I have also heard that the pre-roller days had a stronger block, but, roller setups are a hell of a lot better than non-roller. Flat-tappet is not the way to go because it pops the valve open and then slams it back in the head. They sometimes have poor idle ability and increase wear on the valve stem. Rollers are superior for a reason and it is because they can rev higher and smoother, increase valve stem life, and have the ability to make use of a longer-duration cam if wanted. Yes, as said, there is a conversion for the roller setup. If you do use the block, do yourself a favor and convert to roller setup. If you are that worried about breaking your block then you should not be looking at a stock 302 block - you should seek for an aftermarket one or something stronger. Is there anything terrible about a flat-tappet setup? No, but a roller setup is vastly favorable.