Lima roller lifter vs FE difference

[6667fan]

I have some mechanical roller lifters for sale but the question has arisen as to whether they are FE or 385 parts. The body diameter and roller diameter are shared between the two but they have different part numbers on line, ( my packaging has none).Anyone know how 385 sets differ in general? The length of the tie bar on this set is 3.75” and there is a very small slot on the side of these lifters that does not show in the on-line offerings.
Thanks,
JB

[CaptCobrajet]

The oil feed holes are in a different place.  460 lifters in an FE will pump the pan dry!  Crower once tried to consolidate the two.  I immediately saw the result when I primed an engine with their 66217 lifter.  After some discussion with them, they continued to, and still do, make FE and 385 lifters with the holes in different places. The FE cannot line up with the drilled passage, and the 460 can't face to the main galley side of the lifter bore for the same reason.  This will give a direct flow path and oil "to the moon, Alice".

[feadam]

Just wondering I have lunati hyd roller lifters and if I remember they were listed as being for both, are they the same as crower

[blykins]

Hydraulic lifters are different than solids.  With a hydraulic lifter, you get a metered oil flow up through the lifter body.  With a solid, you have lash, which can create a massive leak. 

It's the same with Windsors and Clevelands as it is for FE's and 385's, because the Cleveland and the 385 oil the same, with the main oil galley passing through the lifter bore.   That's why you see Windsor and Cleveland hydraulic lifters with the same part number but solids are different.   Same deal with the 385 and the FE. 

[feadam]

Thanks

[MeanGene]

So if one was running an old-school undrilled solid lifter only block, which would only splash oil the rollers, it wouldn't matter, and Lima lifters would work in an FE as well as dedicated FE ones?

[fekbmax]

So if one was running an old-school undrilled solid lifter only block, which would only splash oil the rollers, it wouldn't matter, and Lima lifters would work in an FE as well as dedicated FE ones?

Or a block with blocked off lifter galleys

[blykins]

On some lifters, the link bars are also slightly different between the FE and the 385.