My friend and I just had a thought. I told him that I was going to have to switch to roller using a retro fit kit. And he asked my why i couldn't just drill 3 holes in the block and use the factory lifter setup. And I honestly can't give him a good reason. Can someone think of something wrong with that? Besides having to use the cam button? This would greatly save money if it could be done.

 

More to it than that (even though that can't be done). You have to keep the lifters from rotating, and the factory roller lifters use a different system than retrofit lifters going in a non-roller block. It's the retrofit lifters that cost the big bucks.

 

So the lifter bores themselves are different to make way for the little plates that the "spider plate" holds down? And that keeps the lifters from rotating. I knew about the clips, i just wasn't aware that the blocks were machined differently. Thanks for your help.

 

HA! yes it can be done. I did it to my 400 sbc, there are a few problems #1 that is an oil pasage and it is verry limited on how far you can drill in to it. I did used a bottoming tap and installed studs instead of bolts. #2 the stock lifters are too tall the lifter bores do not go up that far but, there is a stock lifter that fits like it was made to (newer 3.1-3.4 gm v6 eng.) #3 and the hardest of all is you have to grind off the one side of the lifter retainers but, not through to the hole you have to bring in the edges too it is a lot of fitting to do. but, works #4 you need 5/16" push rods 7.513 in length and yep they make them for a dodge 318. when you get a roller cam get a none roller block one. other wise you need to do alot more major work the the block to get the retainer to fit like I did.

 

There is material missing for the cam retaining plate on the front of the block, and the lifter retaining spider in the valley, that would keep you from (directly) using factory roller cam and lifters in a non-roller block.

Long before the factory came up with their roller design, the aftermarket was putting roller lifters & cam in SBCs, using what we now call "retrofit" parts.

 

hey I did! I had to make some spacers so the retainer would not bow in front, I am using the cam in my sig. that has the smaller snout

 

the rest is pretty detailed already, I might have a pic but, it would be in my reg camera I have no digital pics and it is in the car already and runs so I can't take a pic right now