Question for you guys.

My pre 87 block with a retro roller cam is in need of a rebuild. I found a great price on a post 87 roller block.

Can I reuse my retro cam/lifters in the newer style block? Or are the lifter bosses too high and they'll hit the tie bars?

 

If it's a roller block you're fine I believe. If it's a non-roller 1 pc RMS block, then it depends on which lifters you have.

 

u should be able to but if u replace the roller cam and lifters with a hydralic cam and lifters u might have to get longer pushrods

 

I'm almost positive that you will need different lifters. I have a 87 block and swapped to a solid roller setup. The first set of lifters I ordered were normal solid roller lifters. The link bar would hit the block before the lifter touched the cam. I had to send them back and get the correct ones that are around a quarter inch or so taller.

You can use the taller lifters in the older blocks, but not the other way around.

 

Hmm, this is what i was worried about. Maybe it's just better I continue the hunt for a non-roller block.

 

I think it just depends on whether or not the block has the taller lifter bores. My block does. It's casted for factory roller hardware, but the lifter bosses are not machined down for that:



But even then lifters are available for it... just not all of them will fit. Ask the company who makes your lifters, they should know.

 

The quality control of flat tappet lifters is so bad these days a roller cam should be the norm on any rebuild these days