1991 360la camshafts

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91dowdge

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Im looking for camshafts for my 360la. Stock it has hydraulic roller lifters. Could I use a hydraulic flat tappet cam and lifters without changing pushrods and rocker arms?
 
Going to need longer pushrods, I would highly recommend sending the stock hydraulic roller to Oregon Cam Grinders for a regrind. What are you planning on with your combination?
 
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Going to need longer pushrods, I would highly recommend sending th stock hydraulic roller to Oregon Cam Grinders for a regrind. What are you planning on with your combination.
Im just trying to figure the most budget friendly option. Could I theoretically use my old hydraulic roller lifters with a cam that comes with hydraulic flat tappet lifters?
 
funny guy over here
it is though. you can reuse the roller lifters on a reground camshaft. how mild or wild are you thinking of for the build? if it's going to be a street build, looking at maybe 5500 rpm max, good torque, looking at bullet's master list, I'd look at the HR266/325 lobe for the intake (266adv/214@.050/135@200, .325" lobe lift, .487 with1.5 rockers) and the HR269/327 (269adv/218@.050/138@.200 lift, .327 lobe lift, .491" lift with 1.5 rockers). Hughes #1110 springs should be able to control that cam just fine as well. since they grind the base circle down to get the new cam profile ground on there with more lift/duration, you may need to find slightly longer pushrods. I remember 20 years ago when I did this to a roller LA 318 out of a 5th avenue that I also put magnum heads on, I was able to find the right length pushrods off the shelf from comp cams very reasonably.
 
Im just trying to figure the most budget friendly option.

okay, first of all are you going to run a mechanical fuel pump? if not, then you can run any of the roller cam units.

if you are going to or want to run a mechanical pump in the future, then you'll need the "long snout" roller cam that has a provision to run the eccentric for the pump. otherwise with a "short snout" you'll need the kit from hughes engines to attach the eccentric and that's a few bucks.

now that we've tackled that...

you might luck onto a used cam that somebody is getting rid of because they upgraded. a stock 5.2 cam in a 5.9 is an okay bucks down upgrade.
you can find regrinds on ebay that are "close" to some well known performance grinds on the cheap
you can send your cam out for a regrind.

all of these will require you to absolutely 100% check your pushrod length and might require you to get longer pushrods. the closer to stay to stock the less likely you'll need pushrods.
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check and clean your lifters and you're on the way.

switching over to a flat tappet is going to cost wayyy more than a regrind and some push rods. i wouldn't advise running a flat tappet profile with roller lifters.
 
Could I theoretically use my old hydraulic roller lifters with a cam that comes with hydraulic flat tappet lifters?
Nope! The hydraulic flat tappet lobes run more towards the edge of the lifter bores and the rollers run in the center. Instant recipe for disaster! But as far as regrinds go... Bullet is also a great suggestion, and there are many who swear by Jim at Racer Brown's custom cam grinds. FBO Ignition - Home of the HRR688 - Racer Brown Cams
Ken at Oregon regrinds cams for under $200 the last time I checked. The stock LA hydraulic roller is usually on a 109 LSA, so you can usually vary the LSA two degrees one way or another during a regrind. Cam Grinding, Camshafts, Racing & Performance Equipment
 
I just can't understand people putting flat tappet cams in the roller cam 318-360 blocks. Seems like they're going backwards and having to worry about a cam breakin again.
 
it is though. you can reuse the roller lifters on a reground camshaft. how mild or wild are you thinking of for the build? if it's going to be a street build, looking at maybe 5500 rpm max, good torque, looking at bullet's master list, I'd look at the HR266/325 lobe for the intake (266adv/214@.050/135@200, .325" lobe lift, .487 with1.5 rockers) and the HR269/327 (269adv/218@.050/138@.200 lift, .327 lobe lift, .491" lift with 1.5 rockers). Hughes #1110 springs should be able to control that cam just fine as well. since they grind the base circle down to get the new cam profile ground on there with more lift/duration, you may need to find slightly longer pushrods. I remember 20 years ago when I did this to a roller LA 318 out of a 5th avenue that I also put magnum heads on, I was able to find the right length pushrods off the shelf from comp cams very reasonably.
I hadn't bought a cam yet until last night. I decided to suck it up and spend the extra money on a roller cam kit
 
In the past Bullet had the long snout roller blanks, and just recently Powell said they did to. The mild aftermarket 86-91 roller cams don't seem to be available anywhere. Lunati had 2 listed a couple years ago, Nobody had any in stock. I finally called Lunati and he had 2 of the smaller ones on the shelf, so I bought them both. Comp Cams list 3 different ones, but none are in stock. Most of the other cam manufacturers just mention retrofit roller setups-with the expensive lifters.
 
With a stone stock LA 360 roller engine, just add an Edelbrock Air Gap, Quick Fuel 750DP, headers and a good hot ignition curve you'll be bumpin 300HP. In an A body, that's a mid 13 second street car if the car has a good prep.
 

In the past Bullet had the long snout roller blanks, and just recently Powell said they did to. The mild aftermarket 86-91 roller cams don't seem to be available anywhere. Lunati had 2 listed a couple years ago, Nobody had any in stock. I finally called Lunati and he had 2 of the smaller ones on the shelf, so I bought them both. Comp Cams list 3 different ones, but none are in stock. Most of the other cam manufacturers just mention retrofit roller setups-with the expensive lifters.
i bought one of the comp cams retro fit cams
 
Hope it works out. I can tell you didn't research Comp or you would have gone with something else. Good luck with it.
I really haven't heard if Comps roller cams have the same reputation as their flat tappets? OP said a few posts up that he bought a roller cam kit. Before I'd buy a Comp HFT cam, I'd turn one out of pine limb on a wood lathe.......and probably have better luck out of it! :BangHead:
 
I really haven't heard if Comps roller cams have the same reputation as their flat tappets? OP said a few posts up that he bought a roller cam kit. Before I'd buy a Comp HFT cam, I'd turn one out of pine limb on a wood lathe.......and probably have better luck out of it! :BangHead:
I wouldn't buy anything from them. They're using cheap chinese metallurgy. That's with everything. I'll have a stock core reground way before I ever use anything from Comp.
 
I hadn't bought a cam yet until last night. I decided to suck it up and spend the extra money on a roller cam kit

Stock roller lifters are almost guaranteed to be superior quality in this day and age compared to most aftermarket stuff (especially Comp). I reused the factory roller lifters in a 5.9 Magnum short block I pulled from a junkyard 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 with high miles (at least 150k) with a custom-grind Racer Brown camshaft. Been running that way in my '70 Duster since 2017, put maybe 15k rowdy miles on it so far including some autocross fun and a few passes down the drag strip. Zero issues.

If it were mine I'd reuse stock lifters and have the stock cam reground, like others have recommended. Several members here have done that with great results. I've never heard of lifters failing in stock roller cam LA and Magnum engines. Metallurgy and tolerances of OE American engine parts in the late 80s-90s was excellent.
 
Hope it works out. I can tell you didn't research Comp or you would have gone with something else. Good luck with it.
thanks for you
Hope it works out. I can tell you didn't research Comp or you would have gone with something else. Good luck with it.
i havent heard anything negative about their roller cams
 
Just fyi.. i use a set of used factory rollers i bought here for $100... no idea on the miles, i cleaned and lubed and put them in, they work perfect.. the oem stuff is made to last 100k+ miles (kinda) as long as you don't go massive on the cam you won't have a issue..

P.S. I use a howards roller with .532 lift just for reference... not sure how big you went.

P.P.S. i wish someone made spacers to make them solid.. but they are fine for now
 
Can the OE roller lifters be used with a retro-fit cam? Or can the retro-fit cams be used in the factory roller blocks with the OE lifters? Just asking.
 
Can the OE roller lifters be used with a retro-fit cam? Or can the retro-fit cams be used in the factory roller blocks with the OE lifters? Just asking.

If by retro fit you mean like a comp cam for LA's.. yes..
 
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