Thinking about Switching to a Solid Lifter Cam, Maybe Roller too?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 3,181
Likes: 732
From: Texas City, TX Texas
Thinking about Switching to a Solid Lifter Cam, Maybe Roller too?
My engine is freshly rebuilt and runs rough. My buddy thinks I wiped a cam lobe. 355, flat tops, Vortec heads, 274 Extreme Energy Comp cam. 3.55s and a four speed. If I do need to replace it I'm thinking mechanical, and maybe a roller. But I was hanging out with my friend Sunday with his '69 Z28. Original 302 is long gone but the 12-1/2:1 solid lifter 350 is pretty sweet. Maybe I'm just jealous?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 961
Likes: 275
From: Frederick MD
Just because it's new and running rough doesn't mean it wiped the cam. Did you degree the cam after installation to confirm the grind was correct? Alot of things could be going on here vacuum leak, goofed plug wires, and so on. Not saying you don't have a wiped cam, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet.
As for if you replace the cam what cam to go with..... Hands down if it's gonna be a weekend driver put a hydraulic roller in it is my vote. There is alittle more expense there than a flat tappet cam but your duration after .200 lift is so much better with a roller cam of any sort it's tough to argue against it if your willing to spend the additional dollars. Solid rollers have their place but unless your wrapping it up above 7000 rpm I'd stay with a hydraulic roller.
As for if you replace the cam what cam to go with..... Hands down if it's gonna be a weekend driver put a hydraulic roller in it is my vote. There is alittle more expense there than a flat tappet cam but your duration after .200 lift is so much better with a roller cam of any sort it's tough to argue against it if your willing to spend the additional dollars. Solid rollers have their place but unless your wrapping it up above 7000 rpm I'd stay with a hydraulic roller.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 301
Likes: 170
From: Alabama
My engine is freshly rebuilt and runs rough. My buddy thinks I wiped a cam lobe. 355, flat tops, Vortec heads, 274 Extreme Energy Comp cam. 3.55s and a four speed. If I do need to replace it I'm thinking mechanical, and maybe a roller. But I was hanging out with my friend Sunday with his '69 Z28. Original 302 is long gone but the 12-1/2:1 solid lifter 350 is pretty sweet. Maybe I'm just jealous?
Ive said it before, and i’m baffled by the amount of “ just send it” replies people get after stating that they think they’ve wiped a cam.
If…..(Again for the sake of making sure I’m not setting off an alarm here).
If you wiped a cam, you’ve wiped the engine. Where do you think the ground off metal goes when that happens? ( A cookie if you guessed in the bottom of the oil pan,…directly north of where the oil pump pick up tube will suck it back up into the engine.)
Who’d here would advise to dump even a teaspoon of metal dust into the oil pan as acceptable? Yet there’s a whole line of guys advising to replace the dead cam w/a different one, and keep on keeping’ on.
For your sake, I hope it’s a tune or adjustment. But If it’s truly a flattened cam, pull the engine, because it’s on the way to stranding you somewhere between here and there.
Did a rocker come out of adjustment when breaking in the cam?
Flat tappet cams are endangered species. With the changes in oil lubrication chemicals being the main death nail for a flat tappet cam, whether it’s hydraulic or solid, the only cam that will survive as a replacement is a roller.
As long as you don’t have a whole pan full of liquid sandpaper lying in the bottom.
Last edited by MLM7447; May 24, 2022 at 11:13 PM.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 301
Likes: 170
From: Alabama
My engine is freshly rebuilt and runs rough. My buddy thinks I wiped a cam lobe. 355, flat tops, Vortec heads, 274 Extreme Energy Comp cam. 3.55s and a four speed. If I do need to replace it I'm thinking mechanical, and maybe a roller. But I was hanging out with my friend Sunday with his '69 Z28. Original 302 is long gone but the 12-1/2:1 solid lifter 350 is pretty sweet. Maybe I'm just jealous?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,086
Likes: 786
From: Lebanon Township New Jersey
What is the lift on your present cam? Hopefully, if more than .470 or so, your valve guide bosses on your Vortec heads are cut down to accomodate that lift. (I have .535/.550 lift on my hyd roller with Vortec heads and no problems.)
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
My engine is freshly rebuilt and runs rough. My buddy thinks I wiped a cam lobe. 355, flat tops, Vortec heads, 274 Extreme Energy Comp cam. 3.55s and a four speed. If I do need to replace it I'm thinking mechanical, and maybe a roller. But I was hanging out with my friend Sunday with his '69 Z28. Original 302 is long gone but the 12-1/2:1 solid lifter 350 is pretty sweet. Maybe I'm just jealous?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 3,181
Likes: 732
From: Texas City, TX Texas
Let's say the engine is lunched and I have to rebuild it, what cam would you recommend? Comp had a good reputation in the past as far as I have always heard, but I am definitely open to suggestions. I will maybe keep the heads, but switch to a set of forged pistons I have with a .100 dome I would have used them but this block was a little worn and they were too loose. Also, I would use the Sniper EFI I have on the shelf. A/C, P/S, P/B, stick shift and 3.55s. I'd probably ditch the four-speed as well for an OD, and then I may as well get deeper gears...damn I hope the cam is O.K.!
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Id never use one if it was free. Every single one I bought didnt make it 500 mi..xe line
Not brand bashing, just posting my experience. Mush metal is my opinion too...
id buy elgin Isky Crower maybe even schneider..they do cost more but you DO get what you pay for.
I hear Howards has top tier lifters and the average quality ones too never tried their products.
If youre gonna add compression..it would be hard not to step up to a better head, get some compression and a solid xx cam.
addicted to the seamless way they run, sound etc.
Not brand bashing, just posting my experience. Mush metal is my opinion too...
id buy elgin Isky Crower maybe even schneider..they do cost more but you DO get what you pay for.
I hear Howards has top tier lifters and the average quality ones too never tried their products.
If youre gonna add compression..it would be hard not to step up to a better head, get some compression and a solid xx cam.
addicted to the seamless way they run, sound etc.
Last edited by cv67; May 25, 2022 at 03:47 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 3,181
Likes: 732
From: Texas City, TX Texas
I don't remember specifically what springs we used but all the work done was based on advice I got here on Corvette Forum. The cutters were even loaned to me by a kind forum member!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 3,181
Likes: 732
From: Texas City, TX Texas
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,979
Likes: 332
From: Woodinville WA
-Who actually makes that part right now? -Who's going to make it next week when Comp finds a cheaper sub-sub-Vendor?
The problem is that the Comp brand means about as much as Summit or Jegs brand for many of their parts. Subcontractors under Subcontractors and the source gets swapped out all the time. No idea what you're going to get or who's going to make it where.
Why pay extra for the name when their business model has become just another Summit or Jegs (but with an actual Marketing and Branding department / budget) for many of their parts?
"A turd by any other name would smell just as terrible." -Shakespeare (or something like that...)
Who cares who slaps their name on those Chinese springs or pushrod guideplates?
Adam
Racer
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 301
Likes: 170
From: Alabama
Let's say the engine is lunched and I have to rebuild it, what cam would you recommend? Comp had a good reputation in the past as far as I have always heard, but I am definitely open to suggestions. I will maybe keep the heads, but switch to a set of forged pistons I have with a .100 dome I would have used them but this block was a little worn and they were too loose. Also, I would use the Sniper EFI I have on the shelf. A/C, P/S, P/B, stick shift and 3.55s. I'd probably ditch the four-speed as well for an OD, and then I may as well get deeper gears...damn I hope the cam is O.K.!
On a street driven car, I’d still talk to one of those guys, but more than likely they’ll have a shelf grind that will work for you, and a thousand others as well. And it won’t matter if it’s CC, Crane,Crower,Bullet, Lunati or any of a dozen others.
Last edited by MLM7447; May 25, 2022 at 04:39 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,222
Likes: 1,080
From: South Florida
Personally opinion after working on myriad SBC with and without a roller cam,
1. I would rather swap in an engine that came factory with roller cam than utilize a retro-fit ordeal, even if this meant swapping in a late model LS motor
2. Solid roller is my favorite cam, it doesn't have to be radical, or high lift, or even fast ramp rates. It can also work well in daily driver applications if you are the type of person to obsess and attention to every detail and don't mind periodic inspections or adjustments, which I prefer, again personal opinion
Something about the tappet noise of a solid roller and the response of the engine from low rpm just.... MMM HMMM makes my heart rate speed up and mouth water
1. I would rather swap in an engine that came factory with roller cam than utilize a retro-fit ordeal, even if this meant swapping in a late model LS motor
2. Solid roller is my favorite cam, it doesn't have to be radical, or high lift, or even fast ramp rates. It can also work well in daily driver applications if you are the type of person to obsess and attention to every detail and don't mind periodic inspections or adjustments, which I prefer, again personal opinion
Something about the tappet noise of a solid roller and the response of the engine from low rpm just.... MMM HMMM makes my heart rate speed up and mouth water
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
x2 on the custom cam opinion. Was bit 3x on those...profile came out too radical made no power and broke parts.
Other 2 were actually shelf grinds, wasnt happy to find that out.
Lots of low lift solid rollers out there even for towing. Do what you want, dont worry about what we think
One thing is you gotta buy premium parts or should anwyays. I choked buying good stuff but only had to do it once.
Other 2 were actually shelf grinds, wasnt happy to find that out.
Lots of low lift solid rollers out there even for towing. Do what you want, dont worry about what we think
One thing is you gotta buy premium parts or should anwyays. I choked buying good stuff but only had to do it once.
Last edited by cv67; May 25, 2022 at 05:42 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,979
Likes: 332
From: Woodinville WA
-The COST of retro roller lifters for an SBC ESPECIALLY if you want one that doesn't bleed down with aggressive lobed cams and the springs that are required to support them at a decent RPM is just ridiculous. (One place where FORDS are actually cheaper than SBCs... and that's a sad statement...)
OEM roller block: drop in some cheap and fantastic LS7 lifters and spin them to 7,000 rpm -SIMPLES.
OEM roller blocks have the cooling revisions, too. .
Adam
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
the ls lifters seem to handle rpm.....but the engines they are put on have lightweight valvetrains, too that has to be part of the equation
I cant see doing the same to a gen 1 or BB with heavy valves and expecting it to behave the same. I could be wrong.
Both have thier pluses for sure.
Maybe for brainless "dont ever wanna have to touch the engine* guys a hyd is the obvious choice.
If you ever had a solid lifter car pull up next to you at hwy speed...that noise. It says "f off Im a real hot rod".
lol
I cant see doing the same to a gen 1 or BB with heavy valves and expecting it to behave the same. I could be wrong.
Both have thier pluses for sure.
Maybe for brainless "dont ever wanna have to touch the engine* guys a hyd is the obvious choice.
If you ever had a solid lifter car pull up next to you at hwy speed...that noise. It says "f off Im a real hot rod".
lol
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
20 + years ago I had a HR cam and decided to try running solid rollers on it to get away from the rpm limitations. I found this article the other day.
Pit Stop - Solid Rollers On Hydraulic Cams (motortrend.com)