My goal on this engine was to pick and choose with what used parts I had on hand and end up with a good runner that didn't need any TBI programming trickery due to being overbuilt. I was afraid if I got too fancy I'd wind up with drivability issues on the stock ECM tune. I did hours of research on the internet machine and the consensus was about 50/50 whether the TBI would tolerate a Vortec cam. In my case, it worked fantastic.
The roller cam is said to add 20 horsepower over an identical flat tappet engine just with the reduced friction, not the cam grind itself. Plus the added security of no break in worries or flattening a lobe issues and never needing zinc additive added to the oil for the rest of it's life.
All told, I'm somewhere between 350-400 dollars into the engine build, including the 50 I gave for the used heads up in Oklahoma. I don't expect it to last as long as a properly bored, fresh piston, machined crank rebuild, but it will last plenty long enough. Years ago I built a 350 for a little 72 SWB I had. My neighbor is a GM parts guy and he was there with me every step of the way on that engine build. He called it a "swept the floor motor" because I just used whatever was hidden under the workbench or in old worn out engines I had laying around. I sold that truck to him a short while later and he still drives it today, which is 20 years later. He said it's begun to burn some oil now, but it went for many years without issue, and that bore was loose when I put it together. That was an engine built entirely out of used parts with a 175 dollar Summit rebuild kit and a cheapie Erson camshaft. I probably had less than 250 dollars in the entire deal.
Here's the truck. This was all done back in the day before the internet, when I didn't have 1000 folks sitting at computers telling me I was doing it wrong. I'm sure the engine in this project will similarly cause criticism from a few people. That's the single reason I have delayed posting this build thread for so long, because I didn't care to listen to naysayers. There's so many times in life that folks do things that work just fine, but technically, they didn't do it according to the book or standard practices.
What's that old joke ? Scientists say it's impossible for a bumble bee to fly because it weighs too much for it's little wings. Yet, fly they do. Just don't tell the bumble bee he can't fly and he will be happy doing his thing.