Hydraulic Roller Lifters.....?

[lineslinger]

I just finished reading a thread started by Clois Harlan titled "Mechanical Rooler Lifters". I am starting to wonder about some of the choices I have made on my ongoing build.
I am building a 68' 427 SO. The block was bored 60" over so we are sleeving it back to standard bore. I plan on stroking it out with a 428 crank.
I just took delivery of a blue thunder dual quad intake manifold that we plan on matching with a set of rpm performer fe heads.
I have been planning on using a hydraulic roller cam, hydraulic roller lifters, roller rockers etc.
The reason I chose to go with a hydraulic roller set up is the simple concept of less friction/newer technology equals longer engine life with less maintenance and better horsepower, or so I have come to believe.
This car is intended as a cruiser, highway runs to the family farm, a couple fo visits to Gateway during the year and the ability to get sideways at will.
Good choices? Bad choices? I would like to hear form you guys before I commit the bucks to this build scenario.
Mark

P.S The intake manifold is very cool, although my wife made me take it out of the bedroom and back to the garage.

[RICK LAKE]

Lineslinger Mark you make your own decessions. Go with the bigger is not always better aproach. I am doing the same thing with motor#2 as far as bore and stroke. I have run it on dynoslim and dyno 2000. I am happy with the numbers. Dependable and low maintance is the fun of owning a cobra. I have done the 5 nights a week and all weekend wrenching racecars and have grown tired. You have the makens for a real nice 452-454 FE motor. I would think about changing the crank for BBC rods because of the bearing width. Scat sells a crank for this. Keep the motor under 6500rpm and long live the COBRA Rick Lake Ps a cam under .600" also. get the cam to match the heads and intake system.

[ST]

Just completed and installed a Shelby block with a full roller valvetrain. (hydraulic)
I had Craft do the heads and grind a custom cam to get everything I need under 6000 rpm's. It's only got a few hundred miles on it so far but it does seem to accomplish all the requests you mentioned in you post.

[lineslinger]

RICK LAKE,
I was hoping to hear from you.
Can you clear me up on the meaning of "change the crank for BBC rods because of the bearing width"? I am set up to buy a Scat 428 crank and have already purchased a set of Eagle rods. I am with you on the concept of the cam to match the heads to match the intake scenario.
My dad used to build class H modifieds and race them out here at a track called mid-america raceways, I know what you mean about too much wrench time and not enough drive time, he spoke of it often.
Thank you for the advice!
Best Always,
Mark

[lineslinger]

ST,
Thanks for the response, can you tell me what kind of cash is involved in a custom grind and if you had to do it over again would you do the same? Too soon to tell?

Mark

[jared1970]

Custom ground cams aren't much more expensive than off-the-shelf grinds. I had a hydraulic flat tappet cam custom ground for my 428, cam and lifters was like $185 through Cam Research. Not sure how much for hydraulic roller, but I doubt it would be much more than 20% more than what you would pay for an off-the-shelf roller cam grind. Be sure whoever grinds it knows FE's, as they have special needs, and a lot of cam grinders these days don't know much about FE's. Keith Craft is an excellent place to get your cam from, as is Cam Research. I bought several parts from each when building my 428, and my experiences with both have been very positive. Good luck with your build, it sounds like you're going to have one fun car when you get done!

[RICK LAKE]

Lineslinger Mark you are already buying a crank. Decide the stroke for your crank, you may want to go larger than 3.98, 4.25 or 4.1/8 and get some free extra cubes. A little triming in the block is needed for clearance. BBC rod has a wider surface to support the load on crank. If you are going with BBC rods, talk to Howard cams. I got a set for my motor, they are wieghted and within 1/2 oz of each other. He said that they are good for 1k HP. They there $100.00 per rod. More money than Scat or eagle rods( I have them in my first motor without any problems so far) and they are 3-400.00$ cheaper than Manley,Jessel, or Crower. They are also US made. On the crank you want it to be cut 2.1998 so the machinist can get the correct clearance when done. A custom set of pistons will be needed. KCR or Gessford keep them in stock. Get all ARP bolts and studs for the bottom end and do the oil modifling in the block. Buy a accump tank, 3quart and use it as a engine pre oiler. Keep the rpm under 6500 and you will have a hell of a strong engine. Go for the Tork, hp is extra Rick Lake

[Woodz428]

Some of the discussion about solid rollers doesn't apply to hydraulic rollers. The hydraulic part of the lifter absorbs some of the "shock" that solid rollers have.