[slipfreak84]

what kind of performance or hp. do you or can you expect if you upgraded your standard cam and rockers to roller cam and rockers???????.....

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by slipfreak84

what kind of performance or hp. do you or can you expect if you upgraded your standard cam and rockers to roller cam and rockers???????.....

It's very expensive to convert a Gen I SBC from flat tappet to roller tappet configuration. It'd be more cost effective to start with a roller block from a '88-up Gen I car. Some of the trucks in this vintage still had flat tappets, but the automobiles had rollers and one-piece rear seals. You would notice a small difference in the seat of your pants from roller cam and rockers over conventional parts, but the biggest and most noticeable gain would be in changing the cam timing when going to another cam (properly matching the cam timing to the available static compression ratio of the motor).

[slipfreak84]

i believe, well someone told me that this motor i guess had roller rockers in it....but changed the heads....im not sure.....the block number is 14093638 on the driver side it says gm 5.7lg then underneath that is i think sgi.....can you tell by those numbers???....i dont know

[jimfulco]

That's the factory 350 roller block.

[slipfreak84]

what is a factory 350 roller block to a regular 350 block??????

[techinspector1]

Roller blocks ('88-up passenger cars) had provision for roller lifters and also had the more desireable one-piece rear main seal. Gen I blocks before that used a less desireable flat tappet camshaft arrangement and a two-piece rear main seal.

It would be more cost effective to begin with a 88-up roller block than to try to convert a flat tappet block to roller lifters (about $1,000). You can re-use the roller lifters which come in your boneyard shortblock and only have to buy the cam (if you want to replace the cam) to have a roller lifter camshaft setup.

It's easier to make power with a roller cam because the lobe ramps can be more aggressive and open the valves quicker as well as using more valve spring to control float. Also, with a roller, you don't have the worry of the cam/lifters going flat like you do with a flat tappet setup.