What is the comparison with a hydraulic cam in the areas of:

1)Is there a lot more mechanical noise?

2)How frequently do you have to adjust the valves?

3)Is it true that a mechanical cam gives the valvetrain a real pounding which may result in a shorter lifespan for the valvetrain components?

4)Are the performance gains over a hydraulic cam quite noticible in a "seat of the pants" kind of way?

5)What are your cams specs? Duration @.050, valve lift and LSA?

6)Do you wish you had a hydraulic cam?

Any replys appreciated!

Regards, Mark :flag :chevy

 

Id like to know this too :yesnod:

 

ive run solid lift cams for 15 years now except for this year but winter time a new ones going back in..you get higher rpms out of the motor ,,you dont have to adjust them as much as everyones say you do..they are a little noisier in the valvetrain,the valve springs take a beaten if your running a huge lift,but around 500 or soo your fine.i use to be able to take my 327 to 7500 every shift with no problems,it never lost power


[Modified by pats406nitrovette, 6:46 AM 11/14/2001]

 

I run a solid cam. 248 dur at .050 with a lift of .525 with 1.5 rockers. I don't adjust them very often that is a myth that they need a lot of adjusting. More than hyd but not very often. I revs freely to 7000 rpm and I never give it a second thought. I don't think it is very noisy my exhaust is a lot more noticable than the valve train. I don't wish I had a hyd. cam I wish I had a solid roller. Someday

 

My 72 LT1 has a solid lifter. Other than having to re-learn how to adjust these things, they are that bad. In fact, I was at a cruise and some guy comes up to me and commented that he liked the sound that a solid lifter makes. I asked him how he could tell. His comment was something to the effect that anyone who is into high performance engines can easily tell the valve train noise of a solid lifter engine. On the other hand, I have 30 year old engine that has never been apart and probably won't for a long time (only 33000 miles). I doubt that I will be exploring the upper rpm ranges so in the meantime, I just enjoy driving the car.

Do I wish I had a hydraulic cam? Only once, when I had to re-learn how to adjust these solids. How often do I adjust them? So far, once. The rest depends on annual mileage. Last year I drove around 3200 miles.

Gary

 

I have always run solid lifter cams. I adjust the valves in the spring when the motor comes out of storage and don't touch them again untill fall when I back the rockers off to relieve the springs over winter. I chose cams with tighter lash specs around .020. These cams don't idle with much valve train noise. The slight lifter noise is music. I also run a stud girdle to hold the rockers steady. I use to regularly rev to 7500 but now set the rev limiter at 7000. Hydraulic cams would not rev to these rpms without pumping up the lifters. I also don't want the hassel of worrying this pump up.
I like cams around 255-265 @ .050 with lobe centers around 108. These cams don't have alot of idle vacuum but have alot of mid and upper range pull. The lift is around .640. I had my heads flowed and the difference between the flow at .600 and .700 was not much different, only around 3%. To save the valve train I now run .623 lift. My exhaust flow is all done by this lift.
I never have problems with either car with lifters getting noisy between the spring and fall.
I always run complete kits with the recommended springs and pay close attention to set up heights, and always check coil bind, retainer to seal clearance and piston to valve clearances. Lack of checking has already cost me one motor

 

My 1972 has a solid lifter cam in its 406. It was in the car when I bought it, and there's no documentation of brand, etc. I did degree it out while changing the heads this fall. Found that it's a dual pattern solid cam with about 0.050 duration of 250* intake 270* exhaust, with 1.5 lift of about 0.42 intake 0.49 exhaust. Vacuum at idle (1000 rpm) bounced between 8-10"Hg. It's a little finiky for stop and go trafic :)

Car hasn't been run since Carlisle, but I hope to get everything done and back on the road soon. I have Crane Gold roller rockers, and adjusted the valves a couple weeks ago. Set lash at 0.026" cold, and followed the 30-30 cam adjustment guidelins (90* before piston TDC) I have never adjusted valve lash before, so I enlisted the help of a local fourm member. I must say that it was pretty easy, relaxing, and only took about an hour (with beer drinking :D)

 

1.) You will hear them clicking away, but only at idle. I went into a Wal-Mart for a quicky oil change. The manager told me that I should not drive my car with how bad the lifters sound. also he said no car uses 8 quarts of oil as per my instructions and I need a new starter gear. I guess he has never heard roller lifters and a mini starter. :rolleyes:

2.) How often? when i feel like it. With locking allens and a stud girdle, it's more like just checking to verify that they are still all correct. So I usally look at them if I've been a little abusive or every 1500 or so.

3.) You would be wise to buy the best parts. Get the higher dollar steel rockers. I beat the needles out of Harlan Sharp al. years ago.

4.) Your average TQ & HP will be higher with the same .050 specs. Where they reallly shine is how tame they seem to run with big heads and long duration.

5.) @ .050 with 1.65 ratio intakes and 1.6 exhaust it would put mine at 240/248 .635/.644 which is big lift for street small blocks.

6.) No, I should have went with more duration and maybe less split because of high flow 3 inch exhaust.

You have to figure that roller setups with low end parts is about $1200. My higher end parts are closer to $2000. I used to have a 355 with iron heads and a solid roller cam. It's best time was 12.38 @ 114mph. It lasted for years and 50K miles. It was my fault when it failed. A flat tappet hydro motor I owned fell apart in 3 months. they are not able to take abuse or sustianed high rpm. It was a 355 with Dart iron eagle 230 cc heads and a CC 274 XE cam. 10.5 c/r with KB pistons Balanced and blue printed. For any kind of fun you have to have a full roller motor.





[Modified by gkull, 10:44 AM 11/14/2001]

 

I've run them for years. It's not noise, it's music and they rev like crazy. I have a Jim Herbert in my BOSS 302 and I've always loved the characteristics of the Duntov 30-30 for the SB. Those GM guys really have something there!
My plan after I paint is to spring for the Aluminum heads and a solid cam.

Hans

 

I've had my solid in the vette for a few months now. I must say that I was a little disapointed in how quiet it got when I did the final ajustment after break-in. At first, it was loud, but now it's hard to hear at idle. My lash is set a .022". As norvalwilhelm said, It is music! :) This cam is the comp 282S. The specs are .495" lift, 236deg. @ .05, 110 LSA. This replaced my old hyd stick that was .480 lift, 230deg @ .05 and 109LSA. The difference in mid range torque with the solid is noticable, but the biggest improvement was in the rate at which it pulls to red line. The old cam seemed to take forever to get from 3500 to 5500. This thing pulls to 6000 effortlessly. As far as adjusment goes, the others are correct in saying that it is mostly myth.
I also run solids in my streetrod(.536"/547" lift, 256/260 deg @.05" with a 114 lsa. This one has a valve lash of around .024" or .028"( I can't remember) and I can hear it clearly over the very loud sidepipes I have. It is an awsome sound. In the past 12 years that I have run this cam, I have adjusted it twice and found very little change in lash. Using good qaulity parts with poly-locks will keep the lash set properly for a long time.

No more Hydraulic cams for me :chevy

Tom :cheers:

 

If anyone is interested I have a unused original GM LT-1 solid cam with lifters that I'll part with. Email me for info.

 

Hi
My 68 big block convertible is still running the original L71 solid cam.
.520/.520 lift, 242/242 duration at .050, 114 degree lobe centerline angle.
L71 unmoded heads with 2.19/1.88 valves.
You can well hear the clicking at idle, even with the very loud sidepipes, and I even say, you hear them through the sidepipes.
It's so obvious, that some people ask me, what's ratteling in my car !
For insiders, of course, it's the sound . :D
I agree, that the only change, I possibly do to it is a roller system , but not right now.
I wouldn't need it for high RPM reving, as this big block is already too strong and I hardly bring it up to 5.500. Also the sidepipes are killing at that RPM.
I suggest, you listen to a solid lifter engine that size first, B4 you decide, as the sound is very different to a hydraulic one. ( or is this because of the L71 large valves and strong springs ? ) :confused:

Good luck. Gunther :seeya


[Modified by WESCH, 5:00 PM 11/14/2001]

 

WESCH:
Those are Hooker Header Side Pipes that you have aren't they? What kind of muffler inserts are you running? The reason I am asking is because I have a set that I will be running with the big block once I get it built....and would like to know what to expect. Have you ever ran the big block without the inserts (open headers)? :) Thanks.

FYI I chose the Comp Cams Magnum 294S Solid Lifter cam for my big block. I was told that one of the biggest bang for your buck is to switch from a hydraulic cam to a solid lifter cam.

 

A solid lifter flat tappet cam will make more vacumm than a comparable hydraulic cam.Also assuming the valve spring choice was correctly made if a gear is missed,transmission is blown ect the likelyhood of a internal parts collision is not near what a hydraulic cam is.Even anti pump up lifters will stack the valve train when grosely overrevved.Many lobe designs are available.I always use a oval track style fast ramp design on the intake and a milder ramp drag race"hi rpm" on the exhaust where the heat is to help the valve job last longer in street applications.

 

Anyone reccommend a solid cam for me?
350, performer, 600 holley, headers, true 2.5" duals with super turbos, 2100 rpm hi stall, 3.08 diff :cry

Bottom end is factory rebuilt. I want a baby solid cam. Had my car out on the freeway the other day. Took minutes to get from 5000 to 5500 rpm then would go no more. Was doing around 85 mph in second gear. I dont want a high revving engine but i have seen all the benefits of a solid cam.

 

Well, thanks for all the replys. Sounds like the myth of the solid cam needing constant adjustment was just that, a myth. And I guess that the ultimate would be a solid roller.

regards, mark :flag :chevy

 

I know this is a Corvette page but I'm going to put my two cents in on this also. Before I bought my Vette, I had a 69 Dart GTS 340 4 SPD. The car had solid lifters and all I can say is that I hated them. I ended up adjusting the damn valves everyother time I took the car out. Don't get me wrong, they do make a difference in performance but mine were sure a hassle. Maybe it was just a fluke but I'll never put in another solid lifter setup again.

 

XRATED,You might have a fuel delivery problem.See if the rubber line from the steel line on the chassis to the fuel pump is collapsed or kinked.What is the list number of your 600 holley?Normally w/o headers I would recommend a dual pattern cam but with those 3.08's I would use a single pattern cam with a duration of around 215 @ 0.50 ground on 108 LSA "contact Crower cams"and set the intake on 104.I am pro solid lifter cam but a Comp Cams XE256 hydraulic will get the job done in your application.
Marty,
The ultimate solid roller is for racing purposes and are hard on parts.When I build a boat motor for lake racing I still use solid lifter flat tappet cams for reliability reasons.Certainly there are roller designs that are easy on parts but budget verses a 10 hp or so advantage sometimes comes into play depending on the application.Also there are two different solid lifters available.The type that has a piddle valve is needed for street use.

 

This is my first solid cam car. I have a Comp Cams XR274 with 236/242 duration @ .050. I have just gotten my car running and am dealing with a carb problem so I can't really comment on how it runs at WOT, but yes there is a little more noise. I believe that they are harder on the valve springs due to the aggressive ramps on the cam, but there are plenty of "street" solid cams which should not completely abuse the springs. I plan on initially adjusting my valves at every oil change (3000 miles), and I'll adjust that schedule as I see fit.

 

Hi bence13_33
Sorry, don't know what inserts the Hookers have.
I didn't take them apart jet as I focused on other jobs so far.
The car was in a poor shape, when I got it and I spend a lot of time to get the engine running correctly and the overall outside view looking decent.
Next step this winter will be to check the inserts, and if necessary, to replace them with open ones, even that I think they are due to the enormeous noise, they produce. Man , are they headturners ! :jester
Also, I have to find a good carb as one of the previous owners installed a 650 CFM double pumper non choke carb.
This 454 big block realy needs a 750 or better a 850 carb, may be a Demon.
I like the non vacuum style, so I might go for one again.
Will keep the forum updated on any findings and decisions.
Gunther :seeya