Drothgeb

I also gave thought to the Scorpians, but decided against aluminum rockers for a street engine. Seemed to be nice rockers though. What kind of problems are you having?

MarkC

I appreciate the comments. I was hoping we would have someone who has switched to a roller in a 327 to get feedback on power and drivability. I would like to keep my L79 idle and vacumn with the power increase.

midyear

.030 over 327, did use aftermarket rods, 234/238 .539/.548 lsa 112, pulls extremely hard from about 2500 on (will hit 7000), running a close ratio muncie and 3.55 gears. sounds very similar to a 365hp cam, and most think that's whats in it.

GOSFAST

A totally 100% stock-appearing 327" with 9.7:1 compression and a retro hyd-roller can make upwards of 350 HP with the iron heads and NO chasing any add'l HP. We do them all the time! This all fits under the OEM valve covers also with single-thick gaskets!

If you're talking aftermarket parts, heads/intake, I see 400 easy!

We also have no need any longer for any cam-buttons OR worrying about cam end-play, over here these items are no longer needed! We set up the early blocks for a thrust-plate and use a late style stepped-nose cam with a the end-play built in with the plate. Assembly is really simple, bolt the plate in and your end-play is "fixed".

One recent build 1965, yielded 340 HP easily, ALL stock components.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Just going to the retro-roller frees up 30 (nominal) HP, only way to build them today. No "flat-cam" issues to contend with or cam break-in's! Start it up, let it idle if you like!

ZEN357

Never liked anything but roller cams. Flat tappet cams equal adjusting for days on end to get it the way you want, then you drive and have to readjust again.

jim lockwood

Really? I'm behind on my maintenance, then. Waaay behind. It's been years since I've pulled a valve cover to do any valve adjustments.

GTOguy

Yeah....it's been 37 years since I did it on the '65 GTO. Guess I'm in trouble. I like roller cams, but run flat tappet in everything I own, which is driven on the street. A lot of the guys on the Pontiac forum are running expensive roller cams and getting good power, but IMO, high failure rates and catastrophic failure of the parts. Roller bearings that explode really hurt an engine. The Pontiacs are all pretty much lower RPM engines as well.....stock redline is 5200 and the modified ones go up to about 6800. I appreciate the extra power of a roller set up, but for me, reliability and longevity are more important.

reno stallion

Who's retro roller cam and lifters do you use

reno stallion

I am also putting a cam in a 327 with double bump heads. Thinking about running a solid flat with about the same grind as GM 1st or maybe 2nd off road spec's. Anyone running one of those

MarkC

The Trick Flow heads came yesterday. I am going with a Howard’s roller cam. It will be a few weeks before these parts are on the car.

GearheadJoe

Hi Mark:

Those are beautiful!

Make sure your shop doesn't forget to put a plug in that temperature sender hole in the boss near one of the end exhaust ports. That hole was not there on your '66 heads, so filling the radiator will get messy if they forget to plug the hole.

When you have time, could you place a straight edge across the valve tips and measure the distance between the valve tip height and the height of the rail that the valve cover sits on? I'd like to compare that dimension to the stock heads.

It looks like TF has made the valve cover rail a bit higher than the stock height, and that will make much easier to fit the roller rocker studs and Polylocks under the stock valve covers.

Drothgeb

Which cam did you decide on?

cardo0

Now is also the time to fit up your temperature sender/sensor. I expect the aluminum heads will have a different size sensor hole. To many owners install their new heads only to find out how difficult it is to change the new hole to the old sensor.

Sky65

Joe. If you are compiling a list of heads my 185 Profiers are .600" as close as I can measure it. I am currently running GMP valve covers but I considering going to stock aluminum Corvette covers. Very interested in what you measure on stock heads.

Tom

Tom

cardo0

Mark I have to say your goals are fairly broad and several cams would work. But as for using a roller cam vs a flat tappet for increasing your motors power the roller advantage begins near 270 degrees full duration. The flat tappet opens the valve faster at the start of the lobe ramp and has the advantage on shorter cams. You need to imagine the how the edge of a flat tappet starts to move the lifter sooner than a roller lifter to see this. The roller lifter moves the valve open faster on the flank of the lobe and provides more duration over the nose of the lobe.

I really like that retainer plate conversion GOFAST promotes but have yet to read any feedback on it. I guess I don't like cam buttons.

63Corvette

Reno I have run all of the GM cams on street and track, except for the "mushroom tappet" cam. Those are:
346 - stock 30-30 cam
140 - 1st design off road
754 - 2nd design offoroad
The 140 cam is "aggressive" and requires steep gears (4.11, 4.30, 4.56)
The 754 cam has NOTHING below 5000rpm, and is designed for 302CID TransAm RACE motors with useful operating ranges from 6000 to 9000 RPM. I don't recommend this one for any street car. At the time, I was street driving my car as well as racing it SVRA.

USMC 0802

Great looking heads, Mark. Looking fwd to seeing the transformation!

MarkC

Right now I am going with a custom grind from Howard’s and their lifters. The lift is .525, duration at .050 is 222degrees and the LSA is 114. Most of the off the shelf cams have a LSA of 110-108, so going with the 114 will help smooth the idle.

Gearhead Joe and 65 3black have helped me with the cam. Many thanks to these guys.

MarkC

From the top of the valve to the rail on the exhaust port side is 1 1/4”.

GearheadJoe

Okay, I grabbed an available '462 head and some valves that I believe to be original. The valves measure 4.91" long, and the distance from the valve tip to the rocker cover rail is 1.5".

It seems odd to me that the TF heads would be even less than the original heads, so I think that both Mark and I should double check our measurements. I will double check mine later tonight.