LA ( Roller Cam ) prep

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SS Lancer

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Just curious how many modifications are needes to install roller cam in a LA ( Non Magnum ) block ??
 
Just curious how many modifications are needes to install roller cam in a LA ( Non Magnum ) block ??
None, I am running a Comp Hydraulic roller in my LA 340 with no mods to lifter bores or oiling system. I love the performance of the cam the retro fit hydraulic roller lifters suck. Do yourself a favor an do a solid roller setup.
 
I had a 360 truck block and had to open pushrods holes up. Had to clean up valley some as well. Had an r on back of block.
 
Correct, however, if your going to install a fatherly large cam for (very) high performance or racing purposes, I suggest following the MP engines book manual to drill and tube the oil galleys as well as other key high rpm mods that will make the engine happy for many many miles.
 
I have a 71 360 block and I had to grind down the reinforcement ribs inside the block to get the lifters to go in property. I also reamed out the pushrod holes and used 5/16" pushrods.
 
I have a 71 360 block and I had to grind down the reinforcement ribs inside the block to get the lifters to go in property. I also reamed out the pushrod holes and used 5/16" pushrods.
Good note I forgot about!
With my Hyd. Roller cammed 360 with Edelbrock heads and Comp roller rockers using 5/16 p-rods need some clearancing for the pushrods to clear. The pushrod holes in the head needed to be ovaled slightly on the intake side.

(Edit/spelling)
 
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Correct, however, if your going to install a fatherly large cam for (very) high performance or racing purposes, I suggest following the MP engines book manual to drill and tube the oil galleys as well as other key high rpm mods that will make the engine happy for many many miles.

Thank you - I have that book so I will study it .
 
I have a 71 360 block and I had to grind down the reinforcement ribs inside the block to get the lifters to go in property. I also reamed out the pushrod holes and used 5/16" pushrods.
were the link bars V'd or straight?
 
Good note I forgot about!
With my Hyd. Roller cammed 360 with Edelbrock heads and Comp roller rockers using 5/16 p-rods need some clearancing for the pushrods to clear. The pushrod holds in the head needed to be ovaled slightly on the intake side.
I'm using eddy heads as well with 1.6 rockers and even with 5/16" pushrods it didn't clear the tubes with out some drilling and grinding.
 
I ran my oil pump with drill intake manifold off. Turn the engine by hand while running drill. Make sure no oil hemoraging at Max lift between lifter and lifter bore. I had major oil leakage solution was smaller base circle cam. '71 340 block .591 lift hydraulic roller cam. Check it before you put the intake manifold on.
 
Depends on the lifters being used. I had to do ~ 5-6 hours worth of grinding/test fitting in the lifter valley to make my Comp 828-16's fit (solid bodied solid roller lifter). They do make some that drop in...all they did was move the link bar to the other side....
 
whose lifters did you have problems with 340sfastback?
EXCELLENT ADVICE FOR ALL BUILDS
 
Correct, however, if your going to install a fatherly large cam for (very) high performance or racing purposes, I suggest following the MP engines book manual to drill and tube the oil galleys as well as other key high rpm mods that will make the engine happy for many many miles.
This is what I needed to see
If I run a solid roller I want engine to last for a long time .
 
This is what I needed to see
If I run a solid roller I want engine to last for a long time .
It is all about oil control. In the case of drilling and installing the tube, it is about a controlled oil bleed. This is normally done as a race modification.
(READ! High RPM) Once the tube is installed and peened, you’ll need to drill a hole in the tube (debur the drilled hole and the peened tube,) to control how much oil is bleeding out of the hole. From what I remember, (what I read others did...) the hole is .060 or less. I’ll let the actual engine builders take it from here.

You could install the roller cam without this mod, however, spinning the RPMs up isn’t what I would do. Where the limitation is, I don’t know.
 
It is all about oil control. In the case of drilling and installing the tube, it is about a controlled oil bleed. This is normally done as a race modification.
(READ! High RPM) Once the tube is installed and peened, you’ll need to drill a hole in the tube (debur the drilled hole and the peened tube,) to control how much oil is bleeding out of the hole. From what I remember, (what I read others did...) the hole is .060 or less. I’ll let the actual engine builders take it from here.

You could install the roller cam without this mod, however, spinning the RPMs up isn’t what I would do. Where the limitation is, I don’t know.

Thank you I believe Bob Glidden performed the same modification on the Dodge pro stock engine I will check my collection and look for info.
 
I have two sets of solid roller lifters at hand.
1. Compcams #8043 and those clear everything by alot of margain,but like everything else have a limit on maxlift before they will expose the main oilgallery down near the wheel. this can possibly be solved to a limit by ordering a cam with reduced basecircle.
2. some older solid body lifters with a normal linkbar from an unknown supplier that has the same probable problem at high lift but they have quite limited clearance in the lifter valley from what i can remeber they did fit in my block but may not clear another one however it should not be an endless amount of clearancing needed in any block.

I can dig thru some old pics and see if i can find some pics of them to show you the difference.
I may get you som pics of both sets of lifters in a block so you can see the differencesat a later date if i just get past this cold i have that makes me cough my lungs out every time i move.

As has been mentioned there is things that can be done to make the oilingsystem better performing and doing them you also need to take your lifters into consideration. Some lifters has preasurefeed rollerbearings and you clearly want to feed those with oil. other types are just oiled by whatever oil gets to them. But the mainreason for the oilsystem modifications are to make the engine reliable in handling big rpm over time.
 
A couple pics for visualisation of what a tubed mainoilgallery looks like and a pic of a couple unaltered driverside lifterbores for reference

IMG_0026.jpg


IMG_0033.jpg


IMG_0025.jpg
 
Do you drill the small oiling hole before the peening to have some way to get the drill bit to initially 'bite' into the tube? Or is there some nifty tool or method to drill the oiling hole way down in the lifter bore? That part looks tricky to do...
 
Do you drill the small oiling hole before the peening to have some way to get the drill bit to initially 'bite' into the tube? Or is there some nifty tool or method to drill the oiling hole way down in the lifter bore? That part looks tricky to do...

There is or atleast used to be a fixture for that,i believe it was available thru MP.
 
There is or atleast used to be a fixture for that,i believe it was available thru MP.
OH WOW! Nice pictures. Excellent visual!

Get well. I hate colds like that. Thamnks for making the stretch while feeling ill.

nm9, MP did indeed sell this fixture. Good luck on finding one now. That may be impossible.
As you can see (And I'm sure you already know....) the huge oil hole in the lifter bore. This is a serious issue on high RPM engines. Along with the blocks internal oil passages that should be enlarged and smoothed. Blocking the drivers side oil feed at the blocks front also should be done.

Now you could run a roller cam without these mods if the RPM is low and the lift/lifter body doesn't have an issue uncovering the oil holes to bleed out and drop pressure like a 2 ton heavy thing falling outof the sky.
 
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