I pulled a 350 out of a 1988 chevy k1500 4X4 and im wondering if those were roller blocks or not, ive heard that all after '87 were, and ive heard that some truck motors after '87 were non roller any help would greatly be appreciated thanks

 

You're right. Some truck blocks were roller, and some were not, but they all had flat tappet cams until 1996. You have to pull the intake manifold and look.

 

The block will be a roller casting, but may not be machined for the roller equipment. As said, pull the intake manifold and look.

 

My 94 K1500 Z71 didn't have rollers.

 

ok i pulled the intake and its not roller, what do i need to get to convert it, i know i need the retro kit but what is good. The motor is at the shop now getting cleaned, bored and 4 bolt splayed mains, im going to be running a lunati forged crank, and rods, je pistons -28cc inverted dome and afr 210cc competition heads with a weiand 6-71 blower all for a 383 race motor.

 

Just because it doesn't have the roller stuff in it now, doesn't mean that it's not a roller block. In fact, it ALMOST CERTAINLY is.

Look at the tops of the lifter bores, and the top of the oil passage that runs the full length of the lifter valley (looks like a "spine"). If the tops of the lifter bores and the sides of the block casting right next to them have been machined, then it's a roller block. Then, if the oil passage has teh 3 little ***** on it, look to see if they're drilled & tapped. If not, drill & tap them. Then just go get the factory roller stuff out of a junk motor, or off eBay, or whatever. Like this.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy...em130197074167 in this particular one, the cam, valve springs, push rods, and timing set is GARBAGE, not worth paying shipping for; but the rest is what you need. What you're after is the lifters, the "spider", the "dog bones", the retainer plate, and the screws for the spider and plate. The rest of it is irrelevant. That's about what they usually go for, even; something in the $75-100 kind of range.

 

If the block is roller casting but hasn't been machined, there's a lot to do - top of the lifter bores and those nubs in the lifter valley need to be milled before drilling and tapping. The cam timing gear area needs to be machined and drilled/tapped as well. I don't imagine most machine shops would want to touch it - better to use your block as a core and get one that is machined.

creepingdeath, do you know if your block was machined? The 350 engine we just took out of my brother's '92 Suburban was a 638 casting, machined, with flat tappets. The rebuilt we put back in was roller (special request).

There were also two different hole spacings used for the cam retainer plate. That one bit me - I had the wide spacing plate, my block was narrow (the block didn't come with the roller equipment, I had it laying around).

Also, that eBay "kit" is from a Vortec engine. Toss those valve springs, they aren't worth installing on anything.

 

im 99% sure that i have the 638 casting also, which means?

 

It's the roller casting, but may not be machined for the roller equipment and most surely does not have the roller equipment.