Has anyone had any experience with retro fitting a pre 86 sbc with the later year roller cam hardware??? I'm building a stout street 406 and I want to avoid the cost of the linked retro lifters. ( besides they look a little scarey given all the valve train abuse) I've heard about fitting up an early year block with the later years roller lifters, cam, valley spider and related hardware. Are there any sites or literature that would guide me through this conversion, it seems pretty straight forward, and a very solid conversion.

Thanks, Street

There are no issues with a linked roller. Makes for a very easy conversion.

I used the retro lifters in my last 408 and no problems except they needed longer pushrods than builder put in.

A guy was selling the conversion instructions on eBay for $20, curiousity got the better of me so I bought a copy. VERY detailed verbage and great hi res photos, it was worth 20 bucks just for the read but after reading it all through and giving it careful thought I decided it wasn't something I'd really feel comfortable with. You don't really save all that much over the retro rollers and for peace of mind I'd rather cough up the difference. As things turned out I got my hands on a 350 roller block and I'm using the factory set up but I'm building a pretty mild grunt motor so that's all I really need.

I've got the retro fit roller lifters as well and no issues at all.

For a street engine stout or not, a roller cam isn't worth the effort or cost. While it's fairly inexpensive to install a factory roller cam there really isn't a durable long term solution toward using inexpensive factory roller lifters. After market rollers are suitable and in a pre roller factory block are preferable because of length issues affecting structural stability of long body GM lifters where the lifter bore's of earlier engines does not providing sufficient support to the lifter at max lift. This is a bigger problem with high lift cams, also, related to lift to some extent is the positioning of the oil bypass relief that belts the GM lifter as it can be pushed higher than the old block's lifter boss resulting in oil leaks into the valley.

I'd either bite the bullet and go with an aftermarket roller. Or install a flat tappet with really good oil like Chevron Delo or Shell Rotella. These are made for for Diesels, they retain high levels of anti-scuff agents that a flat tappet cam needs. Also, for a flat tappet cam, contrary to GM's self made myth about taper grinding the lobes and using the resultant force against the lifters to provide thrust retention, put in a thrust button. This taper lobe stuff holding the cam from walking back and forth in its bearing bore is a bunch of hokum leading to early destruction of the cam and lifters, especially when combined with the low phosphorous and zinc additive ratios of modern oil. The fact that GM touts it, the maqgazines print it, and most everyone believes it; doesn't make it a fact.

Bogie