Later heads and cam in 1979 turbo 3.8?

[Hafrod]

Guys, I have a 79 Turbo Century. I have grabbed a set of 8445 heads from my local U Pull salvage. When I tore my engine down, one cam lobe is wasted. I'd like to know if the 86/87 Grand National spec stock replacement cam will work. Also will these mid 80s 8445 heads work with my 79 model block. Can I use my original pushrods ? I did not take the pushrods from the 8445 heads. I have been reading online and now confused. What I read was the cam journals are a different diameter and the lifters are shorter. Can someone line me out?

 

[WarWagon]

The later heads will bolt right on your '79 block. Use the '79 pushrods. Stock '86-7 camshaft will work but verify it has an oil groove on #1 bearing surface, if not get one cut in it...or cut the block for a groove behind the cam bearing. The cam bearings on the early blocks have the same ID but a smaller OD at least on #1 cam journal in block. The early blocks have a higher deck height and longer pushrods.

 

[Hafrod]

So do I get a new cam bearing set for 86/87? It needs new cam bearings anyway

 

[ek02]

86/87 cam bearings are for the 109 block and wont work in a 79 14 bolt pan block. TA Performance has dual groove cam bearings that will pass oil to the drivers side of the block. Part # TA 1556 for $56.00. You will need to replace all the cam bearings if the engine is out of the car. The other choices to get oil to the drivers side is to have a groove cut in the cam or groove the top of the front cam bearing tunnel like War Wagon said, or remove the rear oil galley plugs and install fittings and make a tube to go between the passages. There are some threads on how to do it if you do a search.

 

[Hafrod]

THANK YOU guys for the info. So my early 3.8 has a bad oiling system and I need to groove the first cam bearing tunnel? Or I need to groove it for the TA performance cam bearing? Does the groove go all the way around? I can do it myself if I had a pic. I'll look

 

[ek02]

You can use TA bearings and not have to groove the tunnel. The only reason to groove the top of the tunnel is to get oil to the drivers side lifters when you use a cam with no groove on the front bearing journal and stock type bearings, but if you use TA bearings, the oil travels around the grooves on the block side of the bearing to the drivers side oil passage. Lots of guys have put a 86/87 cam from a 109 block in an early block and found out that the lifters on the drivers side would not get any oil. The early 3.8 oil system is the same as any late Buick V6. You can modify the front cover for more oil pressure. Look for Earl Browns post on front cover modifications.

 

[Hafrod]

Ah, I see now. Thank you sir