Jughead

Can you tell just by looking? Shouldn't the accompanying lifters have rollers on them too?

I'm working on my '89 350 from my Sub and was calling around for compatible parts. Some guys said from '87 & up the cam should be a roller. Others said it depends, but mostly the passenger cars got the roller??

How can I tell? I don't have the cam out yet, but the lifters are out along with the intake & heads. The lifters look like regular lifters??

Len :confused: :confused:


[Modified by 1970 Stingray, 2:11 PM 1/31/2002]

gkull

Rollers means wheels. Hydro rollers were not in every chevy V-8 till 90 or so.

Stingy74

Guys with a good eye can tell a roller from a non roller. There's a visual difference in the shape of the lobe and the ramp.

Terrys69coupe

Hey 70 stingray my 89 blazer fullsize had the new style motor with the center bolt valve covers and it had a regular hyd cam. Hope this helps. I believe that Z28s got them first along with vettes. Maybe they started with the vortec motors in trucks mid 90s. :chevy

89formula

roller lifters have a roller on the bottom of the lifter. if it doesn't have any roller, then it's a reg hyd. cam.

lyonsh

That only works if it's in the engine with the valve train installed. The lifters have the rollers, the cam doesn't. Stingy told you right - experienced builders can tell you by looking at the cam; to us normal guys it just looks like another cam. If you have an unidentified cam, you can have it dimensioned by a competent machinist and he can tell you what it is.

Steve Straus

I'm not an experienced engine builder and I can tell the difference. Roller cams have a shorter lobe and the lobe has a slightly different shape to it.

Jughead

Thanks guys.

Terry, I think I'm in the same boat with your Blazer. Center bolt valve cover heads, cantered center intake bolts and hyd cam.

Lifters are not rollers.

Thanks again.

Len