Cam pros and cons for different cam types

[torqueaddict]

I know there are like 4 different types of cams but know very little other than that I hear hydraulic rollers are very powerful and expensive. Is one type better for a street stroker or is t all preference?

[HP_Cuda]

Hydraulic tappet
Hydraulic Roller
Mechanical flat tappet
Solid Roller

You generate more horsepower with Rollers because the friction is removed from the motor. The difference between the Solid and the Hydraulic is the hydraulic lifters need to pump up while the solids are ready to go once you start the motor. I just bought a set of hydraulic lifters and they set me back 500 smackers and the roller rockers will probably end up setting me back about 800-1000 clams.

Food for thought 

[brads70]

I just finished up assembling my 451" I went with a hyd roller. Yes it was expensive  about $1000 for the cam and lifters. Although not a necessity I then had custom roller rockers from T&D made. That was another $1200
The advantage for roller lifters as I see it is the chances of loosing a cam either during break in or via the zinc less oil they have now are about zero. All new cars use roller lifters now as far as I know. The "pro" for hyd roller lifters over solid to me was  once you set valve lash , your done, no further maintenance is required, with solid rollers you need to periodically adjust them.
Hyd roller lifters have an RPM limit to about 6000-6500 RPM max and solid roller lifters are good to 7000 and beyond. Me..? I was building strictly a street engine so I wouldn't be spending much time at 6000, never mind 7000 and beyond?

[Chryco Psycho]

I wrote a can design article in the archives .
Roller is expensive but can open & close the valves faster , flat tappets are limited by the lifter diameter rollers are not , the down side to hyd is spring pressure the faster you open the valve the stronger the spring needs to be to control it , at some point the valve in the lifter cannot hold the spring pressure & will collapse , solid lifter will not do this , I try to never use a hyd lifter .

[high perf mopar]

I wrote a can design article in the archives .
Roller is expensive but can open & close the valves faster , flat tappets are limited by the lifter diameter rollers are not , the down side to hyd is spring pressure the faster you open the valve the stronger the spring needs to be to control it , at some point the valve in the lifter cannot hold the spring pressure & will collapse , solid lifter will not do this , I try to never use a hyd lifter .

hyd r good if u get a good set,,im sure lunati's r,im gun shy because the 1st cam that went into the motor kept dropping pushrods after setting for a day..MP cam/lifters,,unfort they were outsourced to china to save a couple of pennys and the tolerances were no good to maintain pressure at start up after sitting,,solid lifter for me only..the mait on them is mariginal,,after running and a couple adj they stay in tolerance,,
when i had my hemi with a 680 lift/318 duration solid roller after a years running at the car shows they did not even need to be adj...the same has been true with the current flat tappet solid lifter c. cams set up.