I am in the process of a cam swap. I bought the cam off summit raceing and it came with the lifters also. I just got done pulling one of the lifters out and i noticed that it is a roller lifter, but the lifters that i bought are not, they are just flat on the bottom, and also the one that i bought are not as long as the stockers.will this matter? It said on summit that there lifters are compatible.
I know that the roller lifters are probably better. Thanks.

 

Yes they are compatible.

Remember, when you downgrade your car that way, you need to use longer push rods.

 

What do you mean "downgrade your car"? What kind of pushrods do i need?

 

"What do you mean "downgrade your car"? "




More than likely he means downgrading from a roller cam to a flat tappet cam.

 

So really i could get by with using my stock lifters then right?

 

No, you cannot.

Cams are designed for the specific type of lifter that is to be used with them. You cannot put roller lifters on a cam designed for flat tappet lifters. What RB was saying is you should have spent your money on a replacement roller cam. You could have reused your roller lifters if you had done that. Now, you need to use the lifters that came with the cam, and get longer pushrods intended for use with flat tappet lifters.

 

I wouldn't consider a solid roller a downgrade unless it wasn't necessary.

 

Well, i wish i was more educated on this subject, that is way this has happened, simply because i didnt no better i guess. So let me ask you this, since i already have the cam and lifters, would it be worth it to try and send them back and get roller equipment? Is there a difference in horsepower that is significant enough to justified the added trouble and money? Also what is the difference in a roller and flat tappet cam? i mean as far the difference that you can see

 

No, The only time going to a solid roller would be positive (other than to remain "factory") would be if you need an excessive amount of rpm's to gain power, 7000+ specifically. A solid roller does not drop off power as a hydraulic roller would. The downsides to a solid roller is valvetrain wear, you will generally be replacing lifters every 30,000 miles and notice a bit more valvetrain noise and knock sensors do not like this if your equipped with one. I would try to get a hydraulic roller.

 

Ill probly yank that engine before 30,000 miles anyways. So my engine stock was a solid roller, and the setup i have is a hydrolic roller, right?

 

no idea on stock...

 

me neither, i just know that when i got one of the lifters out that i noticed it had a little wheel on it

 

If it looked like this, it was a hydraulic roller lifter:

http://www.catpep.com/images/product...hydrolicRL.jpg

If it looked like this, it was a flat tappet:

http://www.flatlanderracing.com/gm/5232720.gif

 

Pasky, what are you smoking? no one said anything about solid anything here.
Near as I can tell, you had hydraulic roller lifters factory, you bought a standard SBC upgrade setup, hydraulic flat tappet. You may have noticed the kit said pre-1987 or something like that? and you ignored it? anyway, using flat tappet instead of roller is a downgrade. That's why your kit probably cost around $300 rather then $600 or so. However you'll need new pushrods now, so the price jumps...
There is a difference, the roller lifter will rev easier, have a nicer power curve, and there is no break in period.
Yes, if I were you, i'd see if you can return it, if you haven't installed it yet, maybe it'll work... Then order a roller cam, and you can reuse your stock lifters.
Got it?

 

My bad, thought he said solid roller.

 

Ummm, no the discription clearly say it will work for 91 camaro with 305

 

Ok then my new lifters are flat tappet, and stock are hydrolic roller

 

hmm, comp-cams does it the way I described.

I suppose, to be perfectly correct, it WILL WORK in your 1991 Camaro... just not correctly.

 

but if i put in my cam and the flat tappet lifters with longer push rods it will be fine right?

 

yes.



just make sure to break it in properly.

and it won't perform as well or as nicely as a comparable roller one.

 

So the Pre-87 motors had the flat tappet type assemble right?
Also can someone please help me find the pushrods that i need. These are the lifters:
http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...h.asp&x=32&y=5

 

Edit: The Summitracing URL is screwing up. Search for p/n SUM-G6400.

Found by searching the phrase "pushrod length": https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=271544

 

Hmmm, it works when i click it.

Thanks alot for the link!!

 

I'll try again. It was sending me to a remote oil filter kit when I clicked on it after posting.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...&N=0&part=SUM%

FWIW, I used the Summit pushrods for the 396 when I rebuilt it in 1997. They're still working just fine. Of course, they're a completely different part than the SBC pushrods...

(Edit: still does it for me, but the p/n search works.)

 

Here's another thing to think about. I think the distributor gears are different for hydraulic cams vs roller cams. That's why you can't use '87 and up HEI's on older engines. It'll chew up the gear teeth on the cam.

 

Ok well the part number on the lifters is SUM-HT817.


I am also going from TBI to Carb, so i am gonna have to get a different distributor anyways. One with the coil on top of the car with work right?

 

Only thing I've heard is the other way around - you shouldn't use older distributors on factory roller cams. The factory uses a "melonized" gear on roller cam applications, and from what I've heard, that's all they make available anymore.

I'm using a ZZ4 distributor in my flat-tappet equiped 396. No issues to date (2 years).

 

I was talking about the link I posted, not your link. It works fine.

 

No personal experience with the different distributors. Got my info from here (third paragraph from bottom):

http://www.chevythunder.com/fuel%20i...%20pg%20AA.htm

 

Ohh, my bad

So i can use a distributor out of an older car right?

 

There really isn't a problem using a melonized gear on a flat-tappet cam.

del91_305, yes, using an older distributor with your new cam will be fine.