Dougnsalem
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Hey, thanks for spending the time on the reply. I'm always open to discussing subjects, even if opinions differ. That's how I've learned many new things. That's one of the reasons I'm here. I hadn't replied yet, just so I could take my time and read your post....Ok I'll splain it to ya...
The lifter bores are not true enough for long term roller rockers.
The lifter bores are not deep enough either, especially for high lift rollers. So kinda negates having a radical cam.
Yes you can get lifter bores bored and sleeved with brass, actually extending the brass higher than the block to give more depth
to the bores... but you need a race engine builder to do this. This equipment is not standard fare in automotive machining.
Because of the slight miss-alignment in the lifter bores, the rollers themselves will start to umm. .. loose their **** and galling occurs...
which pollutes the engine with micro (and eventually macro) pieces (flakes) of hardened roller face steel.
These old engines as awesome as the oiling system is, is sub standard for the rollers resulting in... the needle bearings (in the rollers)
giving up the ghost. They are more happy with race engines (but you can't run really high lift cams anyway so moot point) with radical
cam that has a higher idle speed than a daily driver. yes you can buy Redline lifters with bushings instead of needle bearings BUUUUT...
look at the price and **** your pants.
A lot of extra expense for only a very slight boost in performance. Read this sentence over a few dozen times.
Oh and I didn't mention the cam button details... they are not reliable.
Retro roller cam manufactures suggest you inspect every 3000 miles... eeesh.
Fogetaboutit if you want to run propane. Propane engines like to idle down to 500 rpm. Your roller lifters will be having a fit with
oil starvation.
Retro rollers are for hot rods, mud trucks (with 3" body lifts) and anything NOT a daily driver.
Going to retro rollers because you're afraid to break in a flat tappet means... you must not have heard of grooving the lifter bores.
You want to free up some hp? Use an electric fan.
I know, it sounds cool to say "yeah Bubba she's a full roller engine".
Again, it's a very large financial investment for only a very small increase in performance.
Anyways, first I do have a request. Please do not assume how I feel about something, or why I do something. Just ask me. This comment was border line smart ass, and I did not appreciate it.... (Now I am willing to admit that I may have just read it wrong too, if that is the case)
Going to retro rollers because you're afraid to break in a flat tappet means... you must not have heard of grooving the lifter bores.
I have never said why I prefer rollers. In over 30 years of building a lot of race, and stock OE engines, I have NEVER lost a lobe. Not once. I have even used a buddies 5 year old cam, out of his 12 second car- and tossed it in one of my motors with new lifters. Those lobes are still good, and the motor is sitting on my garage floor right now. I've just been lucky I guess. So, moving on...
Everyone here has the choice to build their rig how they see fit. I've done the 4x4 stuff. I gave it up because I kept breaking stuff. 82 K20. So yeah, been doing the " hot rod" thing. While a lot here are beefing up parts, my crewcab is hitting a diet. Back-half, Phantom wheels in the back.... This is what I'm aiming for....
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And I'll drive it on the street. You bet. People have different opinions on what a daily driver is, and what they can tolerate.
Well, propane? No. Roller cam, or not, I have no desire to run propane. Maybe it will make a difference to someone else-that's for them to decide.
The service every 3,000 miles? Not me. I will be in every 1,000 miles (if not sooner) to CHECK the valves. From my past experience, I've found the lash is only gonna move about .001" in that time. Check it more often so if you DO get a bigger lash, then you know you have issues. Something isn't right, and you catch it BEFORE things blow up on you. And really, how long does it take to run the valves when you have roller rockers on? Not long, especially if you have a bump switch to the starter. Still a daily driver??? It is for me.
I'm not quite sure why you mentioned the cam button. They aren't reliable? Exactly how so is that? I have never had any problems with them.
The cost? Yeah, its more expensive. To go faster, I have to lose weight (fiberglass, lighter parts, chop stuff off), or add power. IMHO, best bang for the buck-high flow heads. Best way to use that potential power sitting there-slam the valves open and closed as fast as possible. The room for power improvement here is huge, if your other components match.
Ok, now the easy part. The whole first half of the post was about the lifters, and needing a competent machinist. Cake.....
1. Dairy Farmers of Oregon sponsored a Top Fuel Funny car from 1990 to 2000. Owned by Wayne Parker and his kids Russ and Randy. They still run their auto electric repair shop a couple miles down the road from me. They raced in division 6. Randys wife races a Top Fuel Dragster, right now, and won the Northwest Nationals last August up in Washington.
2. "Bad Bob" has a 69 El Camino. Full race chassis, the works. Twenty years ago, twenty, his car ran 7s in the quarter mile. It also had lights, plates, and he drove it on the street. I myself saw this, and it was more than once. He"s been in magazines, but whatever.
3. 1998 Dougnsalem takes his STD bore 1970 high nickle LT block, and 292 angle plug heads in for work. You know, the ones you could only buy over the counter. Open checkbook- don't call me, just make it right. Machinist tells me what mechanical roller cam to get, after asking a bazillion questions. He ports the crap out of the heads, cuts spring pockets, sets springs, bores block, blah, blah, blah.......
The thing in common with the 3 above? Machinist Butch Stetson. No one around here was close to his knowledge and ability.
Question for you-do you think Butch was competent enough to know if I could run a roller cam on the street, or not? "Read this sentence over a few dozen times....". You tell me. Did he screw me by not sleeving the lifters bores? Were the bores all jacked up? Did he do all of this work, knowing my lifters would just blow up?
Last question- Are you talking from past experience that YOU had-have you ever tried to run a mechanical roller on the street, and had it fail, or are you just reading me info out of a book?
So, in the future , if someone asks me about roller cams, I am going to tell the to read your post, my post, and make their own decision. Sounds good don't you think?
WOO HOO! Beer time!
My rebuttle is done..... Lol
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