Can the cam be replaced by removing everything forward of the block or does the motor have to be taken out?

 

You do not need to remove the engine. Would be a great idea anyway. That way you can remove the pan and hot tank all the years of crud that has built up.
If you don't remove the engine, you will need to remove the radiator, A/C condenser(if you have A/C), intake, distributor,rocker arms, push rods, harmonic balencer, water pump, front cover, fuel pump.
A days worth of work. Good luck.

Gene

 

Gene...the situation is that it is a car I'm interested in purchasing. Previous owner put a non-stock cam in, roller rockers and an Edelbrook carb. Engine is original block as are the F heads. Original intake and carb come with the car. He said it wouldn't run well if I just installed the original intake and carb. I'm making the assumption that with installation of a stock grind cam, push rods, intake and original carb it should run well. I welcome any thoughts....

 

OK, just use the replacement parts and you should be good.
Do you have any history of the engine, as to what all has been done to the engine?

Gene

 

Don't have any history...however...seller did volunteer to me that they tried the original intake and carb with the current cam and roller rockers and the car just wouldn't run right. It actually runs nice as is, but I'm more of a purist and want to return it to stock. I don't see why with the original intake, lifters, rockers, pushrods and carb it shouldn't.

 

If you have the stock parts, just put it together with them. Sell the performance parts you don't want.
When you take the cam out be sure to keep the lifters in the order they come off the cam. The roller rockers are no big deal, actually an improvement over the stock rockers. Plus the valve covers cover them.
Did you get the intake and the carb that belong to this car and match with numbers?
Where in SoCal are you?

Gene