What would be a good type of solid flat tappet lifter to buy for a streetable BBC that will be a powerful daily driver and running one of Harold's cams? I don't plan to RPM much or anything, plan to run pump gas, highway use, etc. Good ol' Crane cams lifters or should I get a bit 'heavier duty' as it seems and get some Isky Red Zones or something like that, aren't they supposed to be good, or is that more than what I need?

Also, do solid rollers 'sound' like flat tappet solids do? Just curious..thanks.

Originally posted by OUChevelleSS:
What would be a good type of solid flat tappet lifter to buy for a streetable BBC that will be a powerful daily driver and running one of Harold's cams? I don't plan to RPM much or anything, plan to run pump gas, highway use, etc. Good ol' Crane cams lifters or should I get a bit 'heavier duty' as it seems and get some Isky Red Zones or something like that, aren't they supposed to be good, or is that more than what I need?
Also, do solid rollers 'sound' like flat tappet solids do? Just curious..thanks. =
Taylor,
The Red Zones are rollers & are arguably one of the very best roller lifters on the market for a reasonable price.
They are all I will build a roller engine with especially a street one.
The Crowers with the hi pressure pin oiling options are also an excellent lifter but my preference is the Isky.

For flat tappet with an aggressive lobe I like the EDM lifters with a P55 cam core
The EDM lifters have a very small hole in the bottom (about .030" or so) that squirts full pressure oil onto the cam lobe at all times.
The P55 core is a premium core that is harder than a stock core.
You do not need any of this with the generic or less aggressive flat tappet cam lobes.

And yes, solid rollers sound a lot like a flat tappet.

Mike,

I've been running the Crower Severe Duty Cutaway lifters in my engine. I'm in the processing of freshining the engine and changing the cam. I bought a new set of Isky RedZone lifters to install with the new cam. I figured since the engine was being freshened might as well install new lifters so I won't have to tear into it next season. At initial glance it doesn't appear that the finish operations on the Isky's are quite as good as the Crowers. The Isky lifters have a sharp edge just above the wheel where this have been knocked off on the Crowers. This wheel/bearing assembly on the Isky is comparable to the Crower and I like the fact that they can be rebuilt ($225) rather than buying new each time.

Originally posted by kjett:
Mike,

I've been running the Crower Severe Duty Cutaway lifters in my engine. I'm in the processing of freshining the engine and changing the cam. I bought a new set of Isky RedZone lifters to install with the new cam. I figured since the engine was being freshened might as well install new lifters so I won't have to tear into it next season. At initial glance it doesn't appear that the finish operations on the Isky's are quite as good as the Crowers. The Isky lifters have a sharp edge just above the wheel where this have been knocked off on the Crowers. This wheel/bearing assembly on the Isky is comparable to the Crower and I like the fact that they can be rebuilt ($225) rather than buying new each time. Yep, both excellent lifters but my vote goes to the Isky's as they are rebuildable & I like the secondary oiling deal that squirts oil directly at the needles that is standard.

Hey,,, you bought Isky's & didn't email
me??? :(

How am I going to keep the wolves fed if you do that :D

Since rollers were brought up, what is the opinion on Crane Pro-Series?

Jim

There is no sound as nice as a solid, or solid roller. The ricers keep telling me to adjust my valves, but the old farts grin ear to ear when they hear me coming.
Isky Red Zone is the way to go, or the unrebuildable Crower Super Duty, but that does not make much scence to me to purchase throw away parts. Its like Richmond, or Eaton rears, Eaton is rebuildable, Richmond is not.
Mike sold me a set of the Isky, and the direct pin/needle bearing oiling, makes 100% sence to get oil direct to the needle bearings and roller, especially for the street.
I had Comp rollers for way too many street miles, and to this day make my sphinkter muscles tighten just thinking about those rollers not getting oil. The Comp and Crane rely on splash to oil the needle bearings/cam. Are we still driving model T's with little cups on the ends of the crank for splash oiling?
My vote is Isky Redzone.
My ride is pump gas, street and Hwy, but does love to RPM with solid rollers.

I think I want to stick with solid flat-tappets for my combo, unless someone can otherwise tell me I definately need rollers. I was priced some Comp solids at $81/set. Are they good or should I look into some other flat tappets to go with one of UDHarold's cams?

Read this....

http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/009466.html

Interesting read on Crower HIPPO lifter failure.


Doc

Make no mistake, the Crower Severe Duty Lifters are second to none (unless you're talking about Schubecks or some other one off piece). It sounds like the guy in that thread had other issues like being able to keep a pickup attached to the pump. he didn't say which two lifters failed, but I'm guessing it was the two farthest from the oil galley entrance. Stuff happens.

What about edge-orfice or inertia-valve lifters?

I wish they made a solid lifer that had the inside pushrod seat shaped like a "golf-ball-tee" for our motors to save some weight but yet still use oilling pushrods.

I think Isky made a MOPAR Hemi solid lifter like that years ago??

May not even be possible for our motor's tho?

pdq67

I agree with some here that said use the solid lifter with the edm hole in the bottom.Just extra insurance against a lobe failure even though it can still happen, just less likely.

I bought solid flat tappet lifters for my son's 327 from Competition Products, I think they were a little less than $40. The counter guy said they lifters were from GM and just repackaged by Competition Products. He said they have seen no failures yet. We broke the cam in and ran about 5 gallons of gas through the engine on the test stand checking valve lash a few times and didn't notice any lobe or lifter problems so I'm sure all is well. We'll see how long they last on the street running 130lbs. of valve spring pressure on the seat. I wonder if the lazer hole lifters ever clog up with varnish, etc.

Small blocks dont usually have the potential problems that a big block can have.The design of the big block puts more stress on lifters and cam than the small block does. I would still go with the lifters with the hole in the bottom even if I got them from competition products.

while on the subject of lifters what are the benefits and drawbacks to solid lifters as opposed to hydralic lifters. I know hydralic lifters are quieter but do you really loose engine performance with them.

I am cam breakin paranoid so I went for some Schubecks solid flat tappet .842" lifters. They cost as much as some good roller lifters but still come out cheaper if you consider the cost of the roller cam and the replacement/rebuild of solid roller lifters. While my rotating assembly was being balanced I brought in one of the schubecks to weigh and it came in at 56 grams vs 99 grams for a stock lunati lifter. I also have a set of BBC crower break in rockers if you want to use them. Shoot me an email.
Thanks
Caleb