is this true?
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Fort Sill, ok.
is this true?
Another thing to watch, is the distributor. 1985 and 1986 engines used the flat tappet hydraulic cam and lifters, if you pull the distributor from this earlier engine be sure you plan on using it on a 1986 and earlier block. This is the familiar large cap HEI distributor. In 1987 the engine block went to roller cam and lifters and the distributor is smaller with remote coil. The use of the roller cam meant that a special metal was used in the distributor gear to make it compatible with the steel billet cam. If you have a 1987 and later block, be sure to use this distributor. If you plan to use the earlier distributor in a later block, you will have to change the distributor gear. Many specialty parts suppliers have this item. The same goes if you plan to use a later distributor in a earlier block. If you think you can get away without paying heed to this, the cam and distributor will chew itself to pieces, circulating metal debris throughout your engine. and if so how do i know if i have a roller cam in my car? i have an 87 iroc and am trying to use and 85 tpi set up on it to include the distributor. it was a tpi previous owner switched it to a qjet and i am trying to switch it back with enough trouble with out this.
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Hartland MI
Car: 89 Formula
Engine: 355
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Yes you have to make sure you use compatible gears on the cam and dist. I have a Crane retro fit roller cam that has an iron gear that can be used with the older dist gears in my vette. Just make sure you know what type of gear is on your cam then make sure the dist gear matches.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,391
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From: Newark, DE
Car: '86 Camaro, '02 WRX, '87 K5, '67
Engine: 350 TPI, 2.0turbo, 383 in the works, 289-4BBL, 232, A-head 4-cylinder
Transmission: T56, 5-speed, 700R4, C4, T176, semi-auto 2-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73, 3.90, 4.88, 3.55, 3.54, 7.00
That's what I did for my Blazer too. I used a Crane cam with an iron gear to avoid having to run a bronze gear.
If the engine is original to the car it should be a roller (three bungs in the lifter valley to hold the spider). If not it may or may not be a roller, and it may or may not have provisions to convert it using a factory roller setup. I've seen '88 blocks that don't have the bungs for the spider. Sometime in 1987 GM started switching over production to the roller compatible blocks, but they had to use up all of their old blocks first. Typically these went into trucks and other low-perf applications.
Nice Vette BTW. My Dad used to have a Pewter '72 t-top with a 454 and a 4-speed. Man was that car fast! Not as fast as my uncle's '67 with a worked L88 though. That car was downright unstreetable!
If the engine is original to the car it should be a roller (three bungs in the lifter valley to hold the spider). If not it may or may not be a roller, and it may or may not have provisions to convert it using a factory roller setup. I've seen '88 blocks that don't have the bungs for the spider. Sometime in 1987 GM started switching over production to the roller compatible blocks, but they had to use up all of their old blocks first. Typically these went into trucks and other low-perf applications.
Nice Vette BTW. My Dad used to have a Pewter '72 t-top with a 454 and a 4-speed. Man was that car fast! Not as fast as my uncle's '67 with a worked L88 though. That car was downright unstreetable!
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