[against all odds]

Originally Posted by techinspector1

ZDDP is an extreme pressure lubricant that is necessary to prevent scuffing when using a flat tappet hydraulic or flat tappet solid lifter camshaft. No such extreme pressure lubricant is needed with roller tappets. Just clean off the preservative oil that the factory puts on them to prevent corrosion, dip them in off-the-shelf engine oil, install 'em and run 'em.

Here's a tutorial showing the procedures to prevent "fraggin" a flat tappet camshaft....
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...ips_and_tricks

In today's world, it makes little sense to jump through all the hoops to use flat tappets, when for just a little more dough, you can install rollers and forget about it. There may be better deals around, but Competition Products sells a set of Howards retrofit hydraulic roller lifters and a roller cam for about $600. Add a Howards composite distributor gear for about $100 and you're done. No worries, no headaches and much better performance due to the increased "area under curve" of the roller cam.

i would agree in principle, but what, exactly, would be needed to be done to a gen 1 SBC to convert it over to roller lifters?

[against all odds]

Originally Posted by engine24355

Okay, thanks for all of the great information. All I am running is a mild pretty much stock Chevy small block (vortec) with a roller cam...headers with glass packs and that is it. It is a new engine so I want to make sure it is protected well. Sounds like I just need to run some Rotella or similar.

Thanks!

Well, if you have rollers then you can run "any old" oil. The controversy is for people like me, who live in the stone age, who still run flat lifters.

[oldbogie]

Originally Posted by against all odds

i would agree in principle, but what, exactly, would be needed to be done to a gen 1 SBC to convert it over to roller lifters?

Read the last paragraph of my post. This is for a Gen I that has no provision for the OEM roller. Probably the easiest and least cost approach is to locate a pick-up with a provisioned block, many were used with flat tappet cams in them from 1986 through 1995. For 350 roller tappet blocks look for casting numbers 10243880, 14011148, 14088526, and 14093638. There is a block in this period casting number 14101148 this is a flat tappet truck block, its casting number is very similar to 14011148 which is a roller provisioned block. the 880 is the L31 Vortec block but it actually starts to show up in 95 production with a flat tappet cam and the pre L31 steel timing cover.

Bogie

[painted jester]

This has nothing to do with the tread : I ran roller cams back in the 1960s, and my father did in the 50s!! With Zddp!!! A lot of young hot rodders and enthusiasts think roller cams are a new innovation! LOL

Jester

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by painted jester

A lot of young hot rodders and enthusiasts think roller cams are a new innovation! Jester

I haven't been able to pin down the first automotive roller cam. I know the first automotive hemi was the 1912 Peugeot Grand Prix motor.

[painted jester]

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I haven't been able to pin down the first automotive roller cam. I know the first automotive hemi was the 1912 Peugeot Grand Prix motor.

Jester

[painted jester]

Roller Camshafts - Car Craft Magazine

Jester

[E.Furgal]

Originally Posted by painted jester

This has nothing to do with the tread : I ran roller cams back in the 1960s, and my father did in the 50s!! With Zddp!!! A lot of young hot rodders and enthusiasts think roller cams are a new innovation! LOL

Jester

rollerized lifer cams or rollerized cams.. that ran in roller cam bearings?

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by painted jester

A lot of young hot rodders and enthusiasts think roller cams are a new innovation! LOL

Jester

That IS funny. Roller cams were factory original on H-D, going at least as far back as the '20s.

For that matter my '64 Panhead had a roller cam/lifters. Hydraulic, at that.


Aftermarket hydraulic roller lifters for '53-up H-D. Note how large the roller is.

[painted jester]

Originally Posted by E.Furgal

rollerized lifer cams or rollerized cams.. that ran in roller cam bearings?

Are you asking a question you need an answer for? Because the difference is very simple ! (I never heard of rollerized cams!) I have used rollerized cam bearings and the last ones I installed the block machining for it was $700.00! A little expensive for most people and not needed for most engines the lead Babbitt bearings work well enough !unless you want extended life for race type abused engines or industrial engines that run 24 hrs. a day 365 days a year ! When you say "roller cam' its understood by most engine builders and cam co.'s that your talking about a cam ground and designed for roller lifters! Usually an engine builder uses rollerized cam bearings after many Babbitt bearing failures! Or is running them to head them off On very expensive engines!

I hope this answers your question

Jester