I think I've had it with my hydraulic roller cam

[pnora]

I'll give it another 1/2 turn to get to .040
I have a lot of the same sounds and thought the same about the cam button and roller everything

What procedure for adjustment are you using? What size rocker adjustment screws do you have?

 

[451Mopar]

I'll give it another 1/2 turn to get to .040
I have a lot of the same sounds and thought the same about the cam button and roller everything

I think the roller cam button touching the timing chain cover is making much of the noise.
The next engine I built used the nylon type cam button.
The Convertible has 1.6:1 ratio Harlan Sharpe rockers (0.581" / 0.578" lift.) I think the adjusters are 3/8" x 20 tpi? One turn of preload is 0.050"?
If they are 24 TPI, then 1 turn is 0.0417".
I have the rev-limiter set to 6,000 RPM, haven't tried to spin it faster.
I used the ISKY 8005A valve springs with Comp 748-16 retainers.
Spring rate of the 8005A springs is 400 lb/in vs. the comp spring #925-16, that is 395 lb/in.
With an installed spring height of 1.875", the 8005A has slightly more spring pressure when the valve is closed = 135 pounds vs. about 121 pounds for the comp 925-16 spring (at 1.875")
Originally I ran 1.7:1 rockers (0.617" / 0.614" lift), but they were cheap CAT stainless rockers, and they had issues with the roller tip wearing, and the pushrod tips not oiling well.
The actual stainless rocker bodies are pretty decent, just need to replace the adjusters, and roller tips with some better quality parts, and maybe some oiling mods if I want to try running them again.

 

[PeteyDaMan]

I went ahead and readjusted the preload to .040 (1 full turn) and it seems to have quieted it down a lot. I only took it for a quick spin (and of course the valve covers now leak). I'll take it for a longer ride tomorrow and let you all know how it goes.

 

[pnora]

I went ahead and readjusted the preload to .040 (1 full turn) and it seems to have quieted it down a lot. I only took it for a quick spin (and of course the valve covers now leak). I'll take it for a longer ride tomorrow and let you all know how it goes.

What adjustment procedure are you using?

 

[PRHeads]

Just about every BBM engine I’ve seen with a retrofit hyd roller cam set up has had at a minimum, “noticeable” valvetrain noise.

Unless it’s really “thrashing”, as long as it’s running fine and making good power, I don’t worry about it.

I tell anyone who calls looking for one, it’s likely going to be as noisy as a typical solid.

Now....... if it’s like the one in the video..... then yeh....... that’s unacceptable.

 

[PRHeads]

Have the same cam, and the Hughes lifters set to 0.040" pre-load. Engine is not quiet, but I think much of the sound is from the roller rockers and roller cam button?

Any videos of that one from under the hood?

With the hood closed, at least from what can be heard on the video....... I’d call that noise level acceptable.

 

[Kern Dog]

Shoot, man....that engine in the video clattered like a diesel.

 

[451Mopar]

Any videos of that one from under the hood?

With the hood closed, at least from what can be heard on the video....... I’d call that noise level acceptable.

 

[Kern Dog]

For a much better looking video, please consider THIS next time.....

451....That sounds way too loud too. What the heck? These look like real nice cars....I doubt you cut corners on lifters, right? That noise is about like my '528 was with the .028-.032 lash.

 

[451Mopar]

Another of the car going down the road.
You can hear the engine ticking, but also the tires going over the road gaps, so it does not seem real loud, just not quiet?

 

[451Mopar]

451....That sounds way too loud too. What the heck? These look like real nice cars....I doubt you cut corners on lifters, right? That noise is about like my '528 was with the .028-.032 lash.

Old videos I found on the Computer, but the lifters do seem loud. That was what the original poster was saying, and I have the same cam.
This is the first hydraulic roller cam I ever used, and might be the last one too. My solid roller cams seem to have less noise then this hydraulic cam?

 

[Kern Dog]

I am at a crossroad....I have the engine out of my car due to a failed flat tappet solid lifter cam. I'm considering a roller but if THAT is what a hydraulic roller sounds like, I'm not optimistic. I'm not looking for a silent engine but that is a lot of clatter going on. It would seem that with that much noise, early failure of something is likely.

 

[Kern Dog]

Another of the car going down the road.
You can hear the engine ticking, but also the tires going over the road gaps, so it does not seem real loud, just not quiet?

I don't hear any clatter from that video at all.

 

[451Mopar]

I don't hear any clatter from that video at all.

I posted that because the sound of the engine alone lets you hear what it sounds like, but no reference to how loud it actually is when the background is quiet.
If you turn up the sound of the car going down the road, you can still hear the engine noise, but also the road noise from the tires as a reference.
I don't recall which mufflers I was using in that video. I wanted the car to be fairly quiet, so I switched from the Super Turbos that came wit the TTI exhaust to some large case Walker stainless quiet-flow mufflers that I think may have been for a Chrysler C-body?
Walker Exhaust 22154 Quiet-FlowSS Muffler
More Information for WALKER 22154
The muffler necks down to about 2-1/4" inside the case. The case is really too long to fit well. had to really shorten the inlet and outlet tubes.
Anyhow, I wanted a quiet car, and it mostly is, but I expected the hydraulic roller to be quieter, and it sounds louder than my solid roller 0.726" lift cam in the Charger.

 

[PeteyDaMan]

ok, here's the latest. After increasing the preload to .040 (1 full turn) it did quiet down the lifter noise but I'm noticing a lot of pinging at speed with load.
I checked my timing just to be sure it was in spec. It was at 13 initial and 35 total so I backed it off to 10 initial 32 total to see if it helped and it got worse.

Wondering if the valve lash could increase pinging or if maybe I got a tank of bad gas (10.4:1 compression with Edlebrock RPM heads so I use Sunoco Ultra 93)

 

[451Mopar]

I wouldn't think the lash would cause a change in pinging, but you could put the lifter pre-load back to 1/2-turn to test if it is the pre-load or the fuel?
With my setup 10.3:1 compression, I also need to watch my ignition advance.
The 505" stroker I built after this engine got a mild solid roller cam.
Anyone running one of these hydraulic roller cams that is quiet? We would like to know what lifters were used, and lifter pre-load.

Found this on Hughes Engines site:
https://hughesengines.com/TechArticles/12hydrauliclifters.php

I used the lifters from Hughes, HRC 91774:
https://hughesengines.com/Index/pro...el2=Um9sbGVy&level3=SHlkcmF1bGlj&partid=32368

With my Isky 8005A springs, 0.580" lift is 367 pounds open pressure.
I'm not sure if these lifters recommend a lighter weight oil?

 

[PRHeads]

That level of noise is perfectly acceptable for that type of valvetrain IMO.

 

[451Mopar]

That level of noise is perfectly acceptable for that type of valvetrain IMO.

It is OK with me, I was just expecting it to be quieter with the hydraulic lifters. It will pull to 6,000 easy. Likely would pull higher rpm than that, but I have the rev-limit set to 6,000.
Pretty easy to hit the rev-limiter with the 5-speed manual and street tires.

 

[PRHeads]

The lesson for me that hyd rollers aren’t always real quiet was my 93 Dakota with the 3.9 Magnum in it.
I bought it new........ and the valvetrain was always pretty noisy.
I drove it for 145k without ever pulling a valve cover.
Sold it to a friend of mines kid a few years ago...... still going strong afaik.

So, “some” noise isn’t necessarily a reason for concern.

 

[Barry Woodyard]

I have a 426 Max wedge and a 542 440 Stroker. Same problem you are having. I called the Cam Hotline at Comp cams The tech told me to go .050 to .080 past zero lash. This take some calculating for your Rocker setup but in my case comes ort to 3/4 to 1 turn. Still have clatter. Same cam in both engines. In the Stroker engine completely assembled by the engine shop, after 5 miles the end broke off of one of the push rods. New set 5 more miles another end broke off. I put a set of Diamond push rods and the problem went away