Well, thanks for all the parts guys! this give me a much better outlook on my plan. I guess the last big question i need answered is the valve springs. It seems i need stiffer then 165# seat & 400# open? Cam profile at top btw.

Also, how wide can you cut seats into stock LT1 Alum. heads? I've already had them cut to 1.50", which seems like its not going to be enough for the springs i'm going to need.

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

I have 1.625" springs on my heads. No problem with cutting through but it makes clearance to reach several headbolts a little tight. The trick is to not go deeper, just go wider.

 

I was using the endure-x lifters from Comp Cams. Apparently, they were the "early" version that had groves on the outside of the body of the lifter in an attempt to get some pressurized oil to the roller. They were also non rebuildable. The endure-x lifters I have now are the edm units that have a drilled passage right to the bearing and these ones are rebuildable. I RMA all the parts back to Comp Cams for failure analysis and they determined that there were too many miles on the lifters (13k miles). Hopefully these "improved" lifters will last longer, but they still recomend inspection around 10k miles. I'm not running that high of a spring pressure now (165 seat, 400 open, beehive springs) so that should help their longevity too.
Scott

 

Bouncing those heavy lifters off the cam from your low spring pressure will kill them quickly....we run 210/550# and a rev kit on our solid roller stuff and those motors are on 3rd and 4th seasons with the same lifters, they will last a long time if you control the valvetrain properly.

 

Check piston to valve clearance. I would do it with OUT a gasket at first...then you know your good.

Springs: I'd go to a compcams Pacaloy(sp) spring like the 943. much more seat pressure and with last 3-4 times longer.

You need to run oil restrictors!! but im not sure what size it the best, for that ask

 

A buddy build his soild roller setup with the EndureX lifers and the first set broke, and he RMA'ed them and the second set broke as well, granted these were the older ones, but if they intend to R&D lifters with their customers i"m buying any more lifters from them.

you can even buy a lifter grooving tool and groove the lifter bores if you are that concerned about getting oil to the lifters, but with restrictors you'll be fine, and if somone that tells you, that with regular soild lifters you dont need restictors run away very fast.

P

 

The 26000 Comp and Isky Tool Room springs will last even LONGER, they are a better spring wire and have superceeded the 943. Which BTW the 943 is too much seated pressure for a street solid roller.

On a street motor I WOULD NOT RUN RESTRICTORS EVER, that's just plain dumb. Your not going to put too much oil in the top end of the motor and guys do not run so little oil that it will all get trapped up in he top of the motor.

Bret

 

It's a fairly mild street roller , 242, 248, .608",.615" and these are considered the upgraded springs. There is no evidence of valve float up to 7k rpm.

 

I ran 943s in my solid roller setup, no problem.

And yes, restrictors are a must. You claim no one ever has put that much oil at the tomp of the motor? well i did Sucked the pan dry anytime over 6500 rpm or prolonged periods over 3000rpm with a stock volume pump.
New 8qt oil systme fixed this, but not before it was to late

 

I don't know what you did wrong with the oil system then. Obviously it was not up to the task for your setup.

Bret

 

Wouldnt restrictors keep the oil in the top of the motor and out of the oil pan making it more likely to empty under constant rpm?

Steve

 

No, restrictors limit the amount of oil going to the lifters...thus less oil to the top of the motor then with-out them on the same engine.

Think of it this way. You know how hydrolic lifters work? they need pressure to pump-up. They get this pressure by restricting the oil flow.

Mechanical or solid lifters dont need pressure. Thus oil flows freely right by them and floods the top. By adding restrictors, your basically bringin the oil flow to the top back to where it would be with hydrolic lifters.


So in recap, your getting the same about of oil to the top of the engine of a solid roller motor with restrictors, as you would with an engine with a hydrolic lifter motor with out restrictors.

 

How about trying pushrods that have a smaller hole in one end to restrict oil there keeping the cam and lifters covered, but the top end not?

 

I run a set of out-the-box E-Tech 200 Heads, Doug Herbert .625 SRC and lifters with 1.6 gold race lifters. I drive the car daily, gets 12mpg and runs low 10's at the track any day.

 

Do not run oil restrictors, oil to the top end also cools the valve springs. With retrictors the springs won't last as long. I've been running the same solid roller for more than 6 years with about 4 of those being daily driven on the street. I rebuilt my motor last year because the cam bearings, springs, rockers and lifters were shot from the spring pressure. There was no parts breakage, they were just worn out. Went with Durabond cam bearings this time.

Make sure you use the springs specified by the manufacturer of the cam and double, triple and quadruple check the geometry of your valvetrain. You won't get 100,000 miles out of a stout solid roller setup but you can get years and thousands of miles if setup properly using good parts. Also, keep a log of which valves need adjustment when checking valve lash. The log will help identify a problem before you break any parts.