Does anybody know if the lifter valley on a hydraulic roller cam block is the same for a flat tappet cam block?? Just got some bad news from the machine shop my 91 block is junk, head bolt hole is cracked on the coolant jacket on both sides of the bolt hole. Hoping the lifter valleys are the same so that opens my search for a block.

 

Why don't you upgrade to a magnum?
http://www.magnumswap.com/first-steps/

 

Nope. They aren't. Lifters in the roller block are at a different angle. Not sure how well it would work with a flat tappet cam.

 

i am guessing he probably wants to keep the TBI which would cost more with a magnum engine. even a hotwire harness to run a magnum engine is about $1200 or to buy heads magnum heads drilled for LA intakes is not cheap. could possibly buy a magnum 4bbl intake but even then i don't believe anyone makes adapter plates to stick a dodge TBI setup on a 4bbl so i think you would have to make your own or have one made which may also not be cheap. the cheapest route would likely be to get a standard LA engine and stick a stock spec cam in it. there is really not that much of a difference between a flat tappet cam and a roller cam unless you start getting into some really crazy cams.

 

Yes I would like to keep the tbi for now. And I'd like to keep the roller cam, hence I bought a roller cam kit for this engine. Little higher lift than the 340, 360 cam. And I already have everything I need to rebuild a 318. Most of the parts I already opened to make sure they were correct so i can't return them. Plus I have 360 intake valves to go in the 318 heads, which are also junk, they both have cracks between the intake and exhaust valve including the seat, sad they were closed chamber 302 casting. I could go many directions with it, but it's costing me more, and more money everytime. Could go with a 340, now I need a dizzy, msd box, change fuel pump, wiring, same thing with a Magnum swap, or even a big block swap. Might just burn the truck and be done with it. Body and frame are straight for a 91, still has factory sticker on frame. Minor surface rust in spots. No rust on body, one small dent in hood about the size of a baseball, it's a short box also. I'm in too deep now to stop lol. What about a Magnum block with la heads??
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Might go with a Magnum swap, it would be carb. But will a LA roller cam work in a Magnum block?? Are the Magnum blocks the same as the LA, I thought they only changed heads in the Magnum engines.

 

Answered my own questions reading the Magnum swap link. Just might have to bite the bullet do a carb swap. Plenty of stuff on CL to do it fairly cheap. Suppose I do, I'll prolly do a 360 upgrade as well, cam will interchange. Just need a carb and intake setup for the Magnum, and to tame the fuel pump pressure.

 

well if your considering going carb you may consider spending a tiny bit more money on the fitech TBI setup. a carb is usually about $3-400 new and the fitech TBI setup for 4bbl intake is about $700 since you already have the in tank fuel pump. the $700 fitech system supports up to 400hp which even the 360 not likely be putting out.

 

It's not gonna be a stock 360, maybe the bottom end. I'd like to stick with fuel injection, just puts out more power than a carb. Found a few 360 magnums on cl for a few hundred bucks. Still don't know what your getting until it's tore down. Guess I'll do some more research and make a decision and go for it. Really leaning towards a 360 now, gaskets all interchange all I need is rings and bearings, maybe pistons if it has to be bored. Then I'll prolly go with a 408 stroker kit. Not really looking for a rev monster, but a low end grunt, torque monster.

 

Those self learning tbi kits almost seem worth it, just hook it up to a lap top and fiddle with it and dial it in, or you can use your I phone or droid now. We will see, I'm still waiting for the machine shop to get back to me on wether or not they could find another core engine that's worth saving. How bad are the Magnum heads prone to cracking?? I think my poor 318 was run extremely hot at one point, and sat with water or coolant in the cylinders, all 8 had etching, but two were really bad atleast .020 boring would have to be done, but not worth it on a block with a cracked head bolt hole in a cooling port. Well it's not like I need the truck yesterday, I bought it as a project, but I also bought it to drive back and forth to work, to keep mileage down on my 05 2500. So far it's only working out on one level lol. All well, still not a bad buy for $500. Clean title and all. Being a project I'll never get my money back out of it.