C409

According to the good folks at Comp Cams it'll work with a roller block timing gear set and a button ... I'm just curious if anyone else has used this combo and if there's anything else that I might need to make it work ... ............

Aardwolf

I used a hot cam in my L98. It just needed a shorter pin that was it.

The stock dizzy gear was very worn so that got replaced in the cam change, the dampener, and thrust plate, also did.

rklessdriver

It will work but there are a few differences depending on what year GEN I SBC your putting it into.

1. The timing set is the same as a 87 and up small nose GEN I SBC. In an 87 and up block no problem just use the factory hyd roller cam retainer plate (bolts to the block). In an 86 and older block use an aftermarket thrust bushing that fits in the center (front) of the timing gear.

2. There is no fuel pump lobe so you must use an electric fuel pump and block off the fuel pump mounting boss on the block.

3. If it's a factory or aftermarket billet camshaft core - the oil pump drive gear is designed to run with a bronze, composite or melonited steel dizzy gear.

4. Make sure you have correct length dowl pin.
Will

mcm95403

How ols-school are you talking? I have one that I would like to run in my 84. I have all the info on doing the conversion. Let me know if you want it.

C409

.......... Its a 400 block ... not sure what year it is , but they stopped making them in 1980 ...

bjankuski

mcm95403

If it's a 400 block, then you need to do the full-on conversion. For that size an engine though, I'd seriously look at a bigger cam. This is a nice Lunati for a 350 - a 400 could use more duration depending on what you want to do.

http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=1987&gid=289

JAKE

That's the route I took when I built a 415 using a 400 block.

I went with a full retro-fit roller cam kit. I used a Cloyes timing chain set than comes with the roller thrust button AND three-piece Torrington bearing set to control fore and aft cam movement.

Jake

cv67

Ditto on going bigger on a 400. Stock LT1 cam is tiny to begin with, in a 400 it will act even smaller....lots.

C409

.......... I never said it was a STOCK LT1 cam ... ... but it was intended for an LT1 motor ... and I would like to use it in my Gen 1 400 and was hoping to find someone else on the Forum that has done this with success ...............

JAKE

Okay, lets' back track and start over. Tell us what you have and what you're trying to do. Give us the details so we can give better responses. Too much is being left for us to guess/assume.

Details and Specifics.

BTW, I use to live in Clearwater; 1288 Jamine Way, not far from the Sunshine Mall. Take a ride by and see if the two stars I painted on the garage overhead door are still there, LOL

Jake

C409

To re-iterate ... I have a 400 cubic inch small block ... mid seventies vintage ... I currently have a retro-fit hydraulic roller cam in it ... I also have a Comp Cams LT1 camshaft that I want to use in this block ... has anyone mated these two together ? ... or , for that matter ... has anyone used a roller motor ( '87-91 ) camshaft in an earlier block ? ... And , if so , what parts were necessary to accomplish this ? I have purchased a timing set for the later motor but have not been able to find a thrust button that will fit the cam gear ... and I am concerned about the non-existent thrust plate from a dimensional stack stand point ... the wear surface height is different on the two cam timing gears ... will try to post pics later today ... I will likely pull the original roller cam this weekend and will learn more as I actually try to fit things together ... So far , I know that I will need a thrust button for the nose of the cam to keep it from walking out of the block and I believe that I may need to use or substitute for , the thrust plate to keep the cam from walking into the block as well ... So , Has anyone done this yet ? How did you do it ? ........



This is the new timing gear ... L98 , LT1 ... theres about an eighth of an inch between the straight edge and the bearing surface on the back of the gear ... sorry about the fuzzy pic



This is the retro gear ... straight edge is pretty much flush ...



This pic is the original timing gear on top of the L98 LT1 gear ... theres quite a difference in the two diameters of the center hole ... and the three bolt pattern is also different ...

C409

C409

Okay ... Heres how it goes ... I just finished degreeing the cam and , like I figured , Comp Cams is dead on straight up , with the added assistance from Mr. Cloyes and his billet timing set for accuracy. I am simply using the thrust plate from an L98 between the cam and gear as a spacer to properly locate the cam in the block and I will have to make a thrust button for the nose to prevent the cam from walking forward , since these are not commercially available. Thanks to everyone who chimed in ... stay tuned for a performance report ... I will be installing new F.I.C. injectors to help complement the new ( to my motor ) camshaft , so I have a double major update to tune for ... ..........

C409

This is my new cam button ... hand-crafted from a piece of 1/2 " aluminum bar stock ... in the face picture you can see the retainer plate ears thru the holes in the cam gear ........ .......

USAsOnlyWay

Sounds like you got it figured out. I used a newer (not LT1) cam in a 74 4-bolt with this kit if I remember correctly. Sorry the reply is so late.
http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merc...egory_Code=C30

As you found out, you have to use a roller cam gear not a flat tappet to fit the later cams. That is the only difference with retrofits, so if you are getting a new timing chain it doesn't really matter too much.

C409

Thanks for the input ... sorry its a little late ... this would have saved me a lot of time and cipherin' ..... .....