302 Block
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,071
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From: British Columbia
A roller block has taller lifter bores to accommodate the longer roller lifters and has bosses cast in the lifter valley which are drilled and tapped to secure the "spider" which holds the lifters in place. Sometimes the bosses are not tapped if the block came from the factory with a flat tappet camshaft.
You cannot install a stock type roller camshaft and lifter setup into a non-roller block, but there are aftermarket setups to do it.
You cannot install a stock type roller camshaft and lifter setup into a non-roller block, but there are aftermarket setups to do it.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Actually that's not quite true it can been done, but it's not a real good solution because the short lifter bores don't provide enough support at higher lift levels and the lifter oiling hole can even come out of the bore with super high lift cams and that would result in a collapsed lifter.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,071
Likes: 35
From: British Columbia
Good clarification. I should have said, "It's impractical to install the stock type roller camshaft and lifter setup into a non-roller block" or similar.
And of course with the large supply of roller 302s out there it is best to simply buy one of them.
And of course with the large supply of roller 302s out there it is best to simply buy one of them.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
All 302/5.0 blocks from '87(E7TE) on are setup to accept the factory roller cam assembly, but not all motors were assembled with a roller cam in them at that time, for the most part it was only the car engines that got them while the trucks didn't see it until 1992.. though there were a few exceptions.
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FTE Legend
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