Notched Flat Tappet Lifter

[FirstEliminator]

    Hey guys,

    A while back I bought a cam for my 460 to 545 from Scotty-J at Re-Incarnation Automotive. I was talking to him about the cam failure in my 351w and he said they don't have that problem when using a few things he named off which included "notched lifters". I said huh? So, I looked in the box of lifters and noticed there is a tiny flat line vertically on the side of the lifter body. Is this a modified lifter that is available for FE? Is this something special only from Scott? I've never heard of it before. Seems like a good thing to do with a flat tappet lifter. Are there any drawbacks I don't see?

   

[LargeRickhead66]

Crower calls theirs Camsaver lifters. They have been around for quite awhile, although I've never used them. Other cam companies sell them too.

[blykins]

When I have to do a flat tappet FE, I use Crower SBF EDM lifters.  The lifters spit out a constant stream of oil out the bottom onto the lobe. 

[FirstEliminator]

I wasn't aware the SBF fit the FE.  Thought there was some difference, but can't remember what. Are they drop in or are there any mods needed?
    Can't seem to find the EDM lifters on Crower's site.  Are the the EDM hydraulic? I do see solid lifters that have the oil hole. Is EDM Comp's name?

   Here are the Crower cam savers with the flat line.
FORD 332-429 V8 (set/16), Cam Saver .874” Cam Saver 66016X3-16     <-------looks Crower has a typo should be 428 instead of 429.
FORD 221-460 V8 (set/16), Cam Saver .874” 1.725” Cam Saver 66015X3-16

    It looks like the oil hole would do constant oil on the lobe. Whereas the flat line may not apply oil to the lobe depending on where it spins to. But, looking through several companies, the only additional oiling for hydraulic lifters is the notch or groove on the side.

    No matter which is used, I'd presume a high volume oil pump is needed to cover 16 extra leaks in the system.

    I bet if someone was careful with a little rat tail file that the upper side of the lifter bore could have a little groove cut in to perform the same task as these lifters.  Further thought about that it seems to make sense to cut the upper side of lifter bores on cylinders 5-8. Although, I wonder if bank 1-4 would be more benefit to cut on the bottom side?  I'll wait to hear some replies before I rush out to do this on a 427 block.

[blykins]

SBF lifters are the same diameter as FE lifters but not the same height, so pushrod length has to change. 

Camsaver lifters are for hydraulics.  The EDM lifters are solid flat tappet.  EDM stands for electrical discharge machining.  The EDM machine burns a .020" hole in the bottom of the lifter that intersects the oil passage in the lifter. 

You need to figure out which direction you want to head.....roller, flat tappet, solid, hydraulic, etc.  Then we'll be better equipped to help you find the right parts.  Otherwise, we're just throwing random bits of information out into the wind.

[FirstEliminator]

SBF lifters are the same diameter as FE lifters but not the same height, so pushrod length has to change. 

Camsaver lifters are for hydraulics.  The EDM lifters are solid flat tappet.  EDM stands for electrical discharge machining.  The EDM machine burns a .020" hole in the bottom of the lifter that intersects the oil passage in the lifter. 

You need to figure out which direction you want to head.....roller, flat tappet, solid, hydraulic, etc.  Then we'll be better equipped to help you find the right parts.  Otherwise, we're just throwing random bits of information out into the wind.

    My mind is pretty gusty.    I will be going with hydraulic. The mild level of the engine would be good with a flat tappet. It's about a 400 dollar difference I think to go with a roller cam. Don't think there'd be any power gain with the roller. Just a higher level of safety in the beginning. One question, how do the linked hydraulic roller lifters stand up in the long term?

[blykins]

Just fine.  Hydraulic roller lifters will go hundreds of thousands of miles.  The link bars just keep them from turning in the bores. 

Yes, the roller stuff will be $400-500 more, but if you lunch a flat tappet cam, you're gonna be out way more than that.

[cammerfe]

Comp cams used to sell, and probably still does, a tool for putting a small groove in lifter silos that supplies constant oil to cam lobes.

KS

[FirstEliminator]

Darn, I hate it when someone steals my idea a long time before I think of it. I didn't know it existed. Summit doesn't have a listing just for the .874 diameter. I will call tomorrow.

   Thanks!