I have the chance to get a 4 bolt main 1 peice rear main seal motor out of a mid 80's vette, but the problem is it doesn't have centerbolt valve or a roller cam.what I want to know is, did the corvettes come one peice rear main seal but not hydraulic roller. I have a dissasembled 305 TPI in my driveway and was ready to slap my intake on it on it it is a 91 block factory roller cam, center bolt valve heads, I am also swapping in a t-56 while the motor and tranny are out the car. what problems will I encounter with this swap? can I re-use my hydraulic lifter valvetrain parts and just swap in a new cam if the block has been machined to accept hydraulic roller lifters, I know i have to change the knock sensor and put in the bigger 22/lb hr. injectors anything else?



Thanks in advance

 

Sounds strange. It might be an early 86 block, although my suspicion would be the provisions for the factory roller cam setup are there.

 

Thats what I am thinking, do you think it would be possible to use my lifters if it has the provisions?

 

If the factory provisions are there, then yes you can use the factory type setup on there with no problems. Only way to tell for sure is if the intake is off or the timing cover is off, then you can see if the bolt holes and such are there for the roller cam setup.

If it really is an 86, it will either have perimeter bolt cast iron heads or centerbolt aluminum heads. Seeing as how you said its not centerbolt, that would make it an early 86 block... There was a midyear changeover listed for the rear main seal (2 piece to 1 piece) in the Fel Pro catalog for 350 vette engines that may or may not be correct, they said it applied to 305's as well but I havent seen an 86 305 with a 2 piece rear main seal. Its possible they went straight from the 2 piece rear main to a 1 piece with roller cam provisions on the vette. Best way is to check the block out.

 

Stupid board.

 

THanks I will, I was also reading in lingenfelters book that the roller lifters are taller in 87 and later thats why they cant be used in the 86 so I still might not be able use them even if the provisions are there

 

What I think Lingenfelter is trying to say is that roller lifters are taller than hydraulic lifters. If the block has the cam retainer bolt holes on the front, and the spider bolt holes in the lifter valley, you're set. Just use roller lifters, retainers, spider, cam retainer, the appropriate lenth pushrods for a roller motor, and of course, roller cam. HTH