Hydraulic lifters versus solid lifters
- Thread starter 63409
- Start date
while hyd,roller lifters and valve springs[think beehive springs/light retainers ]it depends on the engines final use and rpm.If it's mostly street,under 6200 rpm\,I'd favor the hyd,versions,but mostly track/some street,6200 plus then I'd go for the solid roller for more consistant valvetrain control.
I put solid lifters on a hydraulic flat tappet one time, I was running with some valve clearance. Had to advance the cam 27 degrees to get any bottom end, but it was one of those King of the Drivin Crane hydraulic.
It was in a stock HO 305 I put together with used parts, new bearings, rings and gaskets, one piston hand a chip out of the skirt one side.
Put it in a 82 Camaro with a 700r4 and a 3.4? posi rear gear, had to do some fancy subframe and crossmember work to make the full tube headers work, still went to single to get down the tunnel. Dang thing would smoke the tire through 2nd gear.
Didn't last long, it was the oldest boys car, within a week on his way home hydroplaned it and got T Boned by some SUV.
Still have the engine with a different cam and now just setting.
It was in a stock HO 305 I put together with used parts, new bearings, rings and gaskets, one piston hand a chip out of the skirt one side.
Put it in a 82 Camaro with a 700r4 and a 3.4? posi rear gear, had to do some fancy subframe and crossmember work to make the full tube headers work, still went to single to get down the tunnel. Dang thing would smoke the tire through 2nd gear.
Didn't last long, it was the oldest boys car, within a week on his way home hydroplaned it and got T Boned by some SUV.
Still have the engine with a different cam and now just setting.
EXACTLY!!
Solids must be really loud if you can hear them over open headers???
Headers aren't allowed in AACA
Robert
The sound of solid lifters have been likened to the sound of eight sewing machines running at full speed. I like to call it a cadence. With mine lashed at .014" I love the sound. If anything is wrong I can hear it in an instant.
This might have previously been asked, but with solids, do they make some type of locking nut for the rocker so that the lifters don't have to be adjusted yearly or maybe even more often?? I heard that that was one of the liabilities of having solids; frequent adjustment. Thanks, Carmine.
Carmine,with today's parts,such as roller rockers,poly locks,and modern cam designs that use closer lash tolerances,valve adjustments last much longer.On one of these cars like ours that might see 4,000 miles a year,you shouldn't have to check the lash more than every 3-4 years of street driving.
Thanks Don. Very encouraging, Carmine.
63409
Well Known Member
Thanks Don Jacks for that info