Does anyone think its worth the extra 500 bucks to use roller valvetrain vs standard flat tappet and stamped steel rockers in a street small block chevy?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Roller vs Non roller
- Thread starter therealdeal770
- Start date
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Can't you run a roller cam without the expense of roller rockers? Isn't that the current factory SBC setup?
real deal - Do you have a wild cam with extreme pressures involved?
You need oil or supplements with extra extreme pressure and anti wear additives, for a flat tappet cam. This is becoming illegal and rare in over the counter products.
A roller cam is more complicated and expensive, but helps with wear a lot.
I'd prefer a flat tappet cam for the street, but racing is another story.
Didn't the Chevy Corvette go backwards and stop using the roller cam?
You need oil or supplements with extra extreme pressure and anti wear additives, for a flat tappet cam. This is becoming illegal and rare in over the counter products.
A roller cam is more complicated and expensive, but helps with wear a lot.
I'd prefer a flat tappet cam for the street, but racing is another story.
Didn't the Chevy Corvette go backwards and stop using the roller cam?
umm pretty much all SBCs nowadays use Hyrdraulic roller cams. Pretty much standard from Vortec engines, to LT1, to current LSX series engines. You can run a roller cam with stamped steel rockers, but a roller rocker is a lot better than your standard stamp steel stuff.
therealdeal770
Thread starter
Im just trying to plan everything out before I start buying parts.This is going to be a 383 stroker motor for my s10.Ill be using Vortec heads so Im limited to around a 520 lift so its not a super crazy cam.The guy that is building the motor swears by roller stuff Im just trying to get a few opinions before I spend money that could go towards something more beneficial to get me to the 400hp Im trying to get.
If you use a late model block, it's roller ready. The spider that retains the lifters bolts right in. I'm doing a 383 for my Yukon with a roller cam block, Eagle stroker kit and EQ Cylinder heads. They're a replacement Vortec head made in Australia. My machinist swears they're superior to GM's Vortec. You can get a crank that uses the one piece rear seal for the late block, so the factory roller stuff goes right in. Comp Cams makes quite a few grinds that work with the EFI.
all blocks 87 after should be all single piece rear main seal. if you're going with a 383 there should be no reason why you can't purchase the proper crank for your needs.
Yeah, but all one piece rear seal blocks are not necessarily roller cam blocks. Early ones ( 87,88...) still had flat tappet cams.
You can use more agressive cam profiles with roller cams. i.e. the slope to full lift will be steeper than with a flat tappet cam of the same lift and duration. So in effect the valve is open wider longer with the same overall duration allowing the engine to breath easier. To the best of my knowledge anyway.
Quote:
Yeah, but all one piece rear seal blocks are not necessarily roller cam blocks. Early ones ( 87,88...) still had flat tappet cams.
correct. some of the trucks still used the flat tappet cams.
I did an intake manifold gasket (Dexcool) on a 98 Suburban 5.7 that did not have a roller cam.Quote:
correct. some of the trucks still used the flat tappet cams.
As far as the rockers go, the most important part is to have the roller fulcrum; more so than the roller tips.
Quote:
I did an intake manifold gasket (Dexcool) on a 98 Suburban 5.7 that did not have a roller cam.Quote:
correct. some of the trucks still used the flat tappet cams.
Wow, a 98? My 98 Yukon has a roller cam. Maybe the engine in that Suburban was replaced?
Yes the roller setup is way better . Roller rockers are the way to go even if you decide on a flat tappet cam
Kestas
Staff member
I don't think you can use a tapper cam on a roller, nor the other way around. Tappet cams have a slight bit of tilt to the profile to rotate the tappets. Roller cams have no tilt to the profile.
No. The owner is a friend of my Boss and had not had any engine work done till I did the intake gaskets. He bought the truck new.Quote:
Wow, a 98? My 98 Yukon has a roller cam. Maybe the engine in that Suburban was replaced?
Quote:
No. The owner is a friend of my Boss and had not had any engine work done till I did the intake gaskets. He bought the truck new.Quote:
Wow, a 98? My 98 Yukon has a roller cam. Maybe the engine in that Suburban was replaced?
Wow, I'm surprised. I would have bet they were 100% roller by then.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Similar threads
- Replies
- 13
- Views
- 631
- Replies
- 47
- Views
- 6K
- Replies
- 14
- Views
- 2K
- Replies
- 42
- Views
- 5K
