cam help with an 85 motor

[85stangt]

ya well i am ordering a set of heads (dont know which yet-still researching)
and i was thinking, Hey why not put a new cam in there as well to fully benifit from the extra air flow .....well heres my problem --im 99% sure i have a flat tappet motor and i dont know what cam to pick, and i know you have to do some block work to rollerize the lifters and im not going to do that.
sorry about the rambling , but what do u guys think on the cam selection?

 

[ashford]

all 85 302's are machined for a roller cam but few had them if you see an e5se or e5oe or e5** it should be machined for it. if you have the intake off youll see 2 threaded holes in the center above 2 cam bearings, and the lifter bores will have a flat spot machined above them. if so you only need to order the retainer set about $45 lifters about $110 and an alpebet cam about $170 and an optional dist gear either brass or steel, im still running a cast iron gear no problems yet but probably will soon.

 

[85stangt]

wow i didnt think anyone would reply , but thats the answer im looking for-thanx.......um a couple more Qs , what is an "alpebet cam"?..and i have triple xs on my block . i think i heard somewhere that xxx signifies a rollor block as well... but im not sure thanx for the help anyways

 

[evlgt85]

If the car was originally a 5 speed car, you're in the clear all 5 speed 85 5.0s were carbed and roller motor cars. If it was an AOD/CFI car, you're likely to have an issue. The AOD cars were lower horsepower, non-roller motor cars. There are rumors floating about that there were some AOD/CFI cars that got roller motors, but I've never seen anything to confirm this rumor.

Alphabet cam refers to the Ford Motorsport cams. You see stuff like E cam, B cam, F cam, X cam...those are called alphabet cams.

 

[85stangt]

ohhh alphabet cams , O.K -very cool, and uh unfortunately for me , i have a CFI car converted to carb. so will the "alphabet" cams work with flat tappet or do i just have to specify that the cam will not be for a roller motor. if there is one thing i would like to know more about, it would be cams, lifters, rockers, --there kind of confusing--but thats why im going to school! (UTI) LOL
thanx for the help
oh yeah , is a flat tappet the same as solid flifter cam, in which case means i would have to buy heads with stiffer springs made for a flat tappet motor.
im going to buy a d.s.s. rollor motor after school anyway, but this motor is going in to my crown vic, so i still want it to perform.

 

[ashford]

im 99% sure the engine is machined for a roller setup, but im also sure you dont have one in it. if you feel like spending an extra $200 over a flat tappet you can put one in. i never believed they were that much better until i tried it. anyway i had an 85 capri that was setup the same as you. it was flat tappet but the engine was machined for the roller. also i forgot about the pushrods they're shorter for roler lifter, and i think the timing gear on the cam is different than a regular cam.

 

[85stangt]

cool-well since im getting a new motor for my mustang, ill leave it flat tappet for now and put some 1.7 roller rockers on(can i do that?)-what do i have to look out for when buying heads for this non roller motor?---i just read on a different post on here that you have to have stiffer springs with a flat tappet, anything else?
any help is appreciated
thanx in advance

 

[maverick0716]

im 99% sure the engine is machined for a roller setup, but im also sure you dont have one in it. if you feel like spending an extra $200 over a flat tappet you can put one in. i never believed they were that much better until i tried it. anyway i had an 85 capri that was setup the same as you. it was flat tappet but the engine was machined for the roller. also i forgot about the pushrods they're shorter for roler lifter, and i think the timing gear on the cam is different than a regular cam.

It doesn't matter if the block is machined to have a roller cam in there. You still have to run roller lifters with the roller cam. The ramp rates on the lobes of the roller cams are too steep for a non roller lifter.

 

[ashford]

It doesn't matter if the block is machined to have a roller cam in there. You still have to run roller lifters with the roller cam. The ramp rates on the lobes of the roller cams are too steep for a non roller lifter.


also the lobes on a flat tappet are angled at the top to spin the lifter. exchanging lifters between these cams are a very bad idea.

well as for heads any for a small block any will bolt on. there are 2 types of rockers. pedistral and the regular stud type. pedistral are the most common nowadays and are simpler. the stud type you either need guide plates or rail type rocker arms.
valve springs are cheap i always get different springs with any cam thats not stock, edelbrock torquer springs are about 60 dollars. and with 1.7 rockers id get a better pushrod

 

[85stangt]

alright -wow, thanx for all the help everybody, uh i think im going to get a mild cam(still flat tappet)and of course new lifters, 1.7 roller rockers-and probably some chromoly pushrods-and a set of twisted wedge heads.
ive got 2500 to spend right now, so im pretty excited on how everything is going to turn out. as always, i will be searching for the best procedure to do everything because i want to get the job done right the FIRST time. thanx again for all the help-by the way--anything you guys would add or change to this combo?