Does the 1987 LG4 come with a hydraulic roller cam and lifters?

 

Yes.

 

My 87 vin code H came with an lg4 and a flat tappet cam.
AFAIK lg4's were all non roller lifter.

 

Well, my 87 vin H is a roller cam. I've had it apart and theres no denying it.

 

I stand corrected, just goes to show what I think I know, and what I actually know can be two totally different things.

 

My old 87 LG4 SC had a roller cam when we rebuilt the motor.

 

Wow! How untypically TGO.. I expected an argument. Wish the boards worked like this all the time.

Maybe your motor had been changed before? or who knows maybe some 87s werent flat tappet.. I know mine is original to my car though. I've had the formula since 91, back when it had 77k on it. And as i've said its definately a roller.

 

Late 1986 and up were all the roller block. My 1987 had aroller cam and roller lifters of course. You will find the cam to be quite small and you can get a decent take-off roller cam at goauto.com I think it is for like 100-150 dollars

 

posted by chevymad
Actually I was trying to start a fight with sitting bull and then you jumped in, no fair.

About the cam though, I thought the lg4's wre like the lo5's in the trucks up until 95, even though they have a roller block - no roller cam. Am I right about the truck cams at least?

 

1986 was the first year of the 1 pc rear main seal, not a roller block.

The trucks got flat tappets until 1996 with the introduction of *drum roll* the "Vortec" engines.

The most common 350 block with the roller setup is the 638. For 305's it's the 627 and the 058.

If you wanna learn more, go to www.mortec.com

 

Hey, alright! What should we fight about?

 

Sorry AJ, I wasn't differentiating between 1pc seal blocks and "roller" blocks. I realize all 1 pc seal blocks are not drilled for the spider but they are clearenced for the lifters correct?
I might have to get off my lazy *** and do some reading and make a trip back to the wrecker and look to see if they all have provision for the retatiner plate.
Hey Sitting bull "305's suck, get a 350" J/K

 

Real '86 "model year" blocks had one-piece rear main but no roller provisions at all.

Late calendar year 1986 would be early model year 1987, so that part of the statement was true. However, it is also possible that early model year 1987 cars could have received left-over model year 1986 engines, which would have the one piece and be non-roller.

Gotta love the good ol' factory...

 

I had a factory 87 TBI engine with a one piece rear main block and centerbolt heads and it had a flat tappet cam in it! NOBODY beleives me, but I have seen several board memebers report this phenomenon from time to time. Factory engines are like a box of chocolates.........

Easy way to tell if you got a roller cam motor or not (without digging too far into the motor). Pop a valve cover. See if the pushrods spin while the motor is running. If they do, it's got a flat tappet. If they don't it's a roller.

 

TBI didn't appear until model year '88 (at least in 3rd gens).

Trucks, as stated, were a different matter with regard to roller vs. flat.

Perhaps you got a truck motor.

 

I know a guy with a 87 Iroc 305 TBI ...

 

Canada, eh?

 

That can't be original. Post some pics.

 

I can't, he just moved to Ontario.

 

The roller cam changeover wasn't a very clean cut. It's certain that there were no cars before 87 (or possibly very late 86 special-order cars) with them, since the space aliens probably didn't visit the engine plants while taking a break from their usual boring activities of impersonating Elvis in convenience stores or creating crop circles or whatever, and install some "features from the future" in a couple of engines as they slid down the line; but the factory also would have used up old parts in their supply pipeline as they showed up, so after the supposed changeover, no doubt some cars got built with the leftover old stuff.

My late little brother's 87 MC SS L69 had flat tappets in a block with no roller provisions whatsoever, even though it also had 081 heads and self-aligning rockers.

I don't for one minute believe that a 87 car came from GM with TBI. See about the space aliens above.

 

My brother-in-laws Iron Duke '82 Skylark had TBI...

I had an 081 head with center-bolt covers and non-self aligning rockers. Another head of the swirl-port variety (apparently installed on this '87 LB9 when it was "rebuilt") with non-self aligning rockers.

Sure wish those space aliens would let us know what they were thinking.

 

The first TBI came out in late 1987 but they called the model 1988 I do believe in Canada they had a few with TBI before the US due to the emissions problems they had when they first came out. The models released in Canada were 1987.

 

A number of other cars started having TBI in about 80 or 81; Citation and the various BPO versions of it, Celebrity, etc.

That has nothing to do with these cars.

One could call the CFI used in 82 & 83 in these cars "TBI"; however it's safe to say that CFI didn't come in a 87 IROC either.

081s aren't swirl-port. They're 87-up LG4/L69/LB9 heads.

 

I know. It had one of each (1-081 & 1-swirl port) on that engine.

The '87 TBI sightings are all from Canadians. Somehow, I believe them.

 

i own a 87/88 TA with what use to be a 305 TBI. the build dates of everything kinda just mush together. the door sticker on the car says its a 87 but the vin says its a 88. it had a LO3 in it. so yes some 87s had TBI, but it doesnt really matter to me cause the 305s in my opinion are good for boat anchors. performance cars that weigh over 3000 lbs shouldn't have anything smaller than a 350 in it anywho!!!! that should get some fires going!

 

Build dates and model years are two different things--my 1991 Z28 was built in 6/90, according to the door sticker. The VIN is the correct source for model year. Even if the car was built in 1991, some individual parts may have markings from previous years. If you buy a 2004 model year car today, build date will be in 2003.

 

posted by chevymad
Just to make sure, I dug the old 305 block out from the corner and did some checking.

It is the original motor from my car, last 6 digits of deck stamping match last 6 digits of VIN. 2HL201823
It is a 1987 LG4. V0821C7L
I double checked my VIN on the car, 1987 Firebird.
The casting # is 14093627, 87-91...2...Roller cam, one-piece rear seal.

The only way that I am sure that it did not come with a roller cam is that the "Nubs" that the spider bolt to are not drilled + tapped.

It is also a Canadian, Just like me .

 

another on production dates. i had a set of old 461 heads. the build date in the books says they stopped making them in 1966. i've checked a bazillion times and the code says they are from 68 and they are definately 461's if its from GM nothing is really fact; i do love them though.

 

RB,

You are getting positively cranky in your old age

 

I don't.

It has only been one Canadian and two Americans that has so far reported time travelling third gens with TBI.

 

This from the wacky wet coast



Anyway, I've sent an email to Mike Beunting in Barrie, Ont., who owns an 87 Iroc with TBI, to come here and testify to the verity of our claims

 

Most 87 model year LG4s had the Hyd Roller cam, especially in "Killalifornia" But the cam was still too small. It's lift was something like .380 in / .401 ex 110 LSA. . .if that. It was a real sorry piece of S---- It's main purpose was to reduce friction/ wear, and to get better MPG .

 

Perfect, hopefully we will see some pics.

 

My head is spinning. Looks like I should open up my engine before ordering lifters for my 87 LG4...

Or is the block number a reliable indicator?


I found these specs for the LG4 cam

Lift .350/.384 Duration 179/194 LSA 109.0

http://www.usol.com/~okfoz/87/technical.htm

 

Here's a screen shot of the latest GM Electronic Catalog. The flat tappets were apparently only on Canadian & export cars. However it's possible there are a handful of oddball combinations around.