The cam in my 440 decided it was done and lost a lobe. I'm looking at biting the bullet and going with a hydraulic roller cam. It's a '72 RV 440 with stock but fresh internals, Running 8.6:1 compression as I have a set of 440 source heads. This engine is in a heavy C-Body convertible weighing about 5500 lbs. 2.76 rear gear and 235/75/15 rubber at 29" diameter. Eddie Performer intake with an Eddie 800 cfm AVS2 carb. HP Mopar exhaust manifolds with dual 2.5" exhaust. I need a camshaft that will get me grunt down low to get the old barge moving and I'd like vacuum enough to keep the power brakes happy. I don't race, but I want to be able to be the fastest barge on the freeway;-). I need to get an idea of whose cam to use, whose lifters, and whatever else I need to do this conversion. Lumpy idle is not a goal here, but if it happens it happens. Help?

what cam were you running that failed? i don't think i'd go to the expense of a roller to meet your goals. swapping in a roller isn't the same as swapping in a flat tappet. a lot of factors can cause a flat tappet hydraulic lifter cam to fail.

Comp Cams XE268H. Made the Mistake of keeping it from my dead 451, as it only had a few thousand miles on it. The mechanic helping me on this feels I need to bite the bullet now and go roller. I know there is some work involved with it.

Cam cores are hard to come by right now. Make sure to look for something in stock.

all you need is a gentler profile.

Did you keep the lifters on the same lobes in then new motor?
If not that is the reason it failed

I'm using a MP .474 cam in my 440 C body, but my combo is different as I
have a few high performance racing parts like a 2400 converter, and 3.23 one legger .

The Summit cam sounds pretty good for that app (if you can actually get one).

I have a new Comp 268 high energy on the shelf if you'd like to try that.

i've used that small summit cam before in a mild 383. i thought it was a very nice reliable driver cam. don't think i'd trust summit lifters though. i don't think i'd use the 6401 summit cam in this app. zippy's 268 would probably be ok.

i like the edelbrock carbs for reliable driving and use them on both my cars, but i wouldn't use the 800 in this application. i like the 800avs but i think the venturi and throttle bore size on the primary side isn't well suited for perhaps 4500lbs and a 2.76 gear. most of those c-body 440's had a carb very similar to the 650avs and i think the 650 would make much better low to mid rpm torque with the proper cam. i'm been messing with a 750 edelbrock on a stock 440 and it has very pleasant manners.

if the cam was used and the lifters placed on the original lobes, plus having the lifters rotate in the new/different block, how far off would the block factory machining need to be to cause wipeout issues ?
i have ran used flat tappet cams in different blocks in the past, but never long enough to see issues unless it was an immediate failure.

PERSONAL OBSERVATION of proper lifter rotation is IMPORTANT

that's true DoC, but sometimes, my glasses are dirty, smudged, or i have them on upside down. that is if i can FiNd them at all...........

.... ore being able to NOT NAP during the whole process?

It got a new set of lifters with the engine change.

Did you go through the 20 minute at or above 1500 RPM procedure before letting it idle or drive it.? If not you should have
Any time a new flat lifter, solid or hydraulic, is installed it needs to be "broken in properly"

A roller will set you back $1500 or about. Bronze gear, bronze tipped fuel pump push rod, cam shaft, lifters and springs.

Are you tearing the motor apart for inspection? That metal went somewhere.

Yes.

in my opinion; the more aggressive the lobe is the more likely a camshaft can't be successfully swapped from block to block. the xe268 is an aggressive lobe and the tappets that were used in the initial break-in weren't used, plus the tappet bores not in exactly the same location with the two different blocks can be a problem. i'd just move on to a gentler flat tappet cam. $1500 cost for the roller set-up was mentioned. i'll bet the cost to convert will be well beyond that. most likely the heads will have to come off to set them up for the roller, $$$. if one is willing to do their own work a proper (that's for the OP's intended use) hydraulic flat tappet can be done for around $300 and would be more reliable with less maintenance in the long term.

So your 'mechanic helping' feels the need for the roller but he is unable to recommend which one? Curious thing there.