I finally got my hands on the 350 4-bolt block I've been wanting, but I've run into a small problem. I'm making a 383 from it, and I want to have roller lifters, but the block is early non-roller, so I'm trying to find the best way to get them in. I read on searches here that retrofit parts (cam, lifters, pushrods) can be bought to do it correctly, but I'd like to be sure. I also read that this involves a cam button, and I'm really have no idea what that could be, so I'd appreciate it if someone could clear that up. I want to buy the parts meant for this as I have too little experience to yet have the confidence to drill into my block, so I'm really not partial to the whole drill\tapping thing.
In short, I'd like to know what it takes to do get the rollers in there and working properly. I'm not sure right now if I have a preference to mechanical or hydraulic, because either sounds fine to me, but the mechanical sounds like it has better tradeoffs at this point.

 

The cam button is a little thing that sits in between the nose of the cam and the timing cover, and keeps the cam from moving forward from where it's supposed to be. The timing gear has a thrust surface in any motor that runs against the front of the block and keeps it from going rearward. In a flat tappet motor the lifters aren't "flat", they're actually slightly conves; and the cam lobes aren't "flat" either, they're actually slightly taller on the rear than the front, so the cam is constantly being just slightly forced rearward by them. Also the dist gear is made so that it pulls the cam rearward, and that's quite a bit of force actually, since the dist drives the oil pump which takes a couple of HP.

Some people like to get a stiffer timing cover, or use a brace off the back of the water pump; but I've never really found it to be necessary. I've had good luck with stock timing covers when I've used them. In fact the motor I'm about to drive to work is like that.

No machine work whatsoever of any kind to anything is necessary to run the original design roller system.

 

its pretty easy... instead of dropping the lifters in one at a time, they just go in two at a time.

when you put the cam in, stick the cam button in the timing chain gear... thats it.

 

Nice. Thank you.