Bump and Grind

Swapping three cams in one day is a lot easier with the help of a Trans-Dapt two-piece timing cover. It situates a one-piece inner-core insert around the oil pan rail and up along the timing-cover surface. Then a gasket is applied to adhere to the timing-cover plate.

A factory-style hydraulic-roller engine (like our conversion) requires a retaining spider plate to keep the lifters from rotating in circles. This calls for a late-model cylinder block with bosses for the spider to bolt onto, or you can order tie-bar roller lifters.

Upgrading from a flat-tappet to a taller roller lifter requires shorter pushrods. In our case, the standard-deck cylinder block and Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinder heads needed a reduction from 8.80- to 8.25-inch-long pushrods.

The Smeding 383 ci is shipped with 1.5:1 Scorpion roller rockers. These widebody pieces not only look great, they are sturdy as well. However, before running any engine with aftermarket rockers, it's always a good idea to check for lifter-to-valve-cover side and height clearance.

Swapping cams on the dyno is a lot easier than doing so in the car. Each test required removal of the water pump, intake manifold, timing cover, harmonic damper, and various other sensors.

At CHP everyone lends a hand in order to put together a technical magazine. Here Publisher Ed Zinke (left) coerces the PerTronix distributor into place while Contributing Editor Scott Crouse electrically rotates the bottom-end oil-pump drive.