are several ways to accomadate the swap. most were mentioned here. i like the standard HO roller cam with the vertical bar lifters. there is also a small base circle roller cam to use factory HO roller lifters but that is $$$. then their is the retrofit kits that use ford style link bars and rubber expando plugs to hold retainer. the vertical link bars seem to be the cleanest setup to me, altough i have some crane vert link bar roller lifters that i wouldnt put in any engine due to the ugly rivet job that holds the link, has metal flakes that look like they will fall into engine.

 

While flat lifters was part of my subject mj it was my whole story duuude! My point I was trying to make is he should make sure he gets the appropriate hardware to make this conversion. Non-roller camshafts use flat lifters (hydraulic or mechanical) correct? When he said he wanted to install a roller cam in a non-roller cam block, bad visions filled my head! Me and my big mouth didn't see the part in which he says Comp Cams makes roller lifters for his block. Whoops! My bad! Not berating ya mj / mjb1962

 

vman,
I think I do have to match the injector wiring since it is now a sequential electronic fuel injection system (SEFI). Otherwise the injector's will not be in sinc. with the intake stroke.


Thanks dave89f150. I am aware that the dist. gear must change. The flat tappet gear will not survive due to its metal composition.

bbcservices,
Have you performed this modification on a non roller block similar to mine? I am asking because I would like to know what lifters you selected. Also did you use a 5.0 HO roller cam? There are alot more computer compatible cams available for that engine than the 302/5.0 truck motor I have.

mj,
Did you say you have a set of Crane vertical locking bar roller lifters and you claim the quality is questionable? I believe these are the ones I am considering. They are supposed to drop into a non roller block allowing the installation of a roller cam without any block machining. Have you performed this retro on a block similar to mine?

paulg,
No problem. If I thought someone was attempting to install a roller cam in a motor with flat lifters I would yell too!!

 

 

>
>bbcservices,
> Have you performed this
>modification on a non roller
>block similar to mine? I
>am asking because I would
>like to know what lifters
>you selected. Also did you
>use a 5.0 HO roller
>cam? There are alot more
>computer compatible cams available for
>that engine than the 302/5.0
>truck motor I have.

Sorry I realize that my previous post left the impression that I just changed the cam, but no I changed out the entire engine,I found this to be the most economical version to lack of power.