Thread: ebay hydraulic roller lifters
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10-23-2019 03:20 PM #1
ebay hydraulic roller lifters
I'm about to freshen up the 350 in a street rod and the $120.00 lifters on ebay make a hydraulic roller cam affordable. Anyone tried them and what was the result? Early block so I need retro-fit lifters. Low $ build with cast pistons, vortec heads and I will use a mild cam.
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10-23-2019 08:29 PM #2
You might get away with it, but common sense tells you that they were cast and machined offshore, where manufacturers don't particularly care how the part works out for you. I'd prefer my parts from a famous American company, where I pay a reasonable price for a reasonable product that has a better chance of living through the strain of actuating the valvetrain. My advice will always be to put off the purchase until you can save up enough to buy quality name-brand parts.
There is an old saying that rings true time after time.........."The sour taste of poor quality is remembered long after the sweet taste of low price is forgotten. "
.Last edited by techinspector1; 10-23-2019 at 08:32 PM.
PLANET EARTH, INSANE ASYLUM FOR THE UNIVERSE.
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10-23-2019 11:45 PM #3
Welcome to CHR!
I agree 100% with Tech -
I have used Howard 91164N on 305, 350, and 400 builds and know they work. I just checked and they run about $400 but they will perform perfectly out of the box with no futzing necessary.
Remember too that you will need shorter push rods with these (7.200" - 7.300" versus the stock 7.800") - you need to measure using an adjustable push rod (Howard's 92129) on a couple to determine the length you should use. Push rods from any top tier (Comp, Lunati, Crower, Howard's) are fine but again, stay away from the off shore $29 a set as they lack the quality control that is (in my opinion) critical in the valve train.
Expensive roller rockers are not necessary. They look pretty but then get covered up and unless you're building a drag racer, they add very little to the performance. I typically use the stock style and they work fine for street builds. Make sure the balls are in good shape and start with a 1/2 turn pre-load from zero lash and finish with 3/4 turn.
What heads are you planning on using?
Let us know what you're building.
Regards,
Glenn"Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil
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10-24-2019 05:46 AM #4
+1 on Howard's retro-fit roller stuff.
I used their cam and lifters (very mild specs) in a low mileage SBC crate motor just to get rid of the flat tappets. They had the cheapest "name brand" parts and they have worked great for 5 years.
Howard's retro fit cams can use the stock distributor gear also. Other brands can too, but you need to ask before you buy. Some require bronze or other types of distributor gear to prevent cam failure.
Keep in mind that you will also need some way to control cam end play when switching to a roller since there is no rearward thrust from the lifters to keep the cam from walking forward. This can be as cheap as a simple cam button or as expensive as a new timing cover with a roller bearing. End play needs to be set, too. You can't just drop in a button and call it good. If you just run a simple button, you probably should upgrade to heavy duty timing cover to prevent flexing.
Considering the global trade mentality that prevails now, there are a lot of name brand parts that come from China or India (or worse), but most of the big companies hold them to a higher standard of quality control. That makes a huge difference.
Those EBAY lifters are could very well be rejects from a run for an American company that they are trying to dump for a little profit. In the case of lifters, all it takes is one lifter to fail out of sixteen to leave you with a pile of junk. Not worth the risk, IMO.Mike
I seldom do anything within the scope of logical reason and calculated cost/benefit, etc-
I'm following my passion
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10-25-2019 05:50 AM #5
I just took my old GM ones apart, soaked them in solvent, and reassembled them. worked great; they were sludgy but really didn't have any wear on them.1 Corinthians 1:27
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10-25-2019 09:45 AM #6
Charlie
Lovin' what I do and doing what I love
Some guys can fix broken NO ONE can fix STUPID
W8AMR
http://fishertrains94.webs.com/
Christian in training
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10-25-2019 02:26 PM #7
This is a retrofit - new roller cam and lifters so the old ones are not so important in this discussion. On that note, I have reused lifters in the distant past (when we had different oil) and had them work fine - even on a new cam. On a build today on a non-roller block, it has to be roller and new everything."Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." John Basil Barnhil
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10-26-2019 12:12 PM #8
Thanks for the input. I better pass on the cheap lifters. I will get a hydraulic flat tappet kit from Elgin, Howards or Summit. Sure it will work fine.
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10-26-2019 03:52 PM #9
Roger
Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.
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10-26-2019 09:32 PM #10
Or Isky. The trick is to break the cam in with used and practically worn out springs. I have a Howards in the garage I plan to put in the 350 in a 76 Corvette. If it was running a 4 speed i would not hesitate to put in a 30-30 Isky that was ground in 64 and has been in 3 different engines. It's a solid lifter cam and I think it's too stout for an automatic.Ken Thomas
NoT FaDe AwaY and the music didn't die
The simplest road is usually the last one sought
Wild Willie & AA/FA's The greatest show in drag racing
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10-27-2019 09:56 AM #11
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11-01-2019 02:52 PM #12
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11-01-2019 02:54 PM #13
yes I will use oil with zinc
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06-22-2022 09:15 AM #14
Well, you've replied to a post that was last active some 3 years ago.. Don't know what they did in the end.. but I hope and pray they didn't go with anything from that evil empire known as ebay!
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06-22-2022 10:42 AM #15
Welcome to CHR. I think that you need to hook up your vacuum advance. At part throttle when cruising you have less air and fuel in each cylinder, and the air-fuel mixture is not as densely packed...
MSD 8360 distributor vacuum advance