I've read here and there about roller lifters on these old Buicks but haven't found much on what has to be replaced to make it work. Im putting in a flanged liner block. I figured while I'm in there I should maybe swap the hydraulic lifters for roller lifters. Im pretty sure I need to also swap the cam. Anyone know what all I need to swap to make roller lifters work? Pushrods, rockers? The link below is the direction I'm leaning.

https://thewedgeshopstore.com/roller...etup-rover-v8/

 

Call them and ask. That kit should be all you need. They sell adjustable pushrods that may be needed depending on the lifter body dimensions.

 

@defenderholty you can but they are more aimed toward race engines,you will also need to replace the rockers and you should replace the push rods. But you will not gain anything power-wise, unless you you get a more aggressive cam.

 

Im not really looking for more power, just better reliability. The high ZDP oil these engines really need, apparently destroys the cats. So modern oils that are low in ZDP don't lube the lifters/cam so well. Im just feeling around for some real world feedback.

 

How reliable are you trying to achieve? There are plenty of trucks out there with over 200k miles on the original cam with no problems. When I rebuilt my engine it had 180k miles and the cam and lifters looked new. Not a problem that needs fixing in my opinion especially not for the 3k it would take to convert.

 

Good to know. My engine currently has around 160k on the clock. It either has the slipped sleeve or the cam is worn and has a flat spot. Im leaning toward slipped sleeve as the very loud tick only shows up after it warms up. I am waiting on my short block with flanged sleeves to arrive. Im just trying to iron out potential problems/shortfalls before I install the thing. The engine I have in now is the second to the vehicle. I replaced the original that was in the vin range for the oil pump misalignment. It lasted until around 100k miles. I installed this running engine with 130k and got around 20k miles before the tick arrived and it's gotten so bad that the truck barely runs anymore.

 

206k here on OG cam and runs like new. Changing the oil frequently is more important than ZDDP levels.