Cam Style Comparison - Pros/Cons - Hyd/Solid/Roller?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Turns out my 360 block is a 'rare' Magnum outside appearing, internally LA setup to be a roller from MP    .

Which now gives me the 'roller' option.

So I'm looking to hear the pros/cons of the three availible styles out there so i can see what i should budget for and what not.

Thanks 

[loco340cuda]

I'm not an expert in this area but from what I understand if you go roller cam you don't have to worry about the wiping a cam lobe problem that seems to be going around these days.  If it were me I'd go the roller route just for the piece of mind alone.   

[Chryco Psycho]

the lifters for hydraulic rollers are obscenely[sp] expensive

[Todd Smith]

the lifters for hydraulic rollers are obscenely[sp] expensive

  But they make great power and as said above-- cam lobes don't get wiped. Also I would stay away from the alum rockers unless you go to Harland sharps or other high quality set ups. I'm going with a 600 roller H/S rockers and a gear drive in my 440.

Plumbcrazy

[chrisII]

your building this to be a daily driver , right? if thats the case i would stay away from solids, they can be a pain. roller cams have the ability to run much more aggressive ramp angles ect. rollers also seem to offer a bit less friction, less trouble with whipeing out lobes, and also im told you can change cams without replacing the lifters. ive never done much with rollers but this is what i was told when i looked into building up a 318 roller cam motor. Hydrolic lifters are cheap, and work just fine for street use. they have a few drawbacks, and on ocasion you could trash a cam, but it doesnt happen verry often. the only time i had problems with hyd lifters an cams was when i started running ductile iorn adjustable rockers. it is eazy to trash a lifter if you adjust them wrong..

[GoodysGotaCuda]

your building this to be a daily driver , right? if thats the case i would stay away from solids, they can be a pain. roller cams have the ability to run much more aggressive ramp angles ect. rollers also seem to offer a bit less friction, less trouble with whipeing out lobes, and also im told you can change cams without replacing the lifters. ive never done much with rollers but this is what i was told when i looked into building up a 318 roller cam motor. Hydrolic lifters are cheap, and work just fine for street use. they have a few drawbacks, and on ocasion you could trash a cam, but it doesnt happen verry often. the only time i had problems with hyd lifters an cams was when i started running ductile iorn adjustable rockers. it is eazy to trash a lifter if you adjust them wrong..

Well it won't be a daily driver after a couple months. The motor will be going into it after that, and be more of a 'toy' that sees a lot of street use.  I'm leaning twords a hyd roller setup. 

[matt63]

I'm running the hydraulic roller set-up which seems pretty good so far - lots of power and very nice manners.  The only drawback is that the cam and lifters were $1100 Cdn.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I'm running the hydraulic roller set-up which seems pretty good so far - lots of power and very nice manners.  The only drawback is that the cam and lifters were $1100 Cdn.

With my block I can use stock magnum lifters which are about $120 from MP, and straightline sells custom roller cams for $330. 

Atleast thats how i currently understand it. my block is wierd. Cast on the side, 1982. Stamped under the head decodes to 1987, casting number on the side was for a 1992. Setup for a roller cam. 

[ntstlgl1970]

Anyone ever check to see if a S/B magnum hydraulic roller lifter is the standard (.942 or whatever) diameter? If so I bet you could adapt them with some creative engineering meaning some way to keep them from rotating and a different length pushrod.....

[Chryco Psycho]

I know the bore diameter is the same , you can put a normal solid or roller cam in in the Hyd roller block

[moper]

The only difference in the hyd roller blocks in the LA versions are teh bosses on the cam bearing bore tops for the factory spider setup. I tried in 1990 to use a 340 block and a hydralic roller setup in it. It failed is the best way to put it..lol. Gooddy, if your block has a fuel pump boss, and the threaded bosses on top of the cam bearing bores, you have a regular LA hydraulic roller block. Far from rare, but very desirable. Hydraulic roller cams are a nice compromise, but they have limits. Lift must remain semi conservative, or the lifter will block off it's own oil supply at full lift, and it will collapse. It's also rather heavy, as opposed to any other lifter available. So it needs good springs, and the springs cant be too heavy, or the lifters collapse...lol. That is why you find most performance hydraulic rollers are within a certain window of lift and duration. They cant go bigger and stay functioning. They are less money to start with, because you dont bush the lifter bores, but you do ned the spider setup. I got mine at a dealer "back in the day". A JY or jobber parts store can get them now. The cams are still made from a steel billet so they wont wear off from the roller, so they cost about the same as a solid roller. Pushrods are shorter, so you need those for the setup too, and if you have head work done, you may need custom length ones made. Goody, you already know about teh performance. From "softest" to "hardest"  hydraulic, hydraulic roller, solid flat tappet, mushroom flat tappet, solid roller. Each one will make more power than the previous, the last 3 can sacrifice low end for peak power, and cost more. The rest is up to you. How much can you spend? What do you need to have for performance? How much maintenance do you mind doing? What kind of fuel are you running? What about head choice?

[matt63]

It is my understanding that the roller lifters are different between the Magnum and the LA engine.  This is why I used the Crane lifters and not the cheaper Magnum ones.  Is this right?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

It is my understanding that the roller lifters are different between the Magnum and the LA engine.  This is why I used the Crane lifters and not the cheaper Magnum ones.  Is this right?

Here is the setup i just pulled off a 1988 318 with LA heads, the used the same lifters in the magnum motors from what I understand. I bought a new set of clevite/wolverine (before crane bought them out) lifters for $63 a couple days ago on ebay.  If i didnt get those i would have went with tehe $120 MP lifters. 

[EVIL72]

 I've never run a roller so I can't help ya there, but I used to run a solid on the street in my daily driver. I drove it too work and school without any problems. I used 273 adjustable rockers and swapped out the adjuster screw for one with a jam nut, I think crane made them.
 As far as having to adjust the rockers alot, I really didn't have too very often once the cam was broke in. In fact sometimes I'd go to adjust it thinking it was about time only to find out that everything was still ok.
 
 

[moper]

It is my understanding that the roller lifters are different between the Magnum and the LA engine.  This is why I used the Crane lifters and not the cheaper Magnum ones.  Is this right?

Matt, LA ones are not drilled to oil the pushrods and rockers. Magnums are, which is why one needs to replace the lifters and pushrods when running magnum heads on an LA block. Solid rollers from various places can be gotten with or without pushrod oiling.