vortec cam options..

[kennyhammond]

ok i am pulling the ole 350 out of a 98 chevy 3/4 ton...now my question is the vortecs are roller cams right can i go back with a hydraluic tappet cam...and be ok or are there specific reasons that i have to use a roller cam back in it

[Marv D]

Heads do not care which cam and valve train you use. You can use hydraulic / solid / flat tappet or roller. Just don't go over .45 lift without modifying the heads for it.

[kennyhammond]

Not worried about the heads....I know the vortecs have a roller block...can I use a Flatt tappet can in place of it
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[Captainfab]

I see absolutely no reason to go backwards to a flat tappet cam. Why risk the flat tappet going flat with today's oils, and ruining the entire engine? For what you will spend on a good flat tappet cam and lifters, you can pretty much pay for an upgraded factory style roller cam. You only have to replace the cam, The roller lifters can be reused, as long as they are in good useable condition.

I would go with this cam. It is affordable, and is a good street performance cam. This is what GM puts in the HT383 and the Ram Jet 350 crate engines. When used in the Ram Jet 350, 1.6 rockers are used.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-14097395/

[cableguy0]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I see absolutely no reason to go backwards to a flat tappet cam. Why risk the flat tappet going flat with today's oils, and ruining the entire engine? For what you will spend on a good flat tappet cam and lifters, you can pretty much pay for an upgraded factory style roller cam. You only have to replace the cam, The roller lifters can be reused, as long as they are in good useable condition.

I would go with this cam. It is affordable, and is a good street performance cam. This is what GM puts in the HT383 and the Ram Jet 350 crate engines. When used in the Ram Jet 350, 1.6 rockers are used.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-14097395/

100% agree. Going back to a flat tappet is stupid.You will lose power and reliability. The oils today are not designed for flat tappet cams and will destroy them.Factory roller stuff can be had dirt cheap theres absolutely no sense in going backward.Barring a major failure your lifters can be reused as well as the dog bones and the spider plate.

[hotrod 80]

I agree stay hydraulic roller . 4th gen F-body (or any LT series) LT-1 cam is also a good choice for factory parts . You'll have to check the specs , but i think 94' and/or 96' Z-28 had a similar cam to the specs Captain fab gave you .

[paulspickupparts]

You can go either way but you can do so much more with a roller cam. Plus your block is all set up for it. People with non roller blocks spend big bucks to retrofit a roller cam into them. Flat cams have come under a lot of criticism due to the new oils not having zinc, quality control , and last but not least the cheap foreign lifters. Like someone said buying cheap can get expensive. I try not to buy foreign crap that could affect my American engine. A poor fitting Taiwan fender will not hurt much else. A lifter or cam gone bad can hurt a lot of surrounding parts.