hi-tec cobra
How thick is your wallet?
Me, I don't scrimp...anywhere. You can read threads and the same brands keep popping up. I allowed my engine builder, Joe Boghosian, who is extremely old school and has been building motors for 50 years (everything from Andretti's 69 Indy winner to drag boats to flatheads to Offys to Dick Smith's motors since #198 first started running) to build it his way.
The one thing I chose? That phuking solid roller.
Many of the things he chose were due to long-time relationships he had with suppliers over the past half century. For assample, when he explained what crank he chose, he referred to "one of Hank's" which I later learned meant a Velasco. Some folks use Scats or other brands. My Velasco is very likely overkill, but it's not just the brand...it's what the builder does to it.
Let's key in on the crank a moment. Joe had "Hank" scribe some reverse mini-trenches at the back of the crank...which help draw
oil away from the critical rear main area. This is something George Anderson (an FE god from Hastings, Nebraska) also says is critical...and George ("Jorge") builds enough FEs that he started making Velasco do it on a regular basis.
Another item concerning the same issue...the back of the Shelby block has a couple of little drain holes for taking
oil away from the same rear main area. Joe, George, Mike LeFevre and others go right after that area and enlarge them or reshape them. In Joe's case...he simply makes them into a single rectangular galley of sorts. So, between that and the scribbed lines on the crank...the rear main area is having
oil drained away from it. I think Mike said Shelby has since opened up that area anyway.
With regard to cams...Joe happened to deal with Clay Smith for decades and it was a custom grind. What was most surprizing to me was that he didn't go with Isky, despite their decades long poker rallies. Blood goes so far. He tied that in with Comp Cams roller lifters...again, his choice. Generally speaking (and someone said it here), it is hard to fault staying with a single brand of cam, lifters, etc. since they are designed to work together.
Other stuff? T&D is muy goodo for the top end, C-P makes nice pistons, Manley rods are a mainstay, Melling hi-volume pumps, March pulleys, Aviad pans, MSD, etc. etc. Everyone has their own opinions, and there are (thankfully) lots of alternatives. If you're using a builder...as was said earlier on this thread....meet with him, talk to him and let him know what you are REALLY going to do with the car. And then let the builder match up the stuff that matches your wallet/with your use/with his experience.
Either flat tappet or hydraulic roller IMO.
