What's the Perfect/Dream valvetrain setup
 

OK guys and gals, as title says what is the perfect/dream valvetrain setup to use in an LQ9 408 with AFR Mongoose 230cc / 62cc heads. Have a lifter issue and wanting to bulletproof the setup that can easily take 7200rpm.


Currently running
LS7 lifters
LS1 rockers with Comp Bearing upgrade
Pushrods are Comp Cams 5/16"
Springs are PRC Dual .650"
Cam is .624" lift on both


Looking at Johnson Short travel and rockers are really confusing soooo many choices but want to stay 1.7 ratio.

LS3 valves turned down to 2.08
Titanium retainers, tool steel keepers
Bump up to 11/32 pushrods or even 3/8 if you have the option to bore out the pushrod bosses now.

Johnson short travel are great. The only better option is solid. Honestly, for bulletproof, LLSR is probably best. But if your cam was cut for hydraulic already and you are going to keep it, Johnson 2126ST are the best out there with the short travel and dedicated axle oiling port.

I would step up to YT rockers, personally. Roller tips increase low lift duration.

Haven't dived in yet but almost going to have to order a new cam if it has gouges from lifter. With having the cam card I can have one cut exactly like my current or maybe change it up a bit. Either way I plan on probably having cam motion do the honor or grinding that out. I'm just planning that if I have to dive in that I will do as much preventive as I can. I'm kinda trying to wise up and live by so many's motto "Do it right once, or pay for it twice".

Best setup?

Hollow-stem LS3, Ti retainers, dual springs shimmed to 170lbs with 450 open.

LLSR with Morel Black Mamba lifters, 3/8" pushrods, and Crower Stainless Rockers with Roller Tip option.

Hydraulic... the Johnson Short Travel axle-oiling race lifters, 11/32 or 3/8, and probably the stock rockers with CHE upgraded trunnions or the newest YT rockers machined for 10mm bolts.

Well that's two votes for the same setup

Not sure a dream setup is required with those goals?
Better lifters as stated above. A bigger pushrod and thats basically it as far as i can tell. Not sure what you're valvetrain weights are compared to stock.

I have stock AF valves and heavy steel duals in the top of mine, some nice lifters and overkill pushrods. 7400rpm with no issues. Dont even have a rocker arm upgrade, granted my lift is low but the ramp rate of the cam is very aggressive.

A dream setup says Jesel in multiple places such as rockers, lifters, belt timing set, ect ect. Unnecessary for what you are doing.

Perfect Valve Train = Camless
 

Hi Ne, I made a Camless Valve Train = Perfect

My ECU could control the Opening/Closing/Lift (1994-1996)
Max RPM was 16K.
We ran the engine in Two Stroke, Four Stroke, Six Stroke modes.

I did this for AURA Systems.

I also worked with Eddie Sturman, he ran up Pikes Peak with a Camless Engine.

BE CARE FULL of which question you ask !

Your question : as stated with above "tech"
EXCEPT NO Valve springs of Steel.

I would fit Air Cup Springs.
DO NOT FIT AL Rocker Arms.

Lance

For 7200 RPM... OEM lifters, OEM valves, solid springs to control them. Some of these builds are going on 9+ years old banging 7k+ every day without issue.

If you want to spend the money Johnson lifters have held up well if you have to buy new lifters anyway. But if you have the cam and the heads flow decent why not rev it higher?

Curious why you don't like AL rockers? I know the gen1 YT's had their issues, but I haven't heard of anything on the gen3 rockers with the offset stamp

Going higher in RPM would probably need me to switch up intakes from my current FAST 102. Car is street driven a lot and not tracked so much at the current moment. But I have looked into something like a single plane efi setup. Those look very nice but not sure how street wise they run.