'93 5.7 TBI, roller or non-roller?

lowflyer · June 9, 2003

The TBI motor in a '93 5.7 (K1500,) is it a roller cam motor is it a flat tappet hyd cam motor?

Although this seems like a simple question, I've gotten conflicting answers from my machine shop guys and was wondering.

Thanks:)

americanmuscleman · June 10, 2003

TBI 350's don't have a roller cam. I've heard rumors that the 4-bolt main TBI 350's in the 3/4 ton and 1 tons could have come with a roller cam, but I doubt it. If its in a 1/2 ton, its a flat tappet hydraulic cam.

They are really easy to swap over to a hydraulic roller if you want to switch it. Thats whats in my truck.

srx70024 · July 22, 2003

From what I found in my research, Chevy put roller lifters in all 350's starting in 1987. So a 1993 would have a roller lifter cam.

americanmuscleman · July 26, 2003

87' to 95' small block used hydraulic lifters, but they weren't roller lifters. I took mine out a few years ago and they were flat tappet lifters. I've helped a buddy rebuild a 92' TBI 350, and it also had a flat tappet cam. I know all the marine 350's up to 95' that Mercruiser built also had flat tappet cams (they used carb and TBI GM small blocks).

Maybe your thinking of the TPI 350. That did have a roller cam. The 87' to 92' TPI 350 had a roller cam in it, as did the LT1 and newer LS1.

The Vortec 350 in the C/K trucks, 96' to 99' had a roller cam in it.

speedshifter · September 7, 2003

Yeah you can use they new vortec cam and lifters in the older '93 blocks as well. I used a '93 block when i did my motor and everything dropped in perfectly.