Roller Cams????
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From: houston
Roller Cams????
A friend told me recently that Ford put roller cams in all windsor engines starting in 85. I can't find any reference to that fact in any of my manuals. Has anybody heard this, or know for sure??? Thanks.
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I believe your buddy is mistaken.
I believe some of the truck 5.0 may have came from the factory with a roller cam, but they didn't comeout until the 90 to early 90's, I can't be 100% sure on the specific years but fairly certain it was somewhere around 90-93 if at all. The explorer and mountaineers used roller but they came out a lot later than 85.
I do know the truck 5.8(351) had a roller cam in some 96 model f-250 trucks otherwise they never had a roller cam install at the factory. Lot of people like to think the first gen lightnings used a roller came and thats not correct either, they were flat tappet from the factory, most came with roller capable blocks but then again some of the early models (1992) did not, the 5.8 engines that came out around 93 and up, with the casting number F4TE were roller compatible, meaning the lifter bores were taller and installing a roller cam is as simple as using any sbf roller cam and 5.0 spider retainer, lifters, and H bar. The other 5.8 engines not F4TE, have shorter lifter bores, requireing a small base circle roller camshaft or specific aftermaket linked roller lifters.
I believe some of the truck 5.0 may have came from the factory with a roller cam, but they didn't comeout until the 90 to early 90's, I can't be 100% sure on the specific years but fairly certain it was somewhere around 90-93 if at all. The explorer and mountaineers used roller but they came out a lot later than 85.
I do know the truck 5.8(351) had a roller cam in some 96 model f-250 trucks otherwise they never had a roller cam install at the factory. Lot of people like to think the first gen lightnings used a roller came and thats not correct either, they were flat tappet from the factory, most came with roller capable blocks but then again some of the early models (1992) did not, the 5.8 engines that came out around 93 and up, with the casting number F4TE were roller compatible, meaning the lifter bores were taller and installing a roller cam is as simple as using any sbf roller cam and 5.0 spider retainer, lifters, and H bar. The other 5.8 engines not F4TE, have shorter lifter bores, requireing a small base circle roller camshaft or specific aftermaket linked roller lifters.
Last edited by jwtaylor; Sep 3, 2004 at 07:20 AM.
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From the 97 Ford Motorsport catalog:
"Ford introduced hydraulic roller tappet camshafts on the 1985 Mustang (and MK VII LSC) with 302 (5.0L) High Output engines (only)....
.....Longer production 5.0L hydraulic roller tappet requires higher tappet boss than block for flat tappet cam Thus 5.0L hydraulic roller tappet cam cannot be used in block designed for flat tappet cam(Ford's underline ,not mine) However flat tappet camshafts can be used in roller tappet blocks."
So only the 5.0L HO came with roller cams from 85, untill the some 5.8L and truck 5.0L started getting them in the 90's, as JW Taylor has outlined. The regular non-HO 5.0L from 87 used in Crown Vics..ect.. have the bosses for bolting in the spider retaining tray, but they are not drilled and tapped. I have heard that these blocks can accept the roller cams by drilling and tapping the bosses, but I'm not 100% sure that the lifter bores are tall enough.
"Ford introduced hydraulic roller tappet camshafts on the 1985 Mustang (and MK VII LSC) with 302 (5.0L) High Output engines (only)....
.....Longer production 5.0L hydraulic roller tappet requires higher tappet boss than block for flat tappet cam Thus 5.0L hydraulic roller tappet cam cannot be used in block designed for flat tappet cam(Ford's underline ,not mine) However flat tappet camshafts can be used in roller tappet blocks."
So only the 5.0L HO came with roller cams from 85, untill the some 5.8L and truck 5.0L started getting them in the 90's, as JW Taylor has outlined. The regular non-HO 5.0L from 87 used in Crown Vics..ect.. have the bosses for bolting in the spider retaining tray, but they are not drilled and tapped. I have heard that these blocks can accept the roller cams by drilling and tapping the bosses, but I'm not 100% sure that the lifter bores are tall enough.
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From: Destin/Ft. Walton Beach,
To confuse things, a 90 Town Car has a roller cam in a non- H.O. 302. All roller cam 302's are not an HO.
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