Sparky Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 It should be a roller block. Ford introduced the roller 302 in 1985 its just that trucks kept getting the flat tappet cams till 1994 with the F4TE roller cam upgrade done to the 302 which has many people questioning why Ford waited so long to introduced roller cams on their trucks Only the Mustang 5.0's got the roller blocks in 1985. Trucks didn't get roller blocks until the new blocks were introduced in 1987. Being a transition year, anything is possible, so you never really know what you will get. I've taken apart a couple '85-'86 F150 EFI 5.0's, and they were flat tappet blocks. The trucks first got the small base roller cam starting in 1992. They got the larger base circle H.O. firing order roller cams in 1994. This is what I'm running in my '96 5.0 engine. The F4TE cam is about the best you can get for low end torque in a 5.0. It is entirely possible that a late build 1986 F150 5.0 got a roller block, but it's far from being a sure thing. Ok, here's what I've got. Is this a roller block that does not have the bosses for the spider tapped? The tops of the lifter bores have been machined but I'm not sure how tall they should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Ok, here's what I've got. Is this a roller block that does not have the bosses for the spider tapped? The tops of the lifter bores have been machined but I'm not sure how tall they should be. not a roller block Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 not a roller block Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 this is a roller block core in line for a rebuild. notice the xxx markings. I can not guarantee that earlier versions may or may not have been able to be drilled and tapped in order to be made roller but lifter oiling positions are said to be different. using a roller block to start with can save a lot of headache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_S85 Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 this is a roller block core in line for a rebuild. notice the xxx markings. I can not guarantee that earlier versions may or may not have been able to be drilled and tapped in order to be made roller but lifter oiling positions are said to be different. using a roller block to start with can save a lot of headache. The xxx are nothing more than strengthening points in the casting. not all have the xxx markings and my F1SE roller 302 does not have the xxx markings in the lifter valley. You can drill the mounting points but you have to make a decision. You will either need a reduced base circle cam to use OE style roller lifters to prevent them from being lifted above the lifter bores, or you have to run a retrofit link bar lifter. The lifter bores in a roller block are taller to account for the taller lifter body. If you try to run a roller lifter in a non roller block you will lose oil pressure as the lifter rises above the lifter bore exposing the oil passage collar around the lifter body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted March 29, 2022 Author Share Posted March 29, 2022 this is a roller block core in line for a rebuild. notice the xxx markings. I can not guarantee that earlier versions may or may not have been able to be drilled and tapped in order to be made roller but lifter oiling positions are said to be different. using a roller block to start with can save a lot of headache. The xxx are nothing more than strengthening points in the casting. not all have the xxx markings and my F1SE roller 302 does not have the xxx markings in the lifter valley. You can drill the mounting points but you have to make a decision. You will either need a reduced base circle cam to use OE style roller lifters to prevent them from being lifted above the lifter bores, or you have to run a retrofit link bar lifter. The lifter bores in a roller block are taller to account for the taller lifter body. If you try to run a roller lifter in a non roller block you will lose oil pressure as the lifter rises above the lifter bore exposing the oil passage collar around the lifter body. Everything I have seen online seems to say that if the block was cast with the raised spots for the spider then it is a roller block, plus mine already has the lifter bores machined at the top for the dog bones. I gotta believe this is a roller block and I just have to drill and tap for the spider. I would be 100% sure if I knew the dimension of the height of the lifter bore compared to the non roller, then I could measure mine. Anyone know this dimension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_S85 Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Everything I have seen online seems to say that if the block was cast with the raised spots for the spider then it is a roller block, plus mine already has the lifter bores machined at the top for the dog bones. I gotta believe this is a roller block and I just have to drill and tap for the spider. I would be 100% sure if I knew the dimension of the height of the lifter bore compared to the non roller, then I could measure mine. Anyone know this dimension? It could be yours was early enough that they didnt make it standard practice to drill the mounting points for the spider. Like I said '85 was when the roller 302 block was introduced, yes I know its been stated that only the mustang had the roller cam but Ford wouldnt have made two different 302 blocks for two different applications. Ive seen people with '86 trucks with the original block that was already prepped for use with factory roller cams just like Ford was still throwing the two piece fuel pump eccentric on EFI equipped 302s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted March 29, 2022 Author Share Posted March 29, 2022 Everything I have seen online seems to say that if the block was cast with the raised spots for the spider then it is a roller block, plus mine already has the lifter bores machined at the top for the dog bones. I gotta believe this is a roller block and I just have to drill and tap for the spider. I would be 100% sure if I knew the dimension of the height of the lifter bore compared to the non roller, then I could measure mine. Anyone know this dimension? I'm 99% sure it's a roller block but I measured the height of the lifter boss to verify for sure. It's about 1 3/8" (hard to get an exact measurement). Does anyone have a block available that they can measure to verify for sure? Sorry, image will not rotate no matter what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 I'm 99% sure it's a roller block but I measured the height of the lifter boss to verify for sure. It's about 1 3/8" (hard to get an exact measurement). Does anyone have a block available that they can measure to verify for sure? Sorry, image will not rotate no matter what I do. For the record my engine has E5TE heads. I was expecting E7 heads but it doesn't matter since I am upgrading them anyway. So to summarize, it's an '86 truck with an original (I believe) E7TE ('87) roller block engine with unmachined bosses for the spider but with machined lifter bores for the dogbones and with E5TE heads. Seems like a real mishmash of parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 For the record my engine has E5TE heads. I was expecting E7 heads but it doesn't matter since I am upgrading them anyway. So to summarize, it's an '86 truck with an original (I believe) E7TE ('87) roller block engine with unmachined bosses for the spider but with machined lifter bores for the dogbones and with E5TE heads. Seems like a real mishmash of parts. 100% sure it's the original engine. Just checked and the number stamped on the block matches the last 8 digits of the VIN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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