I'm glad I could save you from some pain of learning that the hard way.

 

It will work. You must use a Comp Cam for this. They have a special grind with a reduced base circle for the non-roller block. You will also have to drill your block for the hold down bolts of the spring plate retainer. Call Comp Cams and they help you with this complete change over. If you don't use the special base circle the lifters will be to far down in the block.

 

Actually if you don't use the reduced base circle cam, the lifters will be to far up in the block (out the top of the lifter bore). Have you priced those cams? There are not many cam options for the reduced base circle cam. Also, with all the block splitting issues of the stock block, I'm not sure it would be a good idea to add threaded holes in the valley area. The roller block has a casted boss where retainer is bolted down.

 

That is right. I had a brain fart. It has been sometime since I did this. The old blocks are stronger than the new ones though.

 

Just get the Crane conversion kit...