Hey guys i'm pretty new to the website, so bear with me. I've got an 89 GTA with an L98. I recently spun a rod bearing and i went and bought a short block from an 88 TBI truck. This new motor obviously doesn't have a roller cam in it. My question is can i swap the roller cam and lifters out of my TPI motor and into the new short block. I was told that I would need to buy new roller lifters, which are't cheap, so that i wouldn't twist the old lifters on the cam. Can't i just take the stock girdle that kept them from turning in my L98 and just swap it onto the new motor. Will this work? please help!

 

http://www.idavette.net/hib/camcon.htm

read this

NO if your SMART you won,t try installing the later design roller lifter blocks lifters and spider retainer on the earlier design non lifter block, yes it can be done BUT the lifter bores themselves are too short for good support and it will eventually cause SERIOUS problems, if youve got a roller block thats a differant deal, roller blocks have the pedestal but may not be machined if they used flat tappet lifters. the lifter oil passages are differant and the early block can,t be safely machined to support the lifter retainer without taking a chance of cracking the lifter gallery eventually due to the stress the much thiner casting in that area of the block the earlier casting has

youll be FAR BETTER off, in the long run to buy the roller lifters DESIGNED to work in the shorter lifter bore on the early block design

 

Your 88 block should have the cast-in provisions for the roller stuff. You may have to drill & tap the spider hold-down bosses. The front of the block should be drilled & tapped for the retainer plate; and the tops of the lifter bores should be machined for the dog-bone things.