solid roller cam?
solid roller cam? How streetable are the solid mechanical cams? I know jessel makes really good products, but are they a must? Can you drive them on the street every other weekend for a hour or so or will they chew up the lifters and come out of adjustment all the time. I know they need to be checked regularly but how often and what brand rockers, lifters and how much? I am wanting the extra power and do not drive but maybe 2 times a month on the weekends for a hour at the most. I have seen my brother adjust his in a older race car, and he is willing to show me. The lift will be around 650 give or take.
TECH Resident
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 881
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Back in the old days all high performance cars--Z28, Boss 302, LT1 (the 1970 one), 435/427s, L88, Boss 429, Hemis (the 426 kind), etc.--where all solid lifter.
Hydraulics are self adjusting...perfect for a motor that has to be emissions certified for over 100,000 miles. Also, reduced maintenance schedules favor not including expensive valve adjustments. However, they have limitations in the load they can take which limits the combination of engine speed, valve spring pressure, and valvetrain inertia. This makes them milder (in terms of ramp speed) than solid designs.
That said, recent technology has done wonders with hydraulic rollers. It is hard to call an LSK, XE-R or their equivalents mild camshafts.
You will be able to use a much bigger cam at .050 and .200 with equivalent seat timings when you go solid. To reap the benefits you will need the adjustable rockers. Probably bigger springs. While I don't have aluminum block/head experience, after an hour or so of running tme they hold their lash pretty well.
Just for reference, the Toyota Twin Turbo ('93-'98 in the US) was solid lifter; valve lash adjustment was scheduled at 60k mile increments. And I believe you will find many exotics are still solid...or actually direct action DOHC.
Hydraulics are self adjusting...perfect for a motor that has to be emissions certified for over 100,000 miles. Also, reduced maintenance schedules favor not including expensive valve adjustments. However, they have limitations in the load they can take which limits the combination of engine speed, valve spring pressure, and valvetrain inertia. This makes them milder (in terms of ramp speed) than solid designs.
That said, recent technology has done wonders with hydraulic rollers. It is hard to call an LSK, XE-R or their equivalents mild camshafts.
You will be able to use a much bigger cam at .050 and .200 with equivalent seat timings when you go solid. To reap the benefits you will need the adjustable rockers. Probably bigger springs. While I don't have aluminum block/head experience, after an hour or so of running tme they hold their lash pretty well.
Just for reference, the Toyota Twin Turbo ('93-'98 in the US) was solid lifter; valve lash adjustment was scheduled at 60k mile increments. And I believe you will find many exotics are still solid...or actually direct action DOHC.
TECH Resident
Joined: Dec 2004
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Davidnj , Thanks that does help, I was just wondering if anybody could comment on the life of the lifters, springs, and how often you guys and gals are adjusting them , Thanks Patrick
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: longview, tx
I used a solid roller for years in my bracket car that I raced a LOT. I never recall them getting out of adjustment. I changed springs once a season just because. I'd race all year without touching the adjustment if I didn't tear something up which was rare though. My .650 was maintenance free. The .700 with some really steep ramps was a rocker arm killer though. It was worth 5mph over the older .650 in a 9.80 car. I was amazed how the .700 lift Cam Motion woke it up.
