solid and hydraulic,whats the difference? why couldnt you use hydraulic lifters with a solid cam?

 

Solid cams are built with steeper, more aggressive ramps than hydraulic cams. If you ran hydraulic lifters on a solid cam, you'd probably risk floating valves, or it may cause damage to the cam/lifters if they can't maintain proper contact during operation. I don't see why you couldn't use solid lifters on a hydraulic cam though?

 

There are different opinions on using a solid lifter on a hydraulic lobe. I have done it with no problems but it was a matter of necessity at the time and wouldn't do it by choice. Some of the newer hydraulic lobes are just about as steep as the solids. Comp Cams XE lobes come to mind in that regard.

Rich