I am selling a blown engine that came in my camaro when I first acquired it. I was told that it was a 350 L05 out of a 93 Caprice. I had a buyer inquire about it yesterday and he wants to know if this motor has a roller cam. Do any of you know if it does or how I can find out?

 

I just removed an LO5 from my 92 RS, it did have a roller cam in it. When I removerd the intake I found a a spider plate bolted in the lifter valley that GM used to keep the lifters from rotating in the block

 

Look on the side of the block, it should have a "638" upside down.
If so, it is a roller. Or maybe an "880".

 

thanx a lot i'll take a look when i get home

 

Not exactly. Many 638 blocks were used in trucks, which didn't have the roller set-up. My brother just took one out of his '92 Suburban - machined for roller equipment, but had a flat tappet cam in it.

The casting number only tells you what was cast - 305, 350, etc. It doesn't tell you how it was equipped - 2- or 4-bolt main, roller or flat tappet cam, heads, etc.

 

Well, if it's machined for a roller...then it is a roller block. But you're right if he wants the cam goodies, then pull the intake.

 

Some truck engines were cast with the provisions, but not machined. Double gotcha if you're only looking at the casting #.

 

All you have to do is pull one of the pushrods out and check its length. The roller lifters were taller and used a shorter pushrod. My memory says flat tappet rods were 5.8" and roller rods were 5.2" but you may want to look that up.

I also have a truck LO5 replacement motor, bought new in 98 that had a flat tappet cam and no bore for a fuel pump pushrod. The only way to know is to check.

 

Some TBI truck blocks were cast without provisions all togather.

 

But that wouldn't be a 638 or 880 block.

 

the block has an 880 stamped on it. I know i took a long time to check but i finally did.

 

What machining is necessary? I've never seen the lifter valley of a roller block without the spider/dogbones in it to tell.

Im kicking around ideas of putting a roller cam in this block I have laying around ... probably won't, but it never hurts to be informed. Anyway, lifter valley looks like this. I know there needs to be holes drilled and tapped for the spider to bolt in, but what else is there?

 

The cast-in bolt bosses in the valley for the hold-down spider have to be milled flat, drilled & tapped. Some blocks in trucks didn't have that done. The front of the block for the cam retention plate needs similar work.

 

Sorry, not even close. Flat-tappet pushrods are 7.800" long, and roller cam pushrods are 7.200" long. I think you typoed a 5 instead of a 7.

 

Exactly. I'll edit the above to fix it too. Thanks.