Playing around with my DD2000 I've noticed going full roller has HUGE power increases, so should i spend the money on retro fit lifters and a roller cam and roller rockers? Is there any place to get roller lifters for less than $300? Thanks.
CK5
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Full Roller engine. . . worth it?
- Thread starter BowtieRed
- Start date
a guy i know has a taxi cab with an lt1 i know it should have an ls1 but his it an lt1 and hes selling the whole car for 300 bux, the motor needs a new pcv valve....is this worth building, its full roller, compared to my flt tappet 350 in my jeep
ben427
1/2 ton status
I"m building a roller cam 383 right now. If you want to build a roller cam engine on the cheap, get and 87 up fuel injected engine. you can buy the roller lifter kit from GMPARTSDIRECT.com for 177 bucks. The cams for rollers are pretty expensive too, and no, you cannot use a flat tappet cam with roller lifters.
ben427
1/2 ton status
No it should have an LT1, I cant think of any older sedans that had the LS1. And yes, the LT1 is a good building engine, roller cam and decent heads.
sled_dog
1 ton status
yeah what he said, the Taxi will be a Caprice most likely and they never came with LS1s only LT1s. As for roller setup, don't buy aftermarket. You won't find aftermarket as cheap as you are asking and they aren't as good as factory stuff. I'm building a 383 like Ben is and I'm using an 88 factory block.
bigburban383
1/2 ton status
Going to roller anything will just be an improvement. OEMS do it and its been in recreational vehicles for years. If your building a stock daily driver you might as well not go roller unless you want the thing to last forever. For an engine that will be abused, go roller.
ALso roller motors are capable of turning as many RPM's as the bottom end can handle before throwing a rod. Flat tappet hydralic lifters float at 5500RPM's.
Beast388
1/2 ton status
[ QUOTE ]
ALso roller motors are capable of turning as many RPM's as the bottom end can handle before throwing a rod. Flat tappet hydralic lifters float at 5500RPM's.
[/ QUOTE ]
The RPM at which valve float will occur has more to do with valve springs then the lifter design. The factory roller motors were still hydraulic. It is the valve spring's job to close the valve and keep the lifter on the lobe of the camshaft. Other than component weight, the lifter design has little to do with it. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
ALso roller motors are capable of turning as many RPM's as the bottom end can handle before throwing a rod. Flat tappet hydralic lifters float at 5500RPM's.
[/ QUOTE ]
The RPM at which valve float will occur has more to do with valve springs then the lifter design. The factory roller motors were still hydraulic. It is the valve spring's job to close the valve and keep the lifter on the lobe of the camshaft. Other than component weight, the lifter design has little to do with it. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
sled_dog
1 ton status
agreed, lifter springs, rocker studs, valve guides, pushrod guides all have more to do valve float than the lifter design.
So I can buy a cam, the lifters, pushrods, rockers,timing chain and studs from a 1990 454 and it will all be roller
? Does that mean that my 90 jimmy has a roller 350 in it?
Or does this not work for teucks being they were tbi and not fi
? Does that mean that my 90 jimmy has a roller 350 in it?
Or does this not work for teucks being they were tbi and not fi
sled_dog
1 ton status
TBI isn't FI?
Trucks didn't have roller cams until 1996. This means your 90 doesn't have one unless someone changed it.
I have no idea personally if the 1990 454s were roller, I'm going to guess they were not. I will address the question in terms of a Small Block. I have an 88 350 with roller cam thats being built up. I have an 89 burb without roller cam. I could put the roller setup in the burb. The burb's block has the provisions to bolt in the roller setup(its not just timing chain, cam, springs, and lifters) but would need a little machine work to make it work. Now I have my 85 K5 with a late 70s 350 block in it. There is no way I can take that block and install my factory roller timing setup in it. It simply does not have the provisions for it.
Trucks didn't have roller cams until 1996. This means your 90 doesn't have one unless someone changed it.
I have no idea personally if the 1990 454s were roller, I'm going to guess they were not. I will address the question in terms of a Small Block. I have an 88 350 with roller cam thats being built up. I have an 89 burb without roller cam. I could put the roller setup in the burb. The burb's block has the provisions to bolt in the roller setup(its not just timing chain, cam, springs, and lifters) but would need a little machine work to make it work. Now I have my 85 K5 with a late 70s 350 block in it. There is no way I can take that block and install my factory roller timing setup in it. It simply does not have the provisions for it.
DD2K is overly optimistic on the gains from a roller setup.
Yes, gains are there, but nowhere near what DD2K says. Plug the cam specs in correctly, but select hydraulic flat tappet. That will be closer.
Yes, gains are there, but nowhere near what DD2K says. Plug the cam specs in correctly, but select hydraulic flat tappet. That will be closer.
