socal79

I have a 383 stroker motor in my 79, and I got some low dyno numbers (under 300 wheel hp & torque). I took the intake manifold off for diagnosis and found 4 of my hydraulic lifters came apart, retaining clips missing. I am looking into installing a new cam and lifters, just going one "step" up in the cam. My question is should I go with a hydraulic or solid lifter cam? The motor only has about 1k miles on it so unclear to why the lifters failed.

CA-Legal-Vette

Did you use zinc additive? Break in your cam per manufacturers procedure? If no and no, that probably contributed.

With modern oils, something for you to consider is going to a roller cam and lifters. Costs more up front but will solve your issues longer term.

Those numbers are low for a stroker. In all likelihood your cam was already going.

HeadsU.P.

This is not an oil / zinc issue. You have some serious mechanical issues going on here. Why do the lifters have so much pressure that they are blowing the snap ring off? That's very unusual and you need to take a long hard look as to why this is happening. If it happens again with roller / hyd lifters, you are out a lot of money.

Just guessing, I would say your valvelash is set too loose, allowing the plunger in the lifter to be at the very top of the lifter all the time. Eventually the snap ring fails from the constant pounding. I also suspect the lifters are plugged up with gunk and not allowed to bleed-off.

socal79

I had a shop get my proper pushrod length and install my lifters/adjust. They have since gone out of business. So I do believe improper adjustment may have been the cause. I'm not sure I want to drop the money for a roller cam as I dont plan on keeping the car much longer.

Gordonm

What kind of rpms do you turn. Hyd lifters will go to 6000 rpm pretty easily some if set up correctly will go with 6500. If you don't spin it tha thigh there is no need to go solid. Roller cams will cost more up front and make more power but nothing wrong wit ha good hyd cam and lifters if set up correctly and run with zinc additive.

HeadsU.P.

I think you would be ahead just buying a set of quality flat tappet hyd lifters. You can install new lifters on a old cam. (But not old lifters on a new cam)
But first you should pull valve-covers and triple check the geometry. Somethings not right. I suppose the issue could have been just a bad batch of lifters. Its rare, but shet happens.

I would be concerned where the lifter clips ended up too. Stayed in the valley? Or fell to the oil dungeons below?

derekderek

as headsup said. i would play go fish for lifter clips. see if you have all the pieces. if not, pan should come off.

jackson

So ... in the pic below are three different types of common retaining clips ... which are yours?

https://www.hotrodders.com/gallery/d.../clips_002.jpg

The clip on Left is much preferred. Get some anti-pump up hydraulic flat tappet lifters ... and ...
... verify the ones you choose have the internal snap rings as on Left in above pic. Isky has 'em.

Job one! ... account for & retrieve all clips/bits/shards.

socal79

The pan is definitely coming off to fish out all the clips/pieces. I have what looks like the middle clip in that picture. But my original question was going solid lifter or not. I dont plan on revving over 6k rpm so hydraulic should be plenty?

Gordonm

Hyd will be fine. No reason to go solid if you are 6K or under. Easier on the valve train and you do not have to adjust them. Set them correctly the first time and you are done.

socal79

Could valve springs cause an issue here?

CanadaGrant

If you miss-adjust lifters with those paper clip retainers like Comp uses it will pound the retainers out very quickly as the internal seat should never be bouncing off the retainer. That retainer is meant to hold the lifter together but not while in use.

HeadsU.P.

I really don't see how. Even if the valve spring retainers struck the valvestem guide, that would not affect the lifter retainer clips.

The more I think about this, the more I lean towards, just plain junky lifters with perhaps a little too loose valvelash.