Solid ROLLER lifter oil

This thread has just intrigued me.(y) I think that you two need to post some pic of these BBC & the rest of the car as well for all to see. What'd ya say? :geek:
69 SS 396. Its future owner behind the wheel. I pulled the original engine in favor of the stroked 454 that's in it now.
 

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High rpm isn’t the nemesis of a solid roller cam, it’s the idle. The needle bearings take a beating at low rpm. The higher the clearance spec, the worse the impact. That’s essentially why they aren’t recommended for street cars.

Z
Nailed EXACTLY why I joined this forum to ask! My car sees frequent street use, and I want to give the lifters the best chance of survival.
Hind sight, I wish I'd gone with the Isky bushed lifters. Twice the price, but worth it? Idk.
 
High rpm isn’t the nemesis of a solid roller cam, it’s the idle. The needle bearings take a beating at low rpm. The higher the clearance spec, the worse the impact. That’s essentially why they aren’t recommended for street cars.

Z
Which is still an easy life with weekend cruise nights and occasional after work rip.
It's not like he's sitting in downtown Boston traffic.

If the OP is worried about a bit of street time with solid rollers, he picked the wrong lifter.
 
They sound like Comps version of Crower HIPPO (HI Pressure Pin Oiling) they'll be totally fine unless you are sitting it it all day with it idling. Even then they will probably be fine.

I have a similar cam with similar lifters and pretty high spring pressures... the rollers are fine.

However - with current technology there really no reason not to go HYD-Roller unless you are spinning it very high.

IMO basically any of the oils suggested should be fine... the roller does not need anything special...
 
“……However - with current technology there really no reason not to go HYD-Roller unless you are spinning it very high..….”

^^^^^^^ +1

Exactly. It doesn’t sound like the OP fits into the high rpm / professional drag racing category. A usage which makes the solid rollers a necessity. A set of good quality Hydraulic rollers would seem to be the better fit for his intended usage.

Z
 
They sound like Comps version of Crower HIPPO (HI Pressure Pin Oiling) they'll be totally fine unless you are sitting it it all day with it idling. Even then they will probably be fine.

I have a similar cam with similar lifters and pretty high spring pressures... the rollers are fine.

However - with current technology there really no reason not to go HYD-Roller unless you are spinning it very high.

IMO basically any of the oils suggested should be fine... the roller does not need anything special..

^^^^^^^ +1

Exactly. It doesn’t sound like the OP fits into the high rpm / professional drag racing category. A usage which makes the solid rollers a necessity. A set of good quality Hydraulic rollers would seem to be the better fit for his intended usage.
Go ahead and find me a hydraulic roller that will match the performance of the cam I have.
It makes 14 in of vacuum at idle (800rpm) has a 2500 stall converter, and has run 11.0 in bad air with 3.73 gears.
Let me clarify the purpose of using a solid roller in my application.
My engine was purpose built for me to have streetable 10 second car. The cam is a off the shelf Comp grind, XR274R, with a wider lobe separation (112) to help with vacuum.
 
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Go ahead and find me a hydraulic roller that will match the performance of the cam I have.
It makes 14 in of vacuum at idle (800rpm) has a 2500 stall converter, and has run 11.0 in bad air with 3.73 gears.
Let me clarify the purpose of using a solid roller in my application.
My engine was purpose built for me to have streetable 10 second car. The cam is a off the shelf Comp grind, XR274R, with a wider lobe separation (112) to help with vacuum.
How high do you turn it? That's really what defines the ceiling for HR, because the lifters are heavier. Lobe profile can be basically identical between the two (since both are roller) but you need heavier springs (inertia/weight control) to spin an HR setup higher and of course you are RPM limited because of valvetrain control. That said, there have been guys that have spun HR setups impressively high.
 
How high do you turn it? That's really what defines the ceiling for HR, because the lifters are heavier. Lobe profile can be basically identical between the two (since both are roller) but you need heavier springs (inertia/weight control) to spin an HR setup higher and of course you are RPM limited because of valvetrain control. That said, there have been guys that have spun HR setups impressively high.
6500
 
OK, that's definitely within the range of an HR setup, my SBF HR custom grind shift point was ~6,700RPM, IIRC, it's north of 7K that SR becomes the only choice, but I know there have been guys that have gotten 7,500 out of HR's with a lot of valve spring.
 
232/242 @ .050 @ 112
Int @ 108 8/44
exh @ 116 57/5

Depending on the heads and valve sizes, I'll guess peak tq @ 3,500 and peak hp @ 5,300.
Cranking psi about 150.
 
OK, that's definitely within the range of an HR setup, my SBF HR custom grind shift point was ~6,700RPM, IIRC, it's north of 7K that SR becomes the only choice, but I know there have been guys that have gotten 7,500 out of HR's with a lot of valve spring.
BBCs are done at 6000 with hydraulic rollers. The goal was 600ish HP. To get that with lower duration, you need lift.
I didn't put this combination together on my own. I had it built by a reputable builder.
Before anyone asks, yes I did ask them about oil. The recommendation was any 10W40 of my liking.
 
BBCs are done at 6000 with hydraulic rollers. The goal was 600ish HP. To get that with lower duration, you need lift.
I didn't put this combination together on my own. I had it built by a reputable builder.
Before anyone asks, yes I did ask them about oil. The recommendation was any 10W40 of my liking.
I'm more of a Ford guy, but I've seen BBF's spun higher than that with HR. Same grinder I used, Jay Allen, had done a cam for a 534 in a fox that ran bottom 10's on pump gas, guy drove it to and from the track. Big valves need lots of spring pressure if you are running HR, which likely means you'll be changing them out at some point as they get tired.

The Howards "kits" seem to cap HR at 6,100 for the BBC, whereas the BBF is good for 7,000RPM on an HR setup from the same guys, so there's some merit to the claim that the BBC RPM ceiling may be lower with HR as you've indicated. Did you guys explore what HR might have looked like? Not trying to take this conversation into the weeds, it's just interesting to see an SR setup on a street mill, it's somewhat unusual.
 
I'm more of a Ford guy, but I've seen BBF's spun higher than that with HR. Same grinder I used, Jay Allen, had done a cam for a 534 in a fox that ran bottom 10's on pump gas, guy drove it to and from the track. Big valves need lots of spring pressure if you are running HR, which likely means you'll be changing them out at some point as they get tired.

The Howards "kits" seem to cap HR at 6,100 for the BBC, whereas the BBF is good for 7,000RPM on an HR setup from the same guys, so there's some merit to the claim that the BBC RPM ceiling may be lower with HR as you've indicated. Did you guys explore what HR might have looked like? Not trying to take this conversation into the weeds, it's just interesting to see an SR setup on a street mill, it's somewhat unusual.
Yeah. BBCs have terrible valvetrain geometry. My shortblock has flattops, so my compression ratio was limited by head choice. He got me a set of Edelbrock 100cc ovals. They were milled a bit more strait out of the box to get a static compression ratio of 9.0-1, I forgot to mention, it fits under facory SS hood, no cowl induction, so I was limited to a dual plane intake. I initially asked about a HR, and it was in play until I told him I wanted 10s. Consensus was the only way to get there was with a solid roller. Lifter wear never crossed my mind. I anticipated regular valve lash checks, and noise.
I have to say, I'm NOT disappointed. With a little more work, it will scratch 10s. I swear this thing has better manners than a lot of slower cars I've driven. Besides the loud 3" exhaust, its very unassuming. Its an absolute blast to drive.
 
Because of the valve lash, your cam will act a little smaller than the .050" suggest. Take about 8 degrees off to end up how a HR would perform.
Threads such as this one invites Monday morning quarter backs.
I think that you might have 9.5:1 compression, and given the engine size and cylinder choice, a very streetable and fun to drive combination.
Running into the 10's is easier said than done, and if your car ends up a mid 11 second car, be happy.
Being a Monday morning q-back myself, what would have I done differently?
With those heads on a large CID engine, 4 more degrees on the intake side on a 115 degree lobe separation, and 1.8 rockers on race day.
236/242 115 ICL @ 111
7/49 60/2 @ .050
 
It was more a offhand comment, wasn't my intention to start a debate, because really what is done is done.

Im somewhat surprised that a HR in a BBC won't turn over 6000ish, this was a problem back when I built my FE due to the weight of the valve train components but now with things like beehive springs and lighter retainers they will turn higher.

If I ever get around to swapping my heads, I may go HR at that time.

Sounds like you're on top of the tuning, but might get a smidgen more out of it by "tight lashing" it.
 
Redline probably makes one of the heaviest 10w40 oils on the market, with a stout additive package to boot. I would run either that or driven GP-1 in 15w40. I was running GP-1 in a 454 Monte Carlo I owned last summer, but it was not anywhere near as modified as your engine is.
 
Because of the valve lash, your cam will act a little smaller than the .050" suggest. Take about 8 degrees off to end up how a HR would perform.
Threads such as this one invites Monday morning quarter backs.
I think that you might have 9.5:1 compression, and given the engine size and cylinder choice, a very streetable and fun to drive combination.
Running into the 10's is easier said than done, and if your car ends up a mid 11 second car, be happy.
Being a Monday morning q-back myself, what would have I done differently?
With those heads on a large CID engine, 4 more degrees on the intake side on a 115 degree lobe separation, and 1.8 rockers on race day.
236/242 115 ICL @ 111
7/49 60/2 @ .050
10s, and I don't care if its only a 10.99 with a 30mph tailwind🤘:LOL:.
 
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