I am building a 355 with flat tops, pink LT1 rods and a LT1 crank (from a 70's motor - not generation 2 sbc). My heads are Trick Flow Super 23 (195cc) with 1.615" spring pockets but the two center pockets are 1.500" and I don't think their is room to machine them much larger because of the center head bolt. Anyway, whatever spring I run must have or be shimmed to a 1.800" installed height.
The motor is going in a 94 C1500 with a 5 speed transmission and I want to drive the thing a lot when it's nice out (maybe 20-30 miles each day for the entire summer).

How do the solid roller cams compare to the hydraulic roller cams? What's the deal with low oil pressure on solid rollers? How often would I expect to change out lifters/replace cam with such a high spring pressure?


The cam I am looking at is Comp Cams 12-769-8 (268/274, 230/236 @ .050", .552"/.564" lift 110 LSA). The spring pressure makes me a bit nervous, they recommend like a 550lb spring rate (194 seat pressure @ 1.950") and I know I can't run that exact spring but with a spring rate/seat pressure that high should I be worrying about my lifters and cam lobes?

 

Ive heard that most solid rollers aren't really meant for street duty. They're meant for high RPM work and so they dont oil themselves adequately at lower RPM's. Now this may or may not be true, but its the kind of thing you come across. Plus the crazy ramp rates and spring rates mean you'll be replacing the springs ($$$$) often, and Im not sure how long the lifters are supposed to last either...

All of that together just made me discount them all together.

 

Wells two cents. 20-30 miles a day. Bout the same as taking it to the track just every day if the weekend. Anyhow solid lifters are actually quite good for power no there not intended for everyday driving. Biggest issue with them is keeping them adjusted. You will need to become quite familiar with how and where to adjust them. Keep them set right and they will last s long time. As for springs go with a good quality spring that is rated some what over the pressure your going to run. There again keep your valve train in check and they will last. Jmts

 

If you go with a solid roller cam, good idea to get a stud girdle as well, this will keep the rocker nuts from moving on you, you will still need to check valve lash, also keeps valve train from flexing at high rpms

 

Never heard of a low oil pressure problem with solids

Running much larger SR with less than 220 seat and 500 open
It will sit up for a month wihtout being started
Springs are 2 yrs old not a lot of miles
Have not had any issue with springs losing tension or the need to adjust frequently. They say little higher idle is good for more splash oiling. I dont believe thats the issue more like the needle bearings just get pounded over time probably from not being adjusted right. RPM and plain old cycles over time kills them nothing is forever. A .904 lifter bore/lifter/cam ground for that would solve it I bet as it spreads the load $$$...most lifter mfrs have bushed lifters with no bearings seems like the ticket.

From what Ive gleaned from the likes of Straub, Jones, Joe Sherman etc little cams like ours with these spring pressures arent even a concern. Usually the BBC have the failures due to funky side loading from the pushrod angle and heavier valves/pressures needed. So Ill take his word verbatum.

They sure are nice I love em!! Rev seamlessly sound great and make killer power. Nothing sounds like a solid roller motor at WOT!!!
You dont need to go crazy on ramp rates either...using a somewhat "lazy" profile which should last and pulls like nuts up top.

Use a smaller head bolt for the ones in between the springs.

Doesnt help at all huh

 

The Internet has formed this ridiculous scare that solid cams are evil and unreliable. It is simply false. Hydraulics are honestly the car manufacturers way of COMPROMISE so customers wouldn't need valve lash adjustments regularly as well as preventing expensive failures from use that wasnt serviced when it should've been. These days, hydraulics allow people to be lazy, and hydraulic cams area lot more forgiving in this regard. You SHOULD still check your valve lash even with hydraulic cams, though. Many people don't do this and this can also cause issues.

Well, what we also didn't take into account is those same parts used to hold things in place are also better many years down the road. Solid rollers are fine provided you watch your lash regularly if you drive it a ton. Street solids aren't really a big deal; it's the dedicated strip grinds that require careful attention..just like any other dedicated drag parts/builds.

As for me? I will never use a hydraulic cam again.. Ever. Not unless its a grocery getter than I only intend to change the oil on every so often and flog the skylights out of it.

The issue with oiling has been largely corrected by the revised oiling passages and location on most solid lifters now. Some are still better choices,though. Good springs are a must, and like anything... You get what you pay for. I also recommend GOOD poly locks. Stud girdles help but are annoying to set in properly and work around. I dont use stud girdles, personally. Morel, crower, and ISKY all have awesome bushed lifters with no needle bearings in them if you're worried about a freak accident. That and they're rebuildable with several of the higher dollar lifter choices. The cheaper ones are fine with street solids, but don't forget to check your lash... Because if one of them blows, you're definitely doing a full rebuild thanks to all those bearings dropping into the rest of the motor.

So what's the risk? None, as long as you aren't lazy. There is more easy power to be had provided you simply do a 15 minute check every now and then. How hard is that, really? Considering you want a new cam anyways, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. All in all, the solid scare is simply that... Overhyped information from very selective experience.

 

Two major concerns.

How high do you intend to spin this engine with that bottom end??.


Cam/compression compatibility??.

 

I'm running a solid roller in my car. right under 700 lift, over 250 dur at .050.
I'm runing Crower high psi pin oiling lifters, shaft rockers and a comp Poly dizzy gear.
Yes this is a semi street car. I don't DD the car but I can if I have to.
If your doing a street car, stick with the hyd roller, there are a bunch of hyd lifters that can handle high RPM..

 

Motor should only turn 6,000-6,200 RPM I believe.

Thanks for all the responses. I am going to order my head bolts and drop the heads off to the machine shop to see what springs they pick. (Problem is I've only taken apart and put heads back together and never changed anything on them. The two center spring perches are significantly smaller than the other six on each head).

 

Hyd roller will be fine for you.

 

Hydraulic rollers are the best option for you. I would suggest that the only time to use the solid roller is if the car is going to be used for mainly race purposes with very little if any street driving.

 

Your combo doesnt need a solid for that rpm. You can max out those heads with a hyd roller setup right. For outright power a solid should have the advantage with more aggressive ramp rates but hyd wont be too far behind.

Now put some 215-220 cc small valve heads on it, nice single plane and turn 7500, watch what a solid roller can do

 

I have run a soilid roller in my 89 firebird for three years. It is a D. Herbert 565/565 lift. I used the retro fit solid lifter because the Block is a early 70's 355 . I run the car on the street and at the track and like everyone said check the lash often and you will be fine.

 

Exactly, I wanted to keep it simple because I was on my phone. You can run the solids but they should have they their lash checked regularly, but for what you are doing the hydraulic best fit your needs. The hydraulic will start floating the valves depending on ramps usually around 6800-7400.

 

Pink rods and not even ARP bolts with a solid roller cam??. Well-

In yrs passed we used to use also Buick 5.85 rods machined to size with pistons that had the correct pin height.In both cases the pink rods and the Buick rods they where way heavy.................

This was way before the 6" rods where available.

 

Another vote for HR making the most sense in your app

not that you cant run a small SR if you wanted to it will last a long time

Even with a more stout HR cam you still need to check springs. Its all preventative maintenance. If it matters although I have only a few hun miles on mine the springs are two yrs old, it sits a lot etc and no spring loss

If you run a "tight lash" SR that lash is more crucial to be right it seems...if they get sloppy seems they beat themselves up quicker than if you ran one wiht a lot larger lash type cam. Just an opinion.

Enjoy what ya got there are always + and - to any of them.