Solid LIfters

[Zanzer]

^^ An HLA does not have to spin like the lifter in a conventional pushrod engine because the HLA does not come into direct contact with the cam. A lifter in a conventional pushrod engine spins in order to maintain even wear across the face of the lifter. This is not needed when using HLA's and a follower that contacts the cam.

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article/75820/the_liftercam_relationship.aspx

[sketchman]

No oil passages at all with the solid lifters. It is literally a screw with a jam nut filling the entire end of the rocker arm.

I'm still tending to agree with the others from what I'm seeing. I can't see how it would spin in its bore. And the vented oil/air that gets pushed out goes out the top of the rocker arm. There is a TINY vent hole on top, right above where the fill galley enters the top of the arm at the very top of the lifter bore.

[sketchman]

Update.

I've abandoned this idea, at least for now. It doesn't seem the rollers like increased stress too much, and can crack and fall apart even with hyds and a beefy cam. I'm not running a beefy cam (I went with the MPG grind instead), but the solid lifters would let all the force go through the rocker arm and to the rollers which appear to be the weak point in the chain. The cam is a solid hunk of metal, the rocker arm is a solid hunk of metal, and with solid lifters they are effectively a solid hunk of metal too.

So for now I think the best bet is to just use the plain old simple solid sliders. Light, simple, and strong.

If I can figure out how to get known tougher rollers(the Neon parts might be able to come to the rescue again) on the Aspire rockers I may come back to this, but right now it seems like a good deal of effort for an inferior end result, AND which very well can damage the engine when it decides to let go.

[getnpsi]

Appreciate the research but if i had both heads side by side id keep both built as designed even with custom cam grinds. If i had aspire head and plenum id use that on my current daily driver because no increased power but its supposed to be less friction, assuming everything is rebuilt correctly in the first place.

[sketchman]

^I disagree. Look at drumnerd33's build thread. The smaller width of the rollers dug into the cam lobes. So even if you don't mix and match parts, when you get a cam big enough the rollers can cause issues. The sliding ones "shouldn't" do that.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?47008-My-n-a-super-b3-build/page28