Hi.. Looking for 540cube combo's using solid flat tappet cams around 10.5:1 comp with dyno results.
This is a Hot weekend street car.
Thanks Frank..

Honestly you would be better off saving the money on a stroker kit building less cubes and running a roller in a 468 or less cubes. Whay are you considering a flat tappet.

A hydrualic roller will make more power than a solid flat tappet. A solid roller would be an extra $300 increase from a flat tappet. Why even consider it?

I would only run a flat tappet solid if class rules made you.

because a hydro-roller in a bbc limits rpm to a measly 5500rpm 6000MAX if lucky, and a solid roller is not 100% streetable, and both rollers cost about 4x's more than a flat tappet that will give really good results. BUT I am one to talk since i have a solid roller :)

I don't agree that a hydraulic roller will outpower a flat tappet. Maybe in the 220-230 @.050 region where max power will be in the low 5000's, but with a more healthy cam that flat tappet will let that 540 spin where the hydro roller will die at 5500. I have solid flat in my 502 that makes max power at 6200, wouldn't work with a hydro roller.

How about one that is say 290/255/300/260, 110/106, .625"/.625" net lift.

NOW, I figure this is just a mild one in a 540 b/c I am not one for HIGH lifts b/c of all the darn spring problems high lift causes!!

Hopefully Harold will chime in here..

AND if I ever build that BIG standard deck motor I am always mouthing about, I will use a solid cam too... Just like I'm going to put in another junk 292 or 301 motor when I get around to building it someday.. And have in my 496!!

pdq67

Ask Wolfplace about the hydrualic roller'd 468 he posts about! Why would you want to spin a streeter over 6K anyway?

Yes hydrualic rollers are more money, I'm just lost on the big "dollar" cubes 60's technology flat tappet.

"A solid flat tappet will let it spin more":Spinnin a 540 street motor why? Ask yourself this, why does chevrolet run Hydro rollers in thier motors (ls-1,ls-6) not because it makes less power than a flat tappet.

your talking small block when you talk about the ls1/ls6, ever compared or weighed one of their lifters to a BBC's? Also BBC's have big ole pushrods and bigger diameter springs

Cody, What does that have to do with anything? Everthing is heavy on a big block. A hydo roller can go 6K in a big block.

Why are u running a solid roller if a flat tappet is a power maker.

Flat lifters are friction. They have there place, but in a 540... I guess.. to each thier own.

The original post was "hot weekend street car" my point is:

A. an everday driver hydo roller could be built to wax that flat tappet.

B. "Hot weekend street car" than go solid roller.

C. If he doesn't have the money for a roller than why spend the money for a 540?

I already have the 540 cu" motor, have an SR 254 Crane Solid Street Roller but was considering going Solid Flat Tappet just for maintenence reasons. I have Crower Hippo Lifters with 1.8:1 Rockers giving me about 650" net lift but with spring pressures around 190lb closed and 500lb open i am not sure about viability of roller on the street.Thanks Frank

Hi Cody.. Since you are already running a Solid Roller, what spring pressures do you consider safe for the street as i have mentioned previously i have an SR254 Crane Powermax Street Roller with 1.8:1 rockers, Hippo Lifters, but was uncertain about durablity on the street..Thanks Frank

It's not a 540 (502) but on a dyno engine at work that has had a lot of combos (hyd rollers, solid rollers, and one solid flat), a solid flat did a nice job. I won't go into details, but it made 650 HP with a dominator on a 9.5:1 502. No other cam made much more power (one solid roller was +5). But the solid flat was the only one that was run with a dominator and it had the most duration (about 264@.050 vs 255 for the biggest solid roller).

Apples and oranges, yes, but it proved to me a solid flat can work well. It actually idled down pretty well too. It's definately a lot cheaper to run a flat tappet than a solid roller. I've got more in the springs and retainers for my new solid roller BBC than a complete cam and valve train for a solid flat.

My experiences will hyd rollers and BBC have been pretty much they give up around 5800-6k when you experience valvetrain problems. I would never run one on a BBC engine that was going to see over 5800.

although a little more expensive, i used titanium retainers with a solid flat tappet cam, wanted the reliability of flat tappet, and the retainers helped it lose some weight, they custom ground the cam based on this setup

Hi.. Looking for 540cube combo's using solid flat tappet cams around 10.5:1 comp with dyno results.
This is a Hot weekend street car.
Thanks Frank..
We're able to make 740+HP & 710+ Ft.Lbs Torque with Hyd. Rollers and 800+HP & 740+Ft.Lbs Torque with Mech. Rollers. Both combos are all under 10:1 C.R.(9.75:1) and alloy heads flowing 375+CFM @ .725" lift. We have the Hyd. Retro's stable at 6550 RPM's on the dyno and they peak @ about 6200, using spring pressure @ 160#/165# closed and 375#/380# open. In all solid roller assy's we try to use Titanium valves only and definitely use Titanium retainers on everything. Titanium valves, although somewhat expensive, yield a great savings in spring life. We have some springs on streetcars up here for years with no problems. You can actually back down the spring pressure a bit. Thanks, Gary in N.Y.
P.S. We've tested a number of these using 89 Octane with no drawbacks.

do you have any dyno sheets for all these engines? I have seen you post some pretty lofty stuff, about time to show some proof, this doesn't mean it can't be done, and I do 99% believe you, but the proof is in the pudding!

Frank, really you should contact your cam maker and talk to them about their spring pressures and recommended. Wolfplace helped me pick out my components and he highly recommended a "stiff" spring, to keep the lifter planted on the lobe, bouncind lobes are the biggest reason of solid roller lifter failure.

Hydro-rollers are not evil in a big block. They do make great power, especially if you are building a low rpm motor. I don't think many people consider a hot street motor to lose steem at 5,800 rpm. Also hydro rollers are way more than $300 more than a flat tappet, and they are NOT going to make way more power than soild flat tappet. These are facts.

Solid flats can run pretty darn well. Plus it's nice to not worry about them. I've pretty much got into the habit of throwing an old Crane flat tappet in my 540 for the summer cruising months. It's too hot to get great times at the track in Houston, so I wait until cooler weather to stick roller back in.

The one I have is defintely not the optimum cam for my motor, but it's laying there and it's free! It's an old design 266/276@.050 on a 110 with only .600/.620 lift, which is a LONG way from what my heads like. But I've used it for a couple of years now with no issues. The current roller is a 266/273 on a 112 LSA with .731/.731 lift.

Just for reference the best times to date in full "race mode" has been 10.04@141 mph. Lots of 139-141mph stuff. That's with roller cam, open headers, extensions, slicks, skinny front tires, carb spacer etc etc etc.

A couple of months ago I drove it to Bowling Green Ky from Houston (2000 mile round trip) for a cruise in event and went out to track. We literally unloaded luggage and lawnchairs and pulled to line. That's full closed exhaust, BFG plain 'ole street tires, no spacers, skinny wheels or slicks and light rear wheels, no shock adjustments, sway bar in place, no suspension snubbers or anything. I was mainly looking for a decent MPH number since there was no way I was going to get my foot in it off the line. I tried throughout the runs and pretty much it wasn't until 3rd gear that I could open it WOT. Lots of dancing and spinning. But with all that it still pulled an 11.50@130.07 with a 2.39 60'. I only made a couple of runs and I really think it could hit some high 10's as it sat with a little more time to work out the launches.

While I know this represents 9-10 mph or so, again remember all the tricks that weren't in place. I fully expect if put in "race mode" the flat tappet could pull some 135+ trap speeds and run low-mid 10's easily. A set of 1.8 rockers or maybe just getting the "right" flat tappet would help even more.

I would use a solid flat tappet anytime over a hyd roller for a street toy if I wanted to be able to get over 6200 rpm or so. Mine will still pull past 7000 rpm with no issues.

JIM

A good reliable solid lifter cam for a 540 is the Lunati 402B1LUN cut on 110 LSA. The part number is 40299--custom ground BBC solid lifter cam--- and part number is 02-UF05-UF06-10, 296/304 at .020, 263/271 at .050, .630"/.630" with 1.7s, .667"/.667" lift with 1.8s, and 110 LSA. It has gone 100,000 miles in street BBCs, so it's very reliable. It needs 135-140 lbs on the seat, 330-340 lbs open, breaking in with outer springs only.

UDHarold

UDHarold...Thanks for your reply...How would that Cam you have recommended compare to the Crane SR254 Powermax Street Roller 254int-262exh @.050" 112lca .636" gross lift in the horse power department.
Will the Lunati cam work with 10.4:1 compression.
How long would it take for this cam to be ground.
Thanks....Frank

Frank,

I think the answer is ----Not much, in the way of comparison.
The Crane is longer at the seat, and seating velocity is very low to avoid triggering knock-sensors. I don't think anyone with a 254/262 at .050 cam is worried about knock-sensors. The Crane's seat duration is 302/310, the Lunati's is 296/304. At .200" lobe lift the Crane is 166/172, according to their Master listing, and the Lunati is 173/180. Net lifts are close, with the Lunati having .600"/.600" net lift.
You should see more power everywhere.
The 10.4:1 is about the minimum I would use, and the cam should take about a week. Order it from Steve, 662-892-1526, and it cuts out at least a day.
The Lunati in a 3200-lb 402 runs 10.60s in the 1/4.......

UDHarold

Thanks Harold for the reply...just a coulpe of more queries.I have some 1.8:1 rockers, how would they work with that cam, and what base circle is it ground on, as I already have pushrods to suit the Crane cam.Also with the 1.8:1 rockers, the open spring pressure is going to be more than you recommend with the Lunati spring (p.n-73121). Is that going to be a problem. Would the lifter with the oil feed hole in the bottom be helpful for street driving....Thanks for your help...Frank

Frank,

The 1.8:1 rockers are just fine, they give .667" gross valve lift, about .640" net valve lift. The base circle should be within a few thousands of the Crane, as base circle is controlled by lobe lift, and it's .3706" for me, .374" for Crane.
The Lunati 73121s have worked fine for 20 years. Break the cam in with the outers only.
The cam went the 100,000 miles BEFORE the bottom-oil feed lifter was invented, so it's your choice.....

UDHarold

im pretty new at alot of todays technology but from some past 502 exp id say you are in need of a somewhat agressive solid roller to provide the air and fuel that a 540 makes . unless you have small cylinder heads with lil valves i dont think a flat tappet cam will get the job done . why do a monster motor and only feed it half of its required air and fuel. whats your compression what heads do u have . what kinda car is this in ? automatic or a stick. the first 502 i beat to beath went a hyd roller at 9.51 compression this motor ran 11.30,s with 650 lift and my flat tapped 560 that came with the motor barley ran 11.80,s and the last one i did we had a 730 hyd that was switched to solids would net me a best et of 10.66 keeping it under6,500 rpm,s some may do better some may do wrose but it seems like the more i fed it the faster it got.

hello writer of this post i have sent you a private message asking for some input . hello hello hello

hi....building a 540 with pro topline 320cc heads 10.4:1.Will be using either solid flat tappet or solid roller, have you any experience with combos like this.....thanks Frank.

UDHarold
Thanks very much for your help....Frank

Wouldnt the solid rollers require a shorter pushrod than the solid flat tappets?
Or is the differance minimal?

Wouldnt the solid rollers require a shorter pushrod than the solid flat tappets?
Or is the differance minimal?
On paper, I think they are supposed to be the same.