mopops
Well-Known Member
can i use a hyd lifter cam with factory roller lifters?tks
cam shaft ?
- Thread starter mopops
- Start date
Vaanth
Well-Known Member
In general, no.
You might install them and button up the engine, and it might even run, although not well, and maybe not long. The cam profile parameters will be off. The rollers will wear unevenly. The camshaft will wear quickly.
Flat tappet, or lifter, camshaft lobes are ground on an angle, but roller camshafts are ground straight. This angle coupled with the slight crown on the bottom of a "flat" tappet, whether hydraulic or solid, causes the tappet to rotate. The roller of the roller lifter will ride on an edge only on this angle and wear improperly. The following image shows the relationship between the flat tappet camshaft and lifter:
The profile shape of the lobes differ between the roller camshaft and the flat tappet camshaft, as demonstrated in the following image:
With this difference, switching the lifter types will alter the designed profile parameters.
Differences in the metals will lead to even more rapid wear of the cast iron flat tappet camshaft with the hardened steel rollers of the roller lifters.
Depending on the engine, the associated valve/rocker/pushrod gear can differ between the roller setup and the flat tappet setup, including lifter height, leading to further compatibility issues.
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Shorty Thompson
Well-Known Member
What year engine you trying to do this with? Is / Was this engine a " roller motor " to begin with? Thing about rollers that I was always told is that they spin up faster than old school slugs. But I agree you put slugs with slugs and rollers with rollers.
