im in the process of purchasing a 355 shortblock with hyper pistons ,i plan on building a N/A carb motor, anyways the owner says its from a first ne f-body , i want to throw a roller cam in there " like in most 3d gen cars "
how do i know is its roller cam friendly ?

 

If its the old style block, you can get a retro fit roller setup, but its not cheap. The newer blocks can use factory roller parts and those are relatively cheap. Whats the casting number on the block?

 

factory roller block looks like this




Non roller looks like this

 

no casting numbers yet im waiting on the guy to send me the numbers.

 

this is the block , http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/wester...ock-150-a.html BTW what are the pro's nd cons of tappet lifters vs. roller lifters anyone ?

 

Not a roller motor.

That's a "010" casting; could be the single most common 70s casting of them all.

As said, you can get the original roller system for it, what is now known as the "retrofit" style since the factory came out with their own bizarre thing. The advantage to rollers is that they allow for a MUCH more aggressive ramp opening and higher lift without destroying things. Therefore any GOOD roller cam (not a stock one) will give more power for the same level of "big cam" hassle.

 

so i should stay away from this block , the guy wants 140 for it .

 

Not necessarily; just, it's just yerbasic old motor, nothing special, and will cost ALOT of $$$, relatively speaking, to make into a roller setup.

$140 is probably about right.

But if you DEFINITELY want to go roller, it's probably not the right one FOR YOU. Keep your eyes open for a working 96-99 350 short block out of a truck or van, instead.