bigtommy
old school power
i am looking to put a cam in my 318 and was wondering which cam would be best. a solid lifter cam or hydraulic lifter cam?
solid or hydraulic lifter?
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1970Duster
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Depends on what you're going to do with the motor (is it a Magnum block/LA roller block or a FT block?)?
Solids are better performing and more consistant. You are not depending on oil pressure for lift. Hydralic are more maintenance free. I always preffered solid but you will need adjustable rockers and different pushrods for solid.
I'm an old guy. I just like the sound of 'em. Solids, that is. Ran a mechanical tappet cam in my old 340/ Landcruiser, later in a 318. I don't think I adjusted 'em more than once a year. That cam would wind easy 7500 in that 340. I wanted to be able to spin the tires clean on a sand hill or mud hole without worrying about it. Never did (worry) either.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
I prefer solids cause they generally make more power per a given size. Plus I like the sound. Hydraulics are for the most part maintenance free (unless some trash gets stuck in a lifter which I've had happen twice) but you get that at a price, as stated.
This answer is totally dependent on what your doing with your engine. And what is it you want from it?
You get more RPM from a solid cam
With a Hyd. cam, there's more of a RPM spread in terms of operation in a forgiving manor.
More lift in solids, for the most part.
Solids can also be more aggressive. Some hyd. cams can also be pretty mean.
My everyday drivers or part time (AKA Weekend) cruisers get Hyd. cams. Big HP is not the target, but sizable gains are. Generally speaking, my Hyd. cams are 236* @ 050 duration or less. You can make some very good streetable power with this size hyd. cam.
2000 - 6000 rpm-ish area.
I find my solids often North of 248 @ 050 duration and normally a good bit of lift.
3000 - 6500+ RPM and running full throttle looking to hand out a pasting to a bow tie or pony.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
I like solids in a small cube motor.
airwoofer
Drivetrain limit explorer
If I ever re-cam my stroker from the purple 508 I will go with a solid lifter cam but I already have the adjustable rockers. Not that big a deal to adjust valves, got used to it as a kid with my VW.
The looks you get from people are totally worth it. Some of 'em are thinkin, "I wish" some are thinking "damn how does it run with no oil pressure."
bigtommy
old school power
its a 1975 rv motor. im looking for a street car. but would like to take it down the track once in a while. and do i need to get adjustable rockers or will the stock ones work.? i was looking at this soild cam. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-20-246-4/
or for a Hydraulic cam i was looking at this one http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-20-212-2/
or for a Hydraulic cam i was looking at this one http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-20-212-2/
marksmopars
Well-Known Member
Solid cams Require adjustable lifters. I have run solids in my my 340 T/A engine forever, love em. Do require lifter changes though, push rods with cups on end and if using cast rocker assemblies will require hardened rocker arm shaft as well. My cam is larger lift (don't have specs handy) and runs .016 valve lash both sides, uses 9.25 pistons and results in 400 HP at 6200 RPM, dropping about 10 HP on it's way to 7,000 rpm, where I think the valve train fails to keep up.
1970Duster
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You'll get more out of it with a roller cam either solid or hyd (I have a full hyd roller setup in my 340).
To bad the roller is triple the price and not part of the choices listed. Then the expense of the rollers, there's a fat amount of cash, ugh!
Worth it if your going "THERE" no doubt.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
Ain't that the truth. I'd love to have put a roller cam in my new 408 but just couldn't afford it.
x'2!!!!!!!!!!
pishta
I know I'm right....
hydros dont require "oil pressure for lift" they only use oil pressure to take up the slack in the lifter, the check valve makes 'em "solid" once the lifter starts to rise. You get a wider powerband with a solid and can be more aggressive in their duration and a few more HP with a similiar grind. At a cost of noise, maintenance and a more expensive valvetrain. My '57 Ford Y block 312 was a solid mushroom lifter motor and that thing purred, no valve train noise at all, but it had a wimpy stock cam. 90% of slants are solid and they run pretty smooth too with little to no valve train noise. Roller is the way to go, but out of the price range of many. Most new 4 bangers are roller rockers with tiny hydro plungers in the rocker arm pushrod sockets.
bigtommy
old school power
now is the "roller" part just the lifter or is the cam roller too? what rolls on it because i know the lifter has a roller on the end.
1970Duster
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Both the cam and lifters are rollers. You don't have to use roller rockers you can use stock 273 adjustable rockers (the roller rockers is the last piece of the setup but are like 500 bucks, they can wait. In my case I didn't have any rockers at all when I bought my motor so I bought comp pro mags).
Roller cams are different from flat tappet cams in the the FT cam looks more like a triangle while the roller cam looks more like an egg. Basically the roller cam bring you into your power curve sooner and keeps you there longer then a FT cam (plus with a roller cam you don't have to worry about that oil/zinc crap!).
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
The cam has no rollers. The difference there is in the lobe size and shape. The roller lobe has much more aggressive rate of lift. In other words, the lift happens much faster. There is also much greater "nose" area on the roller cam lobe. This would not be possible on a flat tappet because the edge of the lifter would run into the cam lobe before it reached the peak. ....although there are some cheater style cams out there with FAT duration figures and short lift that streth the limits of a flat tappet. You don't need any of that. All you need is a wisely chosen flat tappet either of solid or hydraulic design. If you don't mind the noise and added expense of adjustable rockers and correct pushrods, the solid is the way to go. With a high quality set of rockers like Comp, Harland Sharp or even PRW stainless, valve adjustmenst are cut down to about once a year, if that. I say have at the solid.
dodge freak
Well-Known Member
Roller cams have their problems as well. They need more valve spring pressures and still can wear out or break. Those little pins the ball rolls on can and do break. On solid roller cams, good luck on getting 5,000 miles on the lifters. The constant tap-tap-tap breaks the roller pins on the ends of the lifters.
Solid flat tapper cams are the "best" for street engines. A roller solid cam will out power them but will not last as long.
Solid flat tapper cams are the "best" for street engines. A roller solid cam will out power them but will not last as long.
since you give no other info except it is a 318..i would use a comp 262 hydraulic cam...and the matching 901-16 springs...
bigtommy
old school power
its a 75 rv motor with a 4bbl intake, 600 holley carb, long tube headers with a 3speed 727 auto transmission behind it.
What trans?
Will U be willing to change out a converter?
What gears in the rear and tire size?
Will U be willing to change out a converter?
What gears in the rear and tire size?
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
In fact.....I just made this same decision. We are fixin to whoop me up an 83 D150 short bed for a daily to take the place of my 2004 Ranger so I can sell it. Gonna go with a 318, 302 heads, 360 size valves, 4 speed OD with 3.55 gears and the MP solid 509/238@.050 ground on 106 LSA. My friend has one just like it except with a touch smaller hydraulic cam and it pulls and tows great and still gets 20 MPG. He has a Holley 570 on a street dominator on his but I am gonna run a Thermoquad on a 1971 340 intake and gasket match the heads. Mine oughtta hit a lick.
jimjimjimmy
lobsterman
i always run the solid in my 340s they rev faster and the 273 valve gear runs real good to and cheap i was going to try solid roller on my 416 but they dont recommend it on the 360 r3 block so i went solid on that to
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