Stroked 460 Questions

[Tom Wells]

mdross1,

Can't help wondering about solid rollers, bushed or needled. From what I can glean on the 'net (yeah, I know how reliable that can be) it seems idling is the solid roller killer, especially if the lift profile is aggressive from the start.

There are cams that have "softer" initial ramps, and cams that use tighter clearances that may help. Spending some phone money talking directly to Isky might save you some pain...

Most of the solid rollers I'm aware of are maintenance items; you run them 3000-5000 miles and then have them rebuilt. If you have low total miles to run the car it would seem more like a practical choice.

My hydraulic BBF rollers have gone 30K+ miles without the valve covers off. I do agree mine probably sounds tamer than a solid roller would

Tom

[blykins]

Originally Posted by Tom Wells

mdross1,

Can't help wondering about solid rollers, bushed or needled. From what I can glean on the 'net (yeah, I know how reliable that can be) it seems idling is the solid roller killer, especially if the lift profile is aggressive from the start.

There are cams that have "softer" initial ramps, and cams that use tighter clearances that may help. Spending some phone money talking directly to Isky might save you some pain...

Most of the solid rollers I'm aware of are maintenance items; you run them 3000-5000 miles and then have them rebuilt. If you have low total miles to run the car it would seem more like a practical choice.

My hydraulic BBF rollers have gone 30K+ miles without the valve covers off. I do agree mine probably sounds tamer than a solid roller would

Tom

For any solid roller engine that will see a LOT of street time, I use a bushed lifter and that's about it. I use the Isky EZ Roll bushed lifters. They should go 25-30k miles before needing a rebuild. The lifters that are not pressure fed are the ones that will generally need replacement in the 3000-4000 mile interval.

As for cams, there are indeed lobes that are easier on the valvetrain than others. A larger major intensity (difference between advertised duration and .050" duration) is generally easier on the parts, and it also helps if you keep lift down. A tight lash cam is also easier.

All of my personal toys have solid rollers in them, but I enjoy hitting higher revs.

[olddog]

With 500+ cid, you do not need to go to extreme exotic parts to make power. Getting 600+ lb-ft of torque is not hard. Getting it to breath to 5500 rpm or so is going to make as much Hp as you can hook to the ground in a 2500 lb car.

There is no need to spin this behemoth above 6K. Attempting to do so is where the cost starts escalating rather steeply.

You do not need solid roller lifters. You may want them, but you need to understand the difference between a need and a want.

It like seeing a good looking ***** and wanting her. After you have her, you wish you had never seen her.

[blykins]

Nothing wrong with wanting a little more power and a little more rpms. If this were a daily driver, I would have a different opinion, but in all honesty, no one needs more than 250 hp in these cars.

The good news is that:

1. Cobras have gas pedals. You don't have to have them wide open all the time.

2. A larger cam and more rpms usually bleeds the low end power and torque down, which helps the traction issue with a Cobra.

[mdross1]

Originally Posted by blykins

Nothing wrong with wanting a little more power and a little more rpms. If this were a daily driver, I would have a different opinion, but in all honesty, no one needs more than 250 hp in these cars.

The good news is that:

1. Cobras have gas pedals. You don't have to have them wide open all the time.

2. A larger cam and more rpms usually bleeds the low end power and torque down, which helps the traction issue with a Cobra.

This is my take on the subject as well.

Been running solid roller cams for many years in our Harleys. Always ran the lash much tighter than recommended. Plan to do the same thing with the 385.

Actually once the cams and lifters are happy with each other they require very little adjusting. Should add that it has always worked that way for me. I'm one of those who enjoy checking things all the time and look forward to pulling the valve covers when the feel the need strikes.

Having these hot rods and comparing notes with like minded enthusiasts has always been one of my favorite past times. You never know what little tricks of the trade you might walk away with.