ok i have a 88 formula with a 305 tbi lo3.....a couple quick questions......does this motor have roller lifters and even though the heads dont have centerbolt valve covers are the head's intake bolt holes drilled like 86 up heads

 

They have roller lifters.

They're supposed to have centerbolt valve covers. If you dont have centerbolts, then someone has changed your cylinder heads and that means changed the intake to a pre-86 bolt pattern.

 

or they changed the whole engine, and he doesn't have a roller block, and doesn't have roller lifters.

 

i know the engine is messed with cuz it is all in pontiac blue paint so it could have been replaced then...and now that i think about it the tbi intake's center bolt holes did look kinda goofy and elongated

 

i thought tbi motors didn't have roller lifters

 

mine sure did

 

Personally i would run the numbers on the block and heads to really see what you're working with here. there is no use spending time shopping and setting up a mod list only to have to 1.) do it all over again or 2.) buy the wrong parts and have to go through the whole return process.

 

l03 was def a roller motor except for like some wierd year i'm not sure but chances are you def have roller lifters eventhough our cam sucks

 

chances are he has one if it is a 87+ Car Block. if the engine has been changed, it may not be. it is also not for sure that even if it is a roller block that it is a roller cam. it is entirly possible that thye rebuilt it, and put a cheap flat-tappet cam/lifters in. if i were him i would research what he actulay has, instead of trying to assume anything about the engine.

 

aside from pulling the valve covers, is there any way to tell whether you have a roller cam or not?

 

Not really, you will need to take the intake off to see if there's roller lifters.

 

All V8 TBI motors in Caprices and F-Bodies had roller cams and lifters.

 

get numbers off it and go to mortec.com

 

If you pull the rockers covers and shine a flashlight through the oil return holes between the pushrods, you'll be able to see if the retainers and big "spider" thingy is there.

Even if it isn't you should be able to see the center of the lifter valley and see if the block has the provisions for the retainer, plus you'll see the "notches" that give clearance for the retainers on the sides of the lifter valley.

Here's a pic of the hole you'll be able to look through.

 

Here's a pic of a roller block lifter valley so you know what to look for.

 

Im pretty sure 90-92s did.

SSBO

 

Here's your answer.