[juveteach]

I have a very strange question for anyone who has ever stepped out on that very thin edge of fabrication and madman. I was on E-Bay the other day and saw a fellow that has the info on how to adapt an old SBC over to the OE style roller lifter set up. He claims that you tap the lifter valley and install three bolts that hold the retainer plate and do some clearance work around the lifter bosses and it works like factory.

My question is, has anyone ever tried this and had it work for them. Like I said walk that fine line of block destruction or backyard engineer.

Thanks,
Mike: confused:

[Cstraub]

It can be done on a SBF easily, a SBC is a different case. The lifter bores in the hyd. roller engines is .200" taller, plus it has a flat between the bores so the wishbone will lay. In the 80's we use to adapt early blocks by using lifter bore sleeves, but this takes expensive tooling and labor. The other thing about OEM lifters is they are limited to .618" lift due to the body design.

Chris

[Sleeve396]

as usual as great and informative post from cstraub, after all the drilling and tapping you get a possible .618 lift available which practically negates any performance roller cam lift advantage, however you would retain the friction reduction advantage in a roller design. In my case I would only consider it if I had access to a practically free roller cam and lifters in the .550 to .580 lift range,
Though in jag daady's case a race inpired roller cam is probably not what he is looking for. (nice car! aka elegant hotrod!)