My block is a '66 Solid Lifter block. With everything reported over the recent years and the higher rate of solid lifter cams getting eaten. With the available data, it seems the roller came would be easier on the engine than a solid lifter so I went that route. It's not perfect and I'm finding that out.

I'd usually rather have a solid flat tappet in that scenario. 

IMO, the cam failures generally boil down to guys running too much spring load.   Don't get me wrong, there's a statistical bell curve to every part and I'm sure there are failures, but I see so many guys buy heads off the shelf "for flat tappet cams", bolt them on, and watch the cam lobes get ground to oblivion, because they didn't know to check spring loads with their cam, or pull the inners out to break it in.

If you are running a solid roller on the street more than likely it is a big cam. By that I mean .600"+.

Just as an aside, cam size really shouldn't be judged by the lift.   It's very common to see very streetable cams (hydraulic roller, solid flat tappet, solid roller, etc.) that have .600" lift or more.  It's really not the valve lift that causes the issues, it's the durations and more specifically the amount of "snap" the lobes have that require higher spring pressures to keep everything in check.   I have towing cams out there in vehicles that have tens of thousands of miles on them with ~.600" lift.   On the other side of that coin are the Cup guys who used to run .750"-.800" lift cams with just 400 lbs of spring load.  Everything has to be looked at as an individual case.  A "big cam" to me is a cam with a lot of duration, which would generate a lot of rpm.

I totally agree with you on the other points.  I would rarely recommend a solid roller for a street vehicle, unless it's a unique case or it's for an engine with a block that doesn't oil to the lifters. With the rpms that we can get out of hydraulic rollers now, it's a much better/stable choice.

They're worth about 13 hp from what I've seen on testing. 

As for cooling better, I don't know if I would necessarily say that, but the best "pro" about them is that you can cool the engine down with the engine shut off. 

I really like the Ford Racing sets for flat tappet cams.  I use Cloyes billet sets for roller cams.

It’s hard to beat a Powerbond balancer.

Quote from: blykins on June 04, 2024, 07:01:54 AM

Unless it's something like a Victor intake, you can usually fish the lifter pair out through various orifices in the intake manifold.  Easy to inspect that way.  I'd pull the lifter pair on the rocker that you thought was loose and check it out. 

Normally, you don't see many non-pressure-fed solid roller lifters going longer than several thousand miles, so it's possible, but you could easily rule it out.

I have an Edelbrock RPM intake. I'll give it a shot on trying to fish out. The smallest opening is between the #7 & #8 push rod holes. I'll have to think out this approach. Any special picks, magnets, tools to help remove the lifter pair?

Thanks!

I've done it on a Performer RPM.  A telescoping magnet will get it done.  You can also pull the distributor and pass the lifter pair down the lifter valley with a magnet and pull it out the distributor hole.  Many ways to do it. 

Putting it back in is a little tougher, but a pair of magnets will get it. 

This is a WP170U pump.  It's brand new, I bought it for my Tunnel Port last year, but didn't use it.  I don't have the box.

This is $573 at Summit.  I'll sell for $475 plus the ride.

I don't think a 930 spring will work.  Most factory FE heads set up at around 1.800-1.850".  Those springs are 150 lbs at 1.900".  You'd have to run them at almost 2.000" to get them down to 120 lbs seat.