Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

rwraces

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
13
I am working on a cruiser project. Bought a boat with a freeze damaged engine and also damaged OMC stringer.
I am replacing the OMC with a mercruiser setup (bought a donor boat). It had a 305, so NOT using that!
Anyhow - on to the subject of this post... (that transom mod is another topic altogether).
.
I am using an 880 late block, with 191 heads (swirl port). I want to update to roller camshaft and lifters...
I have done a lot of reading, so I am aware I need the spider/bones setup, along with shorter pushrods, and probably a different timing gear setup.
Typical boat project, so it always costs more than what you think to begin with.
I am just looking for stock, or very mild performance. Looking mainly for reliability and maybe gas mileage if anything. In case anyone missed it above - must be a ROLLER type cam.
It looks like the stock mercruiser cam would be 431-811658 CAMSHAFT (Mercury/Mercruiser)
I will obviously need roller lifters, etc, etc as well if anyone knows of good stuff for sale at reasonable costs please let me know where as new roller cams are pretty pricey, compared to flat tappet.
Any advice is always welcome!
Thanks in advance
Richard

Edit: Sorry Richard but we had to remove some of your question due to forum rules #8 states: You may not solicit any personal transaction (buy, sell, rent, free, donate, etc.) in the forum. This includes solicitations for charitable and non-profit causes. Personal transactions arranged completely by Private Message are not affected by this rule. Solicitation by PM must be preceded by contact in the forum. Please note: threads or posts that give extensive details on anything that is for sale will be assumed to be an attempt to advertise and are subject to deletion.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Silly Seville

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
798
Re: Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

I am using an 880 late block, with 191 heads (swirl port). I want to update to roller camshaft and lifters...I am aware I need the spider/bones setup, along with shorter pushrods, and probably a different timing gear setup.
I am just looking for stock, or very mild performance. Looking mainly for reliability and maybe gas mileage if anything. In case anyone missed it above - must be a ROLLER type cam.
It looks like the stock mercruiser cam would be 431-811658
Any advice is always welcome!
Thanks in advance
Richard

An 880 IS a roller block. Are you not getting a longblock assembly? If you are, it is ready to go with everything you mentioned. (valvetrain)

Why would you not use the standard Vortec heads that came with the 880? I would stay away from the fat chambered 191's!

And reliability is not in question with any SBC...unless you're a maintenance buffoon. But suggesting that gas mileage is important to you is an indicator that you are not going to enjoy boating on a cruiser very much after your second fill-up.

Good luck!
 

Walt T

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
1,369
Re: Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

191s are 76cc heads while the Vortecs are 64 or 68 cc. You will lose HP and torque changing to the 191s. The 191 are great heads but the Vortecs got em beat hands down in all categories. Stock marine cam for the 880 is perfect. Some guys like a little more lift but why go through the mind twist of figuring out which of myriad of cams to use? Check around, I found my Vortecs on craigslist for 150 bucks. For both. I paid him and ran like hell before he changed his mind. Then I ran back and grabbed the heads.
 

rwraces

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
13
Re: Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

An 880 IS a roller block. Are you not getting a longblock assembly? If you are, it is ready to go with everything you mentioned. (valvetrain)

Why would you not use the standard Vortec heads that came with the 880? I would stay away from the fat chambered 191's!

And reliability is not in question with any SBC...unless you're a maintenance buffoon. But suggesting that gas mileage is important to you is an indicator that you are not going to enjoy boating on a cruiser very much after your second fill-up.

Good luck!

It's a little more complicated. The block came out of a truck I sold years ago (heads are gone). The heads are off of the frozen engine that came with the cruiser. They are pretty fresh as far as hours go - being cleaned and checked for cracks by my machinist... I am using new flat top pistons to help with the compression/quench issue, and a thinner head gasket. Looks like I will have around 8.6:1 CR, but won't know for sure until heads are cleaned and I cc them.
As far as the gas mileage - who doesn't want better. We are not wealthy, and we love to fish, so the less it costs the more we can do it! Time spent with my wife doing something we like doing - it doesn't get any better than that.
 

rwraces

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
13
Re: Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

191s are 76cc heads while the Vortecs are 64 or 68 cc. You will lose HP and torque changing to the 191s. The 191 are great heads but the Vortecs got em beat hands down in all categories. Stock marine cam for the 880 is perfect. Some guys like a little more lift but why go through the mind twist of figuring out which of myriad of cams to use? Check around, I found my Vortecs on craigslist for 150 bucks. For both. I paid him and ran like hell before he changed his mind. Then I ran back and grabbed the heads.
Thanks for the information. I think the heads will work ok (maybe not quite as good as vortecs). Yeah, a stock cam would be great! Got one laying around??
 

Walt T

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
1,369
Re: Roller cam for a 5.7 rebuild project

I do, slightly bent. Give ya a great price.
 
Top