Roller Lifters

[Redcap]

No one can accurately answer his question until he tells us (again SPECIFICALLY) what he is working on, even if it is a small block it matters if it is a roller ready block or not.

Seriously, I hate to see someone not get the help they need but I have to assume someone who is not responding to request for information from them in order to properly respond to their question, just really does not want the help.

Agreed.

[fordman]

heres a pic of a well baked 302 ho engine with the intake removed. you cant see much but here is the picture.

[BobbyFord]

Basically to swap from flat tappet to roller tappet you will need camshaft, roller lifters, pushrods.....basically speaking.

[JMcTurnan]

Well I am going to build a whole new engine for my truck, hoping to make about 350hp. I was wondering how hard and $$$ it would be to put on rollers. Or if I just got a newer one that had rollers, do that. I have a 77 351w. SOme stock rollers came out in 80s, but then I would have to get a new fly wheel too.

[DuckRyder]

If you are going to get a completely new engine anyway you would be best served by buying a roller ready block, 5.0 (302's) are significantly easier to find than 5.8 (351's) but there are 5.8's out there. Yes, you will need to get the appropriate flywheel or flex plate.

By getting a roller ready block you can avoid the hassle of things like reduced base circle cams and permanently linked lifters ($$$). With a roller ready block you can use any cam intended for a 5.0L mustang (there are hundreds, if not thousands of choices) and stock Ford roller lifters, anti rotation clips and retaining spider. You will have to have the correct length pushrods and roller rockers will help to take advantage of the reduced friction. As with any cam, you will need the appropriate valve springs and retainers.

[JMcTurnan]

Hoping my flex plate will fit, but I know I will have to get new fly wheel. I have a '68 c4 will that affect anything other than number of teeth? Can I get the right balance with the correct teeth that I need?

[BobbyFord]

I remember something about 81 and later blocks having a different balance than the older ones???

[70_F100]

Hoping my flex plate will fit, but I know I will have to get new fly wheel. I have a '68 c4 will that affect anything other than number of teeth? Can I get the right balance with the correct teeth that I need?

The flex plate IS the flywheel on an automatic setup.

[Redcap]

Hoping my flex plate will fit, but I know I will have to get new fly wheel. I have a '68 c4 will that affect anything other than number of teeth? Can I get the right balance with the correct teeth that I need?

What in the hell are you talking about?

[fordman]

just go get a 302 ho or 351 w from a junkyard truck. after 93 i think is when they were put in. but i dont really know when they started being put in engines stock.

[JMcTurnan]

Wierd, i always thought the flexplate was the plate that goes in front of your flywheel as a spacer. Uhh wierd, anyways.

[fordman]

the word flexplate has being used as a word to identify automatic flywheels. but ford never used that word. they called them flywheel automatic and flywheel manual.

[fireguywtc]

Just some common terminology that everyone uses even though the manufactures may use other official termanology.

Flywheel has surface used for the clucth

Flexplate does not have a clutch surface and are often seen with holes through them. Both contain the starter gear

[HillbillyDelux]

5.0s changed from a 28 oz balance to a 50 oz balance somewhere along in the 80s not sure wat year exactly but 351Ws always have had a 28oz balance they did not change to my knowledge.
5.0 HOs got roller lifters in like 86 i think not sure about non HOs or 351s but id bet they both had them by 1990

EDIT you dont really need roller lifters to make 350hp on a 351 jus some good heads, a good intake and carb, and a good flat tappet cam. IMO flat tappet cams hit a better lick than roller cams anyway.

[flyboy2610]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but why would the flexplate have to be changed when running roller lifters?