I just got a 88 350 engine. Is that a roller engine? Will a 83 305 engine be flat tappet? Thanks!

Started in 87.

The 350s in Caprices and trucks (which are the VAST majority of them) did not have roller cams; and may or may not be completely outfitted for them. The casting features are there, but not all are always finish machined. 350s in F cars and Vettes got roller cams starting in 87.

Yes the 83 will be a flat tappet, from the factory at least.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Agreed.

Not correct.

All GM passenger cars got rollers in the 4.3 v6 and 5.0 & 5.7 v8 from 1987+, which means the Caprice got roller cams just like the F and Ycars.

Most people here on TGO, me included, used to say that the C/K/G (light trucks and vans) did not get rollers until the 1996 model year (in the Vortec v6/v8 engines). Fast355 reminded us all that some of those light trucks were using roller lifters in the mid 90s, probably in the 1994-1995 timeframe. So the newest of the TBI trucks, circa 1994-1995, might have roller cams, while the older TBI trucks would have flat tappet. I don't know how this applies to the light trucks vs the mid-weight trucks that still used TBI engines. Maybe Fast355 does.