Lifter and cam questions

[RemCharger]

I don't dispute the argument that a roller setup is better, I dispute the "few hundred dollars more" claim. The cost is literally double at a minimum. To dismiss or down-play the cost difference is a disservice to everyone.

Have to agree, up here it's about 450 vs 1200. Not including all the extra roller goodies.

 

[Gary Stavely]

Have to agree, up here it's about 450 vs 1200. Not including all the extra roller goodies.

I ended up getting some parts that I believe to be the best option available option. Found some nos pieces that I think will work out well...

 

[Kern Dog]

You wouldn't trust any of today's crap FT lifters. There is no such thing as Hughes or Comp lifters. They buy them from the supplier & put them in their own box. Another customer fooled....
Get your factory lifters re-faced & they will be *** good as new. I have heard good reports about Oregon cams, maybe someone will chime in...

People have tested the hardness of the metal in old cams and lifters and compared them to new stuff. In the cases that I have seen, the metal quality seems to be similar. The failures people are having may not be the metal.
What else has changed?
The oil has, a LOT. The oil with high detergent seems to negate any and all claims they might have about being fortified with extra ZDDP.
The machining of the camshaft and lifters may have as well. Lobe taper and lifter crown are very important.
I do like the idea of pulling lifters from old engines to have them resurfaced even though it seems that the metal is no worse than before. That guy from Delta cams in Washington state adds a flat mark on the outer body of the lifters to allow a stream of oil to flow down to the cam lobes, sort of like an external EDM hole. Added lubrication to the cam lobes sure seems to help.

I wince every time I see or hear of people trying to fire up a fresh engine and crank and crank away.
Episode 12 season 3 of Graveyard Cars has Worman telling how he likes to crank the engine to get fuel up to the carburetor and to build oil pressure before it starts. I can't yell I-D-I-O-T loud enough. How many cam failures does this guy have with that dumb *** procedure? With what we know now about cam and lifter failures, doing it his way is absolutely dumb as ****.

 

[DanielSlocum]

Comp sells a simple tool for grooving the lifter bores to provide direct oiling to the lobes. I have one and use it every time now. Still had 1 comp lifter fail.
Now using dedicated break-in oil without detergent in it,n.o.s. lifters,old weak valvesprings for 20 miniutes at 2000 rpm. Listening to valve covers with a stethascope.
Still have great fear of failure,but rollers cost x3 with pushrods,special intermediate gear,and who's gonna run stamped rockers in a roller motor?Answer: nobody!
All this has provided good results so far;but what a b.s. pain in the ace it is! Most average dudes dont want to spend 8k for a street engine.

 

[Geoff 2]

The problem with the Comp tool is that the engine really needs to be apart...to collect the metal debris.
Below does exactly the same thing, you are not paying extra for the grooving. Done with a Dremel & 0.025" cut off wheel. Been doing it for 30 yrs.....or is it 31...

 

[Randy Wilson]

You wouldn't trust any of today's crap FT lifters. There is no such thing as Hughes or Comp lifters. They buy them from the supplier & put them in their own box. Another customer fooled....
Get your factory lifters re-faced & they will be *** good as new. I have heard good reports about Oregon cams, maybe someone will chime in...

Hughes says they are made by Hy- Lift Johnson. They don’t hide the fact.

 

[Geoff 2]

Is that in their Beijing factory?

 

[Mike meeks]

I have had 5 cam and lifters reground and refaced (old cams and lifters) at delta cams in Tacoma wa. No problems so far. Old stuff is better

 

[gtxrt]

I am running the 911 springs with stock rocker arms they came out 130 seat 310 open at 1.88 installed height no problems so far. would prefer 125 seat and 280 open could not find any. factory specs says 121-129 seat and 245 open on the intake 375 HP.