topic says it, if so....how Rare are they, i have been looking around for one for awhile. i have a 4 bolt 350, so i GUESS i could get the block tapped and use the stuff off of the 4 bolt on the 350 roller.

 

l98 for a vett
easier to put 4 bolt caps on a 2 bolt block or even better yet to use the original roller cam design and forget about what gm came up with

 

hmm...L98 block for a vette, specifically designed for a vette? or all L98's?

i have 4 bolt caps and bolts. now would it be easier to use the 4 bolt block i have and convert to roller, or convert a roller 350 to a 4 bolt?

looking at the retrofit roller lifters, that start at around 250. then a roller cam, 250? give or take 30 bucks.

are there ways around having to put a thrust plate in? i saw some nipple type deals that go on the timing chain cover. not sure if that cancles out a thrist plate or if thats additional insurance along with a thrust plate....

edelbrocks aluminum water pumps have some sort of bolt hole on them to press against the timing chain cover to work with the nipple type button.

i found a GREAT tech article on a roller conversion that i gotta see if i can dig up, alot of you guys would prolly appreciate the time and detail put in the article --with pics--

im just not too sure of what all NEEDS to be done.

i *think* you can tap the lifter valley and use a spider tray with the stock roller lifter brackets or whatever they are called. that way avoiding having to use 350 dollar lifters which are rape. but you have to grind down the side walls where the lifters are to get the brackets to fit. if you have ever ported and polished this shouldnt be too hard to do yourself.. good thing i have.

that still doesnt take care of the thrust plate. on my block, theres a ledge type deal, where it appears as if you Cant tap the block to put a thrust plate on unless you stick some sort of spacer on there ....i dunno...ill put a pic to show what im talking about.

Does there need to be a button in the back of the block as well?? i read something about the dist making the cam walk rearwards.

id love to go roller seeing how i have a roller cam, and roller lifters already. just gotta see the cost diff between machining a roller block to be a 4 bolt Vrs getting a 4 bolt block to be a roller.

in any event i want to go roller, its just a matter of how much itll cost. For one, you can buy used roller cams. also roller cams never wear down, valves open faster, have way higher lift tolerances. too many plus's to name.

the only good thing i found with hydrualic cams are, there are ALOT more to chose from, and they are fairly cheap. thats about it.

ede you HAVE to be annoyed with me posting by now. just bare with me lol...i have to turn around and explain what i know and learn to my friends, so i know what yall go trhough by telling me how stuff is done.

 

And L98 for chevy cameros and transam GTA's 87 to 91:lala:

 

so all L98's were roller 350 4 bolts?


Question, if i run a lt1, i can carb it correct? i mean do they make carb manifolds for lt1s? and...can the serpentine belt brackets and accessories bolt to the lt1? or do i have to basicly run a whole lt1 set up.

 

No. They weren't.

The most common place to get a 1 pc rear main seal, 4 bolt block with the roller cam provisions is out of a HD 3/4 ton pickup or a 1 ton. You're looking for casting number

14093638...350...87-95...2 or 4...Roller or flat tappet cam
one-piece rear seal



Yes.
Yes
You need the LT1 brackets. The water pump on the LT1 is not driven by the belt.

 

will the accessories bolt to the lt1 brackets? or do i have to go all out and get a new a/c pump, alt, power steering pump....then have to find or rig ways to make it all work with the stuff thats in the car...wiring harnesses...etc..etc....or is going lt1 just too much hassle to bother with just to have a 4 bolt roller 350....th

"14093638...350...87-95...2 or 4...Roller or flat tappet cam "

that sounds pretty unsure going by a casting number, id have to have the bare block in hand just to tell all that....so that casting number came in roller, non roller, 2 and 4 bolt?

would prolly be cheaper to make the 4 bolt i have, a roller...

 

There's a sticky on the "Motor Swap" board that will tell all about the LT1. Check it out.

The casting number I listed came with all the provisions for a roller cam, but they didn't use roller camshafts in trucks.

You can use a flat tappet cam in a roller block, you just can't use the factory roller setup in a non-roller block.

The only way to tell if it's a 2 or 4 bolt with any casting number is to pull the oil pan and look.

Even the mass produced 010 302/327/350 block was made in either 2 or 4 bolt.

If you want to know specifically what casting numbers came with only 4 bolt mains, check here. http://www.mortec.com/castnum.htm

Keep in mind that you're really limiting your choices that way.

 

well i just want a 350 4 bolt roller lol.....it looks as though itll be easier to get a 350 roller, and make it a 4 bolt....other than that its slim pickins, aand the blocks that are available are super expensive.......if it all comes down to it, i supose ill use the 4 bolt i have since its seriously strong....just kep it flat tappet maybe...i dunno.....depends on if i can figure a way to use a thrust plate....i found a pic of how to fabricate the lifter valley....

 

it would be easier/cheaper to just make a 2 bolt block a 4 bolt block with splayed mains. Keep in mind a factory 4 bolt block is weaker then a 2 bolt block with splayed 4 bolt mains... factory 4 bolt caps are in a line where splayed mains are offset which = stronger and less prone to cracking.

 

there isn't exactly any proof that splayed mains are stronger, just theory.

and a 2-bolt block is probably more than enough for the amount of power he is going to be making.

and he is not going to be making enough power to worry about a factory 4 bolt main block not being strong enough.

 

ok not stronger, less prone to cracking.. agreed he probably will have no need for a 4 bolt block at all.. dont know how you determined the amount of power hes going to be making, all i know is he was asking about a 4 bolt roller block.. for some reason he wants one and wanted to know what would be easier/cheaper way of going about it..

 

my zz3 and all zz4's are factory 4 bolts with roller setups...

 

Not entirely true....A factory 4-bolt 400 block IS weaker than a two bolt block, because they were designed with a thinner (weaker) main web area. The factory 305-327-350 blocks are plenty strong in this area, whether factory 2 or 4 bolt.

 

the block i have is a 3970010....i heard that it ran a high nickle content and was pretty strong compared to the other blocks produced....so you say i dont need a 4 bolt?? what power output should require the 4 bolt vrs 2 bolt?

im just trying to get a game plan here for when i do decide to slap an engine togather. as of now i have the L03 block and the 010 block.

so i should ditch the 010 block and go for a 2 bolt roller 350?
im set on wanting a roller engine for obvious reasons...i think having the roller outweighs me wanting to have a 4 bolt...it would just be nice to have both worlds in one .....

i plan on a balanced engine that will push something close to 350 - 375 hp....maybe a 150 shot of nitrous.

so lets say, i want a engine that will handle 600 hp. What block should i get.

 

if you think now that you MIGHT want to run nitrous, you probably WILL later on. So i'd stick with the 0010 block (i've had two of them, no block strength issues with 383 c.i.d. and 100-150 shot). You can always retrofit a roller later. i'd say generally 400-450 HP (flywheel) is around the cutoff for running a four bolt, but nitrous and supercharging tend to load the bearings a little different than NA, so i'd def. want it runnin NO2

 

i can sum it all up here in a couple sentances...


if your not gonna abuse the hell out of it with big hp, stick with a 2 bolt high nickle block...

if your gonna abuse it in the future, don't bother with a 4 bolt, just get the splayed cap kit, and have it installed on your high nickle 2 bolt block.


i've seen plenty of 500 hp motors run fine on a 2 bolt bottom end... mind you, the hp was kept below 6200 or so.

 

so toss the 350 4 bolt 010 casting ???? or what

 

I wouldn't-here's why:
cost for 4-bolt splayed cap kit: $200
align-hone and intall: $150-$200

and the splayed caps are overkill, a four bolt block with studs will be ok (0010). i am currently running a 2-bolt 400 block, but when i go to put on a power adder (nitrous or turbo) i will be upgrading to a 4 bolt. i would not run power adder (except a small amount of nitrous maybe) without the added insurance of a 4 bolt.
The higher cylinder pressures will place additional loads on the main bearings, increasing the need for added strength in the area. I've pulled main caps on everything from Hondas to BB chevys and seen the difference when they run a power adder, RPMs didn't matter that much till they got over 6500.

 

i hate when a topic flip flops back n forth like this, and i cant decide wtf to do lol...

Toss the 010 for a 2 bolt roller or keep it and stay hydrualic. --or somehow convert it VIA stock roller tray, lifters and brackets.. just tap the block, shaves the sides down on the lifter valley some so the brackets fit....still have no clue how to Rig a thrust plate on there....

 

Theres no flip flop here just facts. If you want a roller 350 the most common ones are 2 bolt main blocks. GM dident get carried away with the roller 4 bolt setups in applications other then the vett. I have only seen roller 2 bolt 350's in trucks upto 1 ton. I have seen crate engine 4 bolt roller ,but these dident come factory.


A 2 bolt block is fine to use in a build. If your worried about it not being able to hold, which you shouldent the mentioned splayed aftermarket caps are avalible to make it stronger then an OEM 4 bolt. If you were planning a 383 or a 500hp build I'd suggest you use aftermarket caps but if your not dont worry about it.

 

It's called a pissing contest. And you're right, I hate it to.

OK. Don't get hung up on using a 4 bolt main block, or using a roller cam. They both are nice perks, but not needed.

If you're determined to run a roller cam, the stock setup isn't the most stable anyway. It was designed to reduce wear, emissions, and production costs/time while increasing MPG. It was not designed to perform. You're better off with a real setup.

If you're going to run a shot of nitrous, rods, rings, and pistons are gonna be your main concern. ARP rod bolts, cleaning up the rods (removing any casting flask), and using moly rings w/ forged pistons are gonna help you more than concentrating on 4 bolt mains and a roller cam.

When it all comes down to it, a stock block will never be a Bowtie block no matter what you do. Don't expect too much from it.

 

I'm not trying to argue that a four bolt is better, i'm just saying since he HAS a 4 bolt block, i'd stick with it and retrofit a roller now or later on.

SeanTimothy: You don't have to install a thrust plate. It just prevents the cam gear from wearing against the block, which is SOMETIMES caused by running a cam thrust button. I just run a roller cam button.
You can retrofit a stock type roller lifter setup, but it is impossible to use factory v-8 lifters to do so. the lifters are too tall, and they would lift the retainers off the block, pretty much eliminating their purpose. An option is to use 3.1L roller lifters, which are shorter, which allow for usage of the stock type retainers and spider plate. They can be ordered individually, which allows you to get a set of 16. But, as mentioned before, a set of aftermarket lifters and their integral bar setup will eliminate this and probably be a more reliable setup.

 

Hmm, was under the impression you had a 2 bolt roller from the content of the middle of the thread.


Use the 4 bolt non roller. As mentioned a factory roller setup isnt as good as an aftermarket setup. An aftermaket roller cam would be a nice addition but thats it.

 

I've got one of the 4-bolt #3970010 blocks in the shop now. It's going to be a 388ci with an all roller setup. It's costly and coming along slowly but I think it'll be worth it in the end.

 

here's what ya do

keep the block you have, when it comes down to it, it doesnt matter too much what bolt pattern it is... if yoi plan on a power adder put the played kit in... (unless it s a 4 bolt block, i can't figuer out if yours is a 2 or a 4 from all these posts)

just get it put together with some decent inners...


don';t worry about the roller stuff... a lot of extra dough for not signifigant gains in the areas of hp your looking at...

a roller setup could easily cost you upwards of 500+ bucks when you figuer in the lifters, and the cam... then were not even getting into the valve spring upgrades that might be needed, maching work to convert that blcok to roller (its not roller right?)


just not worth it... for the cost of the roller setup, you could *almost* put together a decent internals setup (good forged pistons, better than stock rods, good steel crank)

basically, just stik with what ya got, its gonna be the best road for you it seems with thought given to budget and performance. especially if its a high nickle block...

 

I bought a 4 bolt 1pc rear main seal hydraulic roller block from Pace (I think). The block is now at an engine shop being made into a 395 cu in motor.

The part number ends in 123 or 321, and it costs about $600. I got it on sale for $450. This block as I understand it is a replacement Chevy block for the L98 Corvette. The Camaros & Firebirds got the 2 bolt version, while the Corvette got the 4 bolt version of the same block. My factory '87 L98 IROCZ is a 2 bolt block.

If you want the part number of the L98 4 bolt block, I can post it tomorrow if you are interested.

The part # is: 10105123 and is the ZZ4 block.
You can find details at www.paceparts.com

 

Exactly what kind of proof are you looking for? The fact that from a physics stand point "triangulazation" is much stronger than a straight "tensile" angle or.....the fact that every aftermarket block out there uses splayed main bolts.

 

It's half bill cheaper at www.gmpartsdirect.com.

But pay attention to the shipping costs. What may seem like a better deal may not be after ALL costs are added together.

 

ok once again im dumbstruken, the zz4 is the 4 bolt roller L98 right?

 

to throw l98 in there is just going to add to confusion... l98 was merely a motor rpo code... so don't use that term when describing block, except for that peticular block, just makes too much confusion...


a zz3/zz4 block IS a 4bolt main, roller block. i have one

 

ok ty lol

 

Vortec Chevy and GMC truck blocks. Many 1/2 ton trucks and all 3/4 ton and up trucks came with them.

 

I bought a 4 bolt roller out of a 97 1 ton. The later 1/2 and 3/4 tons that I looked at all used 2 bolt blocks.

 

yeah this cant be a lt1 block though......thats a whol eother ball game of money i cant shell out.....

 

it is not an lt-1 block. It is a regular old 350 with 1 piece rear main seal and roller cams.

 

SeanTimothy,

Why do you want a roller cam?

Why do you want a 4 bolt main?

If you're absolutely sure that you HAVE TO HAVE those two things then I'll break this down for you so it's very easy for you to understand.

There are only a few casting numbers that are Gen I blocks and have ...

1.) One pc rear main seal
2.) Provisions for a factory GM roller cam


They are...

1.) Casting # 10243880 ... 350 cid ... '95-'00 ... 2 or 4 bolt mains ... Vortec truck, Gen.I crate motors and "ZZ4", roller cam, one piece rear seal

2.) Casting # 14011148 ... 350 cid ... '87-'89 ....... Roller cam, one-piece rear seal

3.) Casting # 14088526 ... 350 cid ... '87-'89 ....... Roller cam, one-piece rear seal

4.) Casting # 14093638 ... 350 ... '87-'95 ... 2 or 4 mains ... Roller or flat tappet cam, one-piece rear seal

From the looks of it, there are only two that have the possibility of having 4 bolt mains; #1 and #4.

The ONLY way to find out...

And I'll say that again so you fully understand;

The ONLY way to find out is to pull off the oil pan and look. You have to do that. There are no numbers on the block that will tell you. I can't tell you. ede can't tell you. The guy at the scrapyard can't tell you. Not even Cleo (or Cloe, or whatever the hell her name is) can tell you. You have to look for yourself.

You can increase your chances IF you find one that is in a 1987-1991 Corvette, or a 1987-1998 3/4 ton - 1 ton pickup truck. But you still have to pull the pan and look.

Hopefull that helps you decide if you need to stick with what you have, or go on a scavenger hunt.

 

All Vortec 5.7L engines in 2500 series trucks & vans with MT1 transmissions (8600 gvw & up) are 4 bolt rollers as well as 3500 series trucks. Somewhere around 1992 GM made all blocks with roller provisions, but not all came with roller cams. I got a block from a 97 1 ton van that was 4 bolt roller.

 

Also most pickup 4x4s had the 4 bolt block. Some early ones didn't have the bosses tapped in the spyder area. I have one in my race car with a hyd roller cam that has turned 6600 several times. Go to the salvage yard and see if the fellow will let you pull the pans off of some of his core engines. Some times they can be bought right.