If you are thinking about a ROLLER Cam....much props!!!!!

[Amelio]

For everybody that is in a build or you are thinking of a build and are having a hard time on deciding to go to a roller cam....let me just say GO ROLLER!!!!!!!!

I have had 3 Gn's and I have built a handful of them in the past years, the last few builds I was going to go roller but the cost of a cam kit closed the door on that decision real fast. This last engine I had a Reed 223/223 502/502 flat tappet cam....the car ran very strong but had some turbo lag.

This cam went flat early last year and I really started to think about the roller cam again. I decided I was done with flat tappets( I have been through 3 engines due to flat cams) I have read a ton on the forums on the roller cam and really did my home work. I also had to save for the past 8 months just to get the kit but OMG it was worth it.

I just got the car running a few weeks back and everything has been great sofar. I have the car at real low boost around 11psi but that roller spools the turbo wicked fast...there is really no lag what so ever....at 11 psi the car blows the tires off at a 15mph roll which surprises me being 275 mickey T DR.

I though the car felt good but Got a big confirmation last week...:biggrin: My buddy has a SRT8 Jeep with some Mods it runs a 12.60 @106

We pulled ou onto a street last week and he was actually with me and his brother was driving his Jeep...we were rolling about 15mph and he stood on it....I really thought he would pull since I only had the boost at 11psi......well since the car has no lag I was right there all of first (the car hooked this time with me an my buddy in it) 2nd gear we were door to door and I started to pull at the top of second then we let out of it in third.

Needless to say I was very surprised to see that the car runs that good on that low of boost. I have a goal of 11.50's or better on 20psi or less and all depending on ho hard the car comes out I would think this will ont be a problem.

The roller cam in this engine completely changed the way it acts ....it feels like a different car and all I changed was the cam. I wish I had the money or the patience to save up for one on my first build. for the peace of mind to know that I am not going to wipe lobs again is enough but for the performance OMG is all the reason.

If you are trying to decide about going roller DO IT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

 

[JayC]

About 10 years ago, I quit building engines for people that would not use roller cams. Ive been relatively lucky with flat tappets.. the only ones Ive ever had go flat were in my own car and were junk ass Lunati cams. Course, I used them because they were given to me for testing. I always used Reed or Comp's in customers' cars.

Roller really is the only way to go. Its nice to have the peace of mind that comes along with not having to worry about your cam going flat.

 

[Amelio]

Well with the engines I have been through and the money I have thrown away on flat cams I could be the poster boy for Rollers....LMAO

I would try to convince anybody thinking about it because they are the best choice IMHO!

 

[87 WE2]

For everybody that is in a build or you are thinking of a build and are having a hard time on deciding to go to a roller cam....let me just say GO ROLLER!!!!!!!!

I have had 3 Gn's and I have built a handful of them in the past years, the last few builds I was going to go roller but the cost of a cam kit closed the door on that decision real fast. This last engine I had a Reed 223/223 502/502 flat tappet cam....the car ran very strong but had some turbo lag.

This cam went flat early last year and I really started to think about the roller cam again. I decided I was done with flat tappets( I have been through 3 engines due to flat cams) I have read a ton on the forums on the roller cam and really did my home work. I also had to save for the past 8 months just to get the kit but OMG it was worth it.

I just got the car running a few weeks back and everything has been great sofar. I have the car at real low boost around 11psi but that roller spools the turbo wicked fast...there is really no lag what so ever....at 11 psi the car blows the tires off at a 15mph roll which surprises me being 275 mickey T DR.

I though the car felt good but Got a big confirmation last week...:biggrin: My buddy has a SRT8 Jeep with some Mods it runs a 12.60 @106

We pulled ou onto a street last week and he was actually with me and his brother was driving his Jeep...we were rolling about 15mph and he stood on it....I really thought he would pull since I only had the boost at 11psi......well since the car has no lag I was right there all of first (the car hooked this time with me an my buddy in it) 2nd gear we were door to door and I started to pull at the top of second then we let out of it in third.

Needless to say I was very surprised to see that the car runs that good on that low of boost. I have a goal of 11.50's or better on 20psi or less and all depending on ho hard the car comes out I would think this will ont be a problem.

The roller cam in this engine completely changed the way it acts ....it feels like a different car and all I changed was the cam. I wish I had the money or the patience to save up for one on my first build. for the peace of mind to know that I am not going to wipe lobs again is enough but for the performance OMG is all the reason.

If you are trying to decide about going roller DO IT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Who's cam are you running, what grind?

 

[Squid4life]

Who's cam are you running, what grind?

X2. More info on setup. Was the cam the only thing changed?

 

[whitehot1]

Who's cam are you running, what grind?

Looking at his signature it is a FullThrottleSpeed 210/215 roller cam.

For the roller cam you would need the roller lifters,correct length push rods,and correct valve springs designed to be used with the roller cam,and the proper cam button and timing chain/gears.

I believe this is all that is required.

You can buy the complete roller cam kit from most vendors here and get everything you need to do the conversion without having to piece it together.:smile:

 

[Just a Six??]

Looking at his signature it is a FullThrottleSpeed 210/215 roller cam.

For the roller cam you would need the roller lifters,correct length push rods,and correct valve springs designed to be used with the roller cam,and the proper cam button and timing chain/gears.

I believe this is all that is required.

You can buy the complete roller cam kit from most vendors here and get everything you need to do the conversion without having to piece it together.:smile:

210 215 is a nice cam. I must say since 88 & 5-6 motors running Reeds & the rest Erson that were Cryotreated I never wiped a lobe. But I do like this roller.

 

[Amelio]

Most all of my combo is in my sig....I did buy the 21/215 fro Full Throttle it came with everything I needed. Before I jumped in I knew that there was a possibility of the pushrods not being the correct length and this was a small concern because I did not have the money to spring for roller rocker. The roller rockers will be a mod in the future but the stockers are working just fine for now.

As I mentioned I checked and rechecked all critical clearances to make sure I would not have a noise issue or failure. The pushrods that came in the kit worked just fine and I had no issues in assembly...the engine actually went together very quick and without any problems.

Like I said I did not change anything from the Reed flat tappet I had in it with the exception of new rod, main and cam bearings. I just cleaned it real good and rebuilt it.

This cam completely changed the cars behavior! The reed cam I had I think was too much for the 3k stall converter I had....from a 10-15mph roll the car would start to pull and then blow the tires off when I hit 40mph or so....like I said lots of lag. With this roller there is no lag it blows the tires off from a slow roll.....it absolutely shocked me.....I would be more likely to expect this with 15 plus psi but not 11.

I think the biggest thing is the cam is matched better with my converter and i am now taking advantage of a lot more TQ on the bottom end.

I can't wait to see what this thing does on 20 psi and it hooks:biggrin:

 

[Powder]

Most all of my combo is in my sig....I did buy the 21/215 fro Full Throttle it came with everything I needed. Before I jumped in I knew that there was a possibility of the pushrods not being the correct length and this was a small concern because I did not have the money to spring for roller rocker. The roller rockers will be a mod in the future but the stockers are working just fine for now.

As I mentioned I checked and rechecked all critical clearances to make sure I would not have a noise issue or failure. The pushrods that came in the kit worked just fine and I had no issues in assembly...the engine actually went together very quick and without any problems.

Like I said I did not change anything from the Reed flat tappet I had in it with the exception of new rod, main and cam bearings. I just cleaned it real good and rebuilt it.

This cam completely changed the cars behavior! The reed cam I had I think was too much for the 3k stall converter I had....from a 10-15mph roll the car would start to pull and then blow the tires off when I hit 40mph or so....like I said lots of lag. With this roller there is no lag it blows the tires off from a slow roll.....it absolutely shocked me.....I would be more likely to expect this with 15 plus psi but not 11.

I think the biggest thing is the cam is matched better with my converter and i am now taking advantage of a lot more TQ on the bottom end.

I can't wait to see what this thing does on 20 psi and it hooks:biggrin:

Did you modify your exhaust guides and change valves or did you just stick with the stock setup?
MH

 

[Amelio]

Did you modify your exhaust guides and change valves or did you just stick with the stock setup?
MH

They were already done because I have champion stock ported heads....and yes it does need to be done if you have stock heads.

 

[Squid4life]

They were already done because I have champion stock ported heads....and yes it does need to be done if you have stock heads.

Can you elaborate on this a bit more. I don't remember reading about any other mods for running a roller cam. I am having a brain fart here...

My new motor I am collecting parts for will definitely be a roller, and I really like the Rev X kits from Full Throttle. I was considering the 215/220 but I think I should be a little more conservative and go 210/215 since it will be a driver for the most part. How are the street manners with the 210/215? I would assume as a roller you don't have any vacuum issues? (got vac brakes here)

 

[Amelio]

Can you elaborate on this a bit more. I don't remember reading about any other mods for running a roller cam. I am having a brain fart here...

My new motor I am collecting parts for will definitely be a roller, and I really like the Rev X kits from Full Throttle. I was considering the 215/220 but I think I should be a little more conservative and go 210/215 since it will be a driver for the most part. How are the street manners with the 210/215? I would assume as a roller you don't have any vacuum issues? (got vac brakes here)

Well I bought these heads already ported and polished and the guides were knocked down....I have never had an issue but from what I have read and heard guys that run high lift cams on stock heads have an issue with tearing up the valve guide seal on the exhaust side...you can do a search on this topic there is a ton of info.

The 210/215 has great street manners as I have mentioned the car has absolutely zero turbo lag but I also have a 9" 3000 stall Art converter which helps with this large of a cam....What size converter do you have?

I am also running Vac brakes and I must say I am so glad I got ride of the Hydro boost setup....this is by far the best feeling brakes I have ever driven in a TR. If you have the mods to support the 210/215 get it you will not be sorry!

 

[Squid4life]

Ah, I see about the guides/ seals. I will have to do some more research on that one. I have a ~3100 converter I had Neal Chance Converters redo. it was originally an orange stripe, so if I remember correctly, it is basically a restalled D5 converter. I would like to get a smaller converter, but this one is still relatively new and working great. I have had many Chance converters and am very happy.

Man, you got me all excited to start ordering the cam kit now! This next build will be a slow process as funds allow. I already have a new steel crank, so next is girdle, rods and pistons, then will move up to the cam. Then again, part of me wants to go ahead and put it in my current motor then swap it over later..... hmmm....

 

[Amelio]

Ah, I see about the guides/ seals. I will have to do some more research on that one. I have a ~3100 converter I had Neal Chance Converters redo. it was originally an orange stripe, so if I remember correctly, it is basically a restalled D5 converter. I would like to get a smaller converter, but this one is still relatively new and working great. I have had many Chance converters and am very happy.

Man, you got me all excited to start ordering the cam kit now! This next build will be a slow process as funds allow. I already have a new steel crank, so next is girdle, rods and pistons, then will move up to the cam. Then again, part of me wants to go ahead and put it in my current motor then swap it over later..... hmmm....

LOL...... I feel your pain I had to save up for 8 months for the cam kit while my car was apart. It sucks but in the end it will be better and you will be happier with the end result.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

made up

LOL...... I feel your pain I had to save up for 8 months for the cam kit while my car was apart. It sucks but in the end it will be better and you will be happier with the end result.

after reading this post i have decided to say im going roller cam perfect timing just wondering is it the best to buy a kit or not and is full throttle only vender that sells these kits what do you think of steel connecting rods are they worth spending money on.

 

[Steve V]

If you run a roller you must cut down the exhaust guide and change the valve. Otherwise you will have a retainor to guide issue. The stock set up does not use a seal on the exhaust side. :smile:

 

[Amelio]

after reading this post i have decided to say im going roller cam perfect timing just wondering is it the best to buy a kit or not and is full throttle only vender that sells these kits what do you think of steel connecting rods are they worth spending money on.

Well for me it worked out best to buy a kit because I needed everything that comes in it which is true for most anybody going from flat tappet to a roller. I did my research and there are other vendors out there that do sell kits but I found Full Throttle to have the best price on the cam that I wanted. I also spoke to Mike on the phone and discussed my setup and he recommended the cam I purchased....nice guy and willing to help you.

As far as the rods that is really based on what you want to do with the car and if money is a factor. I will tell you and most will agree the stock rods are very strong and if you want a strong bottom end spend the money on a Girdle, or steel caps and also use good hardware. I used ARP rod bolts and the bottom end is studded due to the girdle.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

Setup

Well for me it worked out best to buy a kit because I needed everything that comes in it which is true for most anybody going from flat tappet to a roller. I did my research and there are other vendors out there that do sell kits but I found Full Throttle to have the best price on the cam that I wanted. I also spoke to Mike on the phone and discussed my setup and he recommended the cam I purchased....nice guy and willing to help you.

As far as the rods that is really based on what you want to do with the car and if money is a factor. I will tell you and most will agree the stock rods are very strong and if you want a strong bottom end spend the money on a Girdle, or steel caps and also use good hardware. I used ARP rod bolts and the bottom end is studded due to the girdle.

has of right now i got 4 steel caps and arp hardware and two dot rods which are stock but the two center rods are out of shape oil clearence is way off that is why i asked about steel rods but your right the stock rods are stronge i' ve hard this from alot people i guess all along the car was knocking or ran hard before i bought it.

 

[Amelio]

has of right now i got 4 steel caps and arp hardware and two dot rods which are stock but the two center rods are out of shape oil clearence is way off that is why i asked about steel rods but your right the stock rods are stronge i' ve hard this from alot people i guess all along the car was knocking or ran hard before i bought it.

if you already have a set of steel caps then I would recommend just getting a set of stock rods and run with that......unless you want to pop the cash for a set of aftermarket rods....I don't know what they cost?

I do know that stock rods will carry you well into the 10's an live as long as rest of the build will support it and Steele caps and ARP hardware will do the trick.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

Kit

if you already have a set of steel caps then I would recommend just getting a set of stock rods and run with that......unless you want to pop the cash for a set of aftermarket rods....I don't know what they cost?

I do know that stock rods will carry you well into the 10's an live as long as rest of the build will support it and Steele caps and ARP hardware will do the trick.

just wondering does the kit come with roller rocker arms.