Okay, I have a 289 4V with a few mods...while I was getting my heads worked on(just getting cleaned, new roller rockers, new valves, springs, seats, and studs), I wanted to install roller lifters. I don't want to remove the engine from the car and I am not rebuilding the entire engine (just the valve train), I just wanted to know what type of cam (reduced base or otherwise) I would need and what style of lifters I would need in order to pull off this job. I want to utilize the lower friction of roller parts and allow my engine to "live" longer. This is for a daily driver, I will probably get a slightly stronger cam (just slightly, I don't want to sacrifice too much MPG) but nothing wild. Any help would be appreciated.

P.S.-I was nearly lynched on another forum because I didn't want to use a wild cam for a daily driver and was given very little advice, I was hoping someone here could help me.

 

Stuff that, put in the biggest cam that will fit through the cam bearings!! Just kidding.
I agree that the roller cam is great, (low friction and low cam lobe wear), however, I have to question whether the additional cost of converting to roller is worth the effort. a reasonable hydraulic cam, such as the edelbrock performer (204 214 @.05) does improves response of the 289 no end. MPG is very reasonable (if the right boot is kept civil). This works with stock valve gear.

How I see it, the main advantage of the roller setup, is that you can run a cam with much more aggressive ramp ups and downs, compared to a hydraulic equivalent. Unfortunately, I have not had experience specifying a roller cam, but Im sure any of the manufactures websites can give you a good guide, as would this forum, in whatever year mustangs cam with roller cams from the factory.

 

Will a roller cam fit inside a 289? I thought you had to have a special roller block or something????

 

ya you can get a roller cam from compcams, they will work with engines not originally eqipped with a roller, you might have to mod your block though to accmidate the spider bracket that keeps your roller lifters from spinning around. This would involve drilling and tapping a hole in your lifter valley. Nothin too crazy.