hydraulic and mechanical

[ThogtheCaveman]

Ok this is a question that has been plaguing me for a while. If you have an engine with a hydraulic cam can you switch to mechanical? Do you just have to get mechanical lifters, rocker arms, cam and thats it? Also does it work the other way from mechanical to hydraulic?

 

[dodgeboy413]

You will also need to get the adjustable push rods.dodgeboy413

 

[D-mailman]

Caveman, hyd. and mechanicals take different pushrods. The lifters are different heights (lenghts). Adjustable rockers work on both...If you have adjustable rockers, all you will need is the cam and lifters with the matching pushrods. Mechanicals (flat tappet) make on the average, 3 to 5 % more power than hyd. do..ALL else being equal. However...the newer high lift hyd. cams, (XE/HL) as an example, are getting closer to solids. Good luck, Terry.

 

[rumblefish360]

Right on Terry. Again, if you have a Hyd. set up, and you want to go mech., go get all new parts to install in one shot. That'll make down time only installation time. The stock length pushrods will work fine for many street grinds. You'll just have to have mech. P-rods.

Now if you have a mech cam set up with adjustable rockers, and you want to go Hyd., then it's just cam, lifters and pushrods *With* the cup end up top for the rocker and ball down at the bottom.

Lifters do not interchange.

 

[ThogtheCaveman]

Great! Thanks for clearing that up guys! :thumblef: