What is the easiest way to find out if a small block has a roller cam? Also, is there a method to determine the lift of a cam that has been installed. I'll bet I'm not the first to get their hands on an engine without a clue what's inside..

I don't think you can check without pulling the intake,don't think you can tell by pulling a valve cover.

If it is a hyd roller, the pushrods will be shorter (at least if it has Chevy rollers, I don't know about aftermarket). Most solid rollers take standard (+or- for correct geometry). Lift is pretty easy to determine with a dial indicator on the pushrod. Duration requires a degree wheel.

Is it a retrofit into an old block that you are trying to checkout or a newer block that should have come with one? I believe all the new ones have thrust plates on the camshaft. You can check that by taking off the timing cover and cam sprocket. Other than that its time to look in the lifter valley.

Originally posted by 70 Elco Joe:
Is it a retrofit into an old block that you are trying to checkout or a newer block that should have come with one? I believe all the new ones have thrust plates on the camshaft. You can check that by taking off the timing cover and cam sprocket. Other than that its time to look in the lifter valley. If you don't see a thrust plate or cam button and it turns out to be a roller block/cam, you'll have wanted to tear it apart to begin with, anyway. Easiest to start off with is pull the distributor and check the gear and that might tell you something (depending on age of distributor, it should have a hardened gear if it's a roller engine; that's just a slight possibility....it could have a hardened gear either way) If it doesn't, well either you don't have a roller motor or you're in trouble pretty soon...... :eek:

Well, it's a 72 LT-1 350, so it's not a roller block. But the guy I bought it from said it was a "full roller motor". I'm not sure it really is based on soem other statement he made that have turned out to be false. It has a gear drive that I want to yank out and replace with a timing chain, that's really the basis of my question. So if I pull the timing cover and don't see a cam button, then I should be OK to just throw on a timing chain? I really don't want to yank off the intake manifold unless absolutely necessary :(

Just pull a couple of pushrods, shine a light down one hole & look down the other & if it's a roller you will be able to see the link bars tying the lifters together.

I didnt know they made gear drives that were compatible with roller cams :confused: Everytime I saw a gear drive in Summit or Jegs it always said non-roller applications. I would do what Wolfplace suggested to be 100% sure, but if you did have a cam button that would be a good sign that you do.

Yeah, I don't think gear drives will work with a roller cam either. Just one more reason I think this in NOT a roller motor. When my new timing gear set shows up I'll pull of the timing cover and we'll see.

Originally posted by trimless:
Yeah, I don't think gear drives will work with a roller cam either. Just one more reason I think this in NOT a roller motor. When my new timing gear set shows up I'll pull of the timing cover and we'll see. -
It doesn't make any diffence in your engine. Chain or gear drive will fit. The front of the cam is the same.
Gear drives come with a thrust button so having one or not doesn't tell you anything.
It will probably have a thrust button no matter what the cam is.

You need to look at the lifters & again being a retro fit all you need to do is pull two push rods & look ;)

I helped my buddy install a Pete Jackson Gear drive on an Isky Solid Roller. The Gear drive won't care what kind of cam the motor has in it. I don't like the gear noise either, and this was a "Quiet" Pete Jackson drive.