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5.0 block dilemma

coupster

coupster

Member
Hello to all, first post, although I have been lurking for a year or so. I have a car I need help with. My friend bought a 65 fastback from a dealer. Unknown history, car is 85% complete-restomod project. Motor/trans/interior/paint appear clean and fresh. E7TE block & AOD. It has an autozone remanufactured points distributor and Holley carb. I have not verified if this is a hydraulic roller motor or not and I am worried that there may be an issue with the cam gear & distributor. I pulled the distributor, but couldn't get it out because the oil pump shaft is stuck in the distributor, and of course, either the pump shaft was installed incorrectly or the crappy washer slid down the shaft. I was able to get the distributor to rise up out of the block just high enough to see the top of the distributor gear and it appears to be a cast gear. I think this because the surface looked "cast" or rough like an engine block, and did not appear "machined". I know that I will probably have to drop the oil pan since the only way to get the dist. out is to pull it an make the pump shaft fall into the oil pan. I was hoping to avoid this. When this shaft problem was discovered, I put the distributor back so the car would not be disabled.I want to get rid of the points, and pertronix is the cheapest route to electronic ignition...But if the distributor gear is incorrect, and I have to replace points and gear, I might as well go the duraspark route. And I can't do that w/o knowing about roller motor or flat tappet. Any suggestions on how to verify w/o dropping pump shaft?
 
An e7 block no matter what the block came from is a roller ready block. That's not saying that the cam in that is a roller, just the block is a roller block. Look in the intake valley and you can tell right away what cam is in it.

Bill
 
I'm no expert but I was under the impression that roller cams need a special distributor gear and the only non-EFI distributor that will fit is the 85 GT 5.0 "carb" distributor. If that's true, the cam is not a roller or they modified the distributor.
 
Thanks for the quick response, but I am trying to avoid taking this running motor apart... if possible. I may have to. I would like to believe that whoever built this motor/car did things right...but I have found SOOOOO many things wrong that I am beginning to doubt all of it. I pulled the starter a month ago to find the E7TE block number...but did not decode any other numbers at that time. My understanding is that E7TE blocks could be in mustangs, crown vic's, F150's etc. and Only stangs in 87 were All rollers...trucks & Crown Vic's are flat tappets??? is this right? Can it be either way..roller or non-roller. Is this correct?
 
Ford made non HO roller cam engines and those could be in anything that the 5.0 was available in. The non HO version would have lower compression and different intake, stuff like that but the block could be used to make a HO or higher HP engine.
 
I thought those non-HO motors were not hyd. roller cam motors? I have no clue really...I have read lots of conflicting stuff
 
my buddy bought a 87 Lincoln 5.0 that had a non-HO roller cam engine. I have read that Ford made late model non HO 5.0 with both flat tappets and roller cams. I don't know how to tell without taking it apart.
 
Yes, non HO motors were flat tappet, but the block itself is a roller block... clear as mud?

Bill
 
"tarafied1" said:
my buddy bought a 87 Lincoln 5.0 that had a non-HO roller cam engine. I have read that Ford made late model non HO 5.0 with both flat tappets and roller cams. I don't know how to tell without taking it apart.
Click to expand...

I don't know anyway to do it without looking in the intake valley, it should have a spider hold down if it's roller or the lifters will have a link bar tying them together.

Bill
 
"67 Fastback" said:
Yes, non HO motors were flat tappet, but the block itself is a roller block... clear as mud?

Bill
Click to expand...
if it was a non HO, that would explain how the points distributor fit...
 
Here is a pic of the car in question....just to give you a little something. I am working on getting a few of my pics in my sig...eventually
 

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"tarafied1" said:
if it was a non HO, that would explain how the points distributor fit...
Click to expand...

Roller or non-roller...the dizzy doesn't care what the cam is or what it's made from. You just have to make sure to run the correct gear on the dizzy. I've run both efi and non-efi dizzy's on my current motor. I just had to yank the cast gear off and install the correct one for the roller cam.

I thought that the non-HO motors were roller after '86 for cars, and the trucks kept the flat tappets until around '92...
 
"66gt350" said:
Roller or non-roller...the dizzy doesn't care what the cam is or what it's made from. You just have to make sure to run the correct gear on the dizzy. I've run both efi and non-efi dizzy's on my current motor. I just had to yank the cast gear off and install the correct one for the roller cam.
Click to expand...
okay, I guess that makes sense. I knew the "gear" was different for roller cams. I put an 85 HO distributor in my 94 Cobra 5.0 with a 4V intake and carb. Just dropped it in.
 
I guess at this point, my buddy is going to have to decide between:
1. running distributor he's got- w/ points or pertronix and assume all is right
2. pull intake, verify cam, pull distributor, verify gear, drop oil pan, R&R shaft, and then decide how to upgrade ignition.
Dang! :confu
 
Oh and he could also run a bronze dist.gear...but not on the street, or he could pony up for a composite gear that is supposed to be compatible w/ all cams...but no idea of cost or where to purchase? Well at least I can suggest 4 options!
 
"coupster" said:
Oh and he could also run a bronze dist.gear...but not on the street, or he could pony up for a composite gear that is supposed to be compatible w/ all cams...but no idea of cost or where to purchase? Well at least I can suggest 4 options!
Click to expand...

Steel gear may also work for him. I plan to run a bronze gear on the street, just need to make sure the gear meshes correctly and it should last for quite a while.

Bill
 
Yeah I was planning on a Autozone duraspark distributor from an 85 GT 5 speed, Fomoco box, coil and wiring to upgrade. I can choose steel or cast gears...and that's where it began.
 
Given that the block has been opened before, the only real way to know if the current cam is roller is to open up the lifter valley as stated before.
 
I have a couple ideas you could chase down before taking the top of the engine off. I am not sure if they are correct but if so could save you some time. I know the firing order is different on my roller cam engine. It runs a 351 order not the 302 firing order. The other thing I think could be different is pushrod length. Roller lifters are higher than flat tappet lifters and should result in shorter pushrods. Pull a valve cover and measure a pushrod then do a little internet searching. IIRC my pushrods were 6.8" long. I hope these give you a couple ideas to chase down before pulliing the intake.
 
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