Engine Build Ideas...PLEASE HELP.

340, the point was, generalization means nothing. The cost of a roller seup in an LA is about this: $300 cam, $90 oil pump drive, $400 lifters. Nothing else is different, althought I wont run a solid roller without bushing the lifter bores, which adds $400. BUt, the oreder of power increase is closer to 20%. On 350hp engine, you're right.. it's stupid. On a 550hp engine, that's 110hp difference. And it comes with rpm stability, less internal friction, lower torque peak, and wider power peaks. Not to mention the oil quality issues with aggressive flat tappets. $1000 on a $5000 budget is a lot. $1000 on a 9K budget isnt a huge deal to a guy who knows what it takes to make real power. For a lower output, you can always go hydraulic retrofit roller. It's not anything I ususally do. But that can be had for about $300 more than a comparable flat tappet setup when buying all new parts.