880 block have roller provisions; 99.999% of the ones with swirlies on them didn't get rollers though.

Most likely, to equip that motor with a roller cam, you'll need a roller cam (duh), roller lifters, shorter push rods, the "figure 8" lifter retainers, the "spider" thing that acts like a spring to hold them down, a cam retainer, the hardware to hold the spider and cam retainer in, and a roller cam timing set.

Heads are not "roller cam provisioned" in any way different from anything else.

Frankly if it was me, I'd leave it alone and save my money and not bother with any of that other until I had decent heads to replace those crappy head-shaped objects on it now.

That's what's already in it, was built for. If you want torque, just run it. Keep your money in your pocket and save it for whatever you REALLY want.

Same thing I tell my kids. Yeah they hate me for raining on their parade sometimes; but after seeing acoupla their friends do the kind of stuff you're talking about (not necessarily with cars... the same economic laws apply UNIVERSALLY) they realize maybe their old fart dad isn't really as dumb as he really is after all.

Assuming it's an all-original TBI motor, compression is just over 9:1. Maybe 9¼. The "spec" is a bit ... generous ..., just like it is for ALL motors. All the errors and production line variances and whatnot, act in the direction of decreasing it from "spec".

Depends on the cam. Which in turn, depends on what you're doing with the car.

Save your ¢¢ until you can get the roller stuff. Don't bother with flat-tappet setups in 2018 when your block will accommodate the other. To avoid the Vortec head lift limit at a low cost, use these springs http://www.texas-speed.com/p-1383-ls...od-to-550.aspx and Comp 787 retainers.

If this is TPI, you'll need to save more than ¢¢ to keep it; and you won't be real happy with the results anyway. Get rid of that. I'd recommend some other EFI intake, Stealth Ram for example.

It’s for a set

Never heard of em.

Here is what Ja85z28 did to his 305.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-aerohead.html

Never heard of em.

I'm more of an engine builder than a magazine reader.

Can't help you out with what they print in magazines, sorry.

How much are you looking to spend on all this? What's the rest of the car? (converter, gears, etc.)

I recently put together a set of NEW Assault Racing 205cc straight plug aluminum heads for $750. Bare castings are $399 on Amazon. Competition Products has a 2.02/1.60 .100" longer valve and spring kit for $215 good for 0.670" lift. Only thing left was rocker studs and guide plates which is the last $135. I also ended up with non self aligning 1.7:1 narrow body Scropion rockers ($277) that fit under stock centerbolt valve covers. For a little under $1500 I had EVERYTHING for the swap including hardened pushrods, head gaskets, intake gaskets, head bolts and spark plugs. I have not run it yet but will once I find time to put the engine back in. Cam is a Comp 215/224 @ .050 roller on a 110 LSA that ended up with 0.568" lift with the 1.7s. Its a Vortec based EFI engine, FWIW or I would have gone with more cam. These heads flowed over 260 cfm @ .550 lift intake and 180 @ .550 exhaust. At 0.650" they were about 10 cfm higher.

I have no idea on how it will all end up yet. But was merely stating what I have put together.

I bought the heads bare and they require 0.100 longer valves. The valve springs that come with the kit are good for 0.670" lift. I assembled the heads myself and did my own valve job. If you don't have the various tools needed to do that you would have to factor in a valve job at a machine shop and assembly but in my experience that can be very reasonable in cost. I chose to buy them bare because I wanted to make sure that they were properly assembled and had a good valve job.

You can put either style on any block. The block does not care which way the plugs point.

Angled typically is more efficient, by locating the plug in a better place. Especially in older stock heads, not so much in all modern ones, but it's part of legend now so some people want it that way just for that. Some exhaust setups dictate what you can or can't use.

Most headers are built for straight plugs. Easier to just stick with straight plugs in most applications. It makes header selection and spark plug wire selection far easier in most cases because there are more options available.

I have driven on the heads I mentioned for 3 days now. My impression...My 350 Vortec absolutely RIPS now! If I did not have a fuel kill rev limiter at 6,200, it would probably keep pulling to 7,000 rpm or until it destroyed something in the bottem end. Since it is still a stock bottem end I am shifting it at about 5,900-6,000 rpm at WOT. I am still running the same tune I was running with the cast iron vortecs. It is running a bit rich and I could probably squeeze a few more degrees of timing into the engine a little sooner. My MAF readings have jumped up about 50-80 gms/sec above 4,000 rpm compared to the old heads amd those had 2.02/1.60 valves too. Cam is a 215/224 duration Comp Cam hydraulic roller on Magunum high lift lobes on a 110 lsa with 4° advance ground in and ends up at 0.568" lift on both sides with the 1.7 rockers. I ended up using GM head gaskets advertised for cast iron or aluminum heads that come in at 0.028" compressed. I came up with roughly 9.45:1 compression running the numbers. The factory 4L80E high stall converter flash stalls about 2,400 rpm. From 2,400 rpm it just keeps pulling harder as the RPM rises until the PCM shifts the trans. I honestly do not feel I lost anything torque wise from the larger ports at WOT. Maybe a little off-idle and part throttle but IMO who cares.

One thing I forgot to mention in the build cost was the $40 set of Comp cams steel spring seat locators I had to measure and install under the springs. I also forgot to mention the small tube of thread seal I had to get for the rocker arm studs. To install the heads on the engine I used Jegs branded head bolts with washers designed for aluminum heads. No TTYL stuff, just 3 evenly spaced passes to 70 ft/lbs. My first set of pushrods that were stock length ended up 0.040" too short, but a quick trip to Summit Racing got that squared away.

While the engine was out I also addressed a leaking water pump by adding a Flowkooler pump and wrapped the headers. This engine has NEVER run as cool as it now does. I have a 25% underdrive crank pulley. It was 95°F outside today and at IDLE running the A/C with a mechanical clutch fan it was running 178°F with a 170°F thermostat.

Way to go Fast355. I hope it keeps running well with no problems.
It sounds like you got something right - like 1000 rpm of unexpected usable power.
That has happened to me a few times. That's what happens with careful planning, measuring, and paying attention to the details.

Same here! I feel they should hold up but who knows. I am actually more so hoping the bottem end holds together from the new found power and my heavy right foot. I rolled new bearings into the short block and put a 5qt pan, full length windage tray and have a big block oil pump in it that makes 70-80 psi of oil pressure above 4,000 rpm. So maybe it has a slight chance being that it is a 4 bolt main, HD nodular iron crank (think ZZ4) and GM's fairly strong PM rods.