Ok, heres the deal.

In my trans am I've got what I'm pretty sure is a virgin 350 truck block from late 70s to early 80s. I've got the heads off and the bore is 4" even and the deck height is stanard (.025). It came with S/R torquer heads which are 2.02/1.60 valves, 170cc intake runner, 76cc chamber. I've calculated the compression at between 8.8:1 and 9.1:1. Compression test is good with all numbers at 130 +/- 5 psi. The engine has a crappy cam in it right now (I've had it idling smooth at 300rpm), and I think it has solid lifters because 1. I couldnt get the valve lash adjusted nicely for the life of me, would go right from bad idle to ticking, and 2. they seem to be shorter then the hydraulic lifters I've seen. That's what I've got to work with.

Exhaust will be 1 5/8 shorties with 3" cat and catback. Intake is going to be an LT1 intake (long term plans include a 406 ), not decided on whether to use a stock 730 ecm setup or the Megasquirt DFI kit I've got on order.

Unfortunately engine rebuild or new heads is out of the question financially speaking.

I'm planning on just swapping a cam in and buttoning it back up, but a few questions:

1. Should I switch to hydraulic lifters? I dont really mind the noise that much and I've heard that solid ones make somewhat more power.

2. If I stay with solid lifters, should I change them, or should they be fine because they cant collapse like hudraulics?

3. Are there different cams for solid of hydraylic lifters, or would i use the same cam in either setup?

4. If I go with hydraulic lifters, will I need shorter pushrods?

5. For the cam, I'm planning on using Comp 12-232-2 which is 218/224 @.050, .462/.469, 110 LSA, power range listed as 1300-5600. I've done some research, and I think this cam is pretty well matched to my setup. I'd plan on revving no higher then 5500 rpm. Any reccomendations on the cam?

6. If I want to run 1.6 rockers, do I have to change anything besides the rockers them selves and mayby the valve covers? The springs I have are supposed to be good to .560 lift.


Sorry for the long post, but I want to get all the info up here so someone more knowledgable then myself can see what I've got. I'm really tryign to get all these parts as matched up as they can be.

Thanks a lot!

 

if you have a knock senser you need hydrolic lifters, and the cams are differant, you can't just change lifters and since you don't really know what you have i'd change the cam and lifters anyway. you won't need differant push rods. i'd run the springs the cam grinder says to run with the cam, going to bigger springs can wear out a cam. i'd go for screw in studs long as i was doing the other work.

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