I was degreeing my cam in and wanted to buy a spare hydraulic roller lifter to modify for the purpose of using it with a dial indicator during the degreeing-in process. I was going to make a flat surface on top, where the pushrod cap goes to set the dial indicator pushrod on.
Went to my local Dodge dealer and asked for ONE hydraulic roller lifter. "That'll be $25.00, plus tax," said the parts man.
I said, "No, no, no, no, no.... I only need ONE."
He said, "That IS for ONE!"
I said, "Surely, you jest...."
He said, "Nope.... no joke; twenty-five smackers." With a straight face, yet.
I said, "Does that computer have internet access?"
"Yep, it does."
I said, "Go to www.hughesengines.com," a place NOT NOTED for their low prices.
I said, "Go to Magnum engines, then "lifters."
He said, "Okay; I'm there."
I said, "How much are their lifters?"
He said, "$8.75 apiece."
I said, "And yours are HOW MUCH???"
He said, "Twenty-five dollars."
I said, "Can you tell me why I should pay twenty-five dollars for an item that can be bought elsewhere for $8.75?"
"Nope."
I went home and called a friend of mine who was a parts man at a Dodge dealership in another city (Las Vegas.) I asked him to look up the price of one hydraulic roller lifter.
"Twenty-five dollars," he said. I said, "ARE YOU SURE???"
"YEP."
Then, I told him the story of what had just transpired at the other dealership's parts department. He had no explanation....
A set of 16 of these lifters will run you (16 X $8.75) $140.00 from Hughes, which is, as I said, not usually a place to go for bargain prices. I bought my cam there, and am very happy with the cam, and the service I've gotten from Hughes, but they are not cheap... but, that's okay with me. I'd rather have the quality service and products.
Their reground hydraulic roller cams are, for the most part, $199.00, but you have to supply a core. If you can't supply a core, it's another $100.00.
They don't do any Fords, Pontiacs, or Chevys... just Mopars, so they are familiar with what we need.
This sounds like a commercial for Hughes, and it's not... I just happen to think that if I were going to buy a roller cam, that is one place I'd look.
You said, "I can buy three flat tappet cams for the price of one roller, and I don't dobt that, but with this ZDDP (zinc) issue with the oil, right now, you may end up buying three flat tappet cams... not a good thought. Cleaning up an engine after a cam lobe has been machined off by a lifter is not a fun job.
Just food for thought.
I cn't imgine why Ma wants to hold us up so badly on the roller lifters. That is $400.00 for a set of 16... Wow.. who can afford that???????
No wonder they are hurting for customers.
Bill, in Conway, Arkansas
