Comp Cams Hydraulic Roller Conversion question

[73pony]

I don't know how deep those Allen bolts go into the block, but it's not very much (less than or up to 3/8", if I remember correctly).  With them inserted and thread-locked, there should be no danger of oil leaking or being obstructed in the channel where they might breach.

As well, the raised channels on the spider itself correspond with the existing holes in the top of the block to aid in the oil flow back to the inlets.  As you can see in the 'before' picture of my engine, the holes under the center spine of the spider are where the oil finds its way back into the engine.  If you block them with fasteners for the lifter spider, then you probably will impede the return flow of the oil (by blocking off the path for the oil to return).

Dang. That block looked rough! Massive transformation. I understand where and how deep to drill the block. You are correct it says to go 3/8". I was just considering drilling holes in the spider to correspond with the oil return holes to increase flow.

Yeah - don't do that... you'll block off half the oil return capability with 2 fasteners.

?? I wasn't going to add any additional fasteners. Just create an easier, more direct path for the oil return. I will put the two fasteners where they are supposed to go and no additional fasteners. Just additional holes in the spider for increased oil flow.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Dang. That block looked rough! Massive transformation. I understand where and how deep to drill the block. You are correct it says to go 3/8". I was just considering drilling holes in the spider to correspond with the oil return holes to increase flow.

Yeah - don't do that... you'll block off half the oil return capability with 2 fasteners.

?? I wasn't going to add any additional fasteners. Just create an easier, more direct path for the oil return. I will put the two fasteners where they are supposed to go and no additional fasteners. Just additional holes in the spider for increased oil flow.

OH - I get'cha now.  My mistake.  I thought you were thinking of putting the fasteners in the existing holes, rather than risk blocking off the channel underneath with the drilled and tapped bolts sticking through.  Sorry for the confusion.

Yes - my car was a complete and total mess when I got it.  People still give the same reactions now that it's all good... some even after having seen it progress in-person.

 

[Luke]

I believe PBM/Morel was bought out by Bullet cams. Those lwould be the best quality roller lifter retro fit kit there is on the market. TMeyer uses them exclusively.

I checked TMeyer's site and the only ones he advertises are the Lunati ones.

Lunati are comp now too. Jesel Morel or Crower. Never seen a bad Crower part yet. I will be running a pretty large hyd roller in a 650ish HP 383 and Crowers look like the only reliable hydro lifter out there in my opinion

 

[MeZapU]

FWIW I don't like using reduced base circle roller cams. The lobe profiles are a compromise from the start. The one I had in the past from Crane always had valvetrain noise no matter what. Random rpm's, random temperatures, random engine loads it would tick. The spring rates are higher than you'd expect to control the valvetrain and it just adds up to excessive valvetrain wear. Because of that I've had it mushroom the exhaust valve tips after 500 miles, and it started to do the same on the intakes but not as bad. I had to pull the heads and install the best quality valves I could get. No more issues but I always had the tick. I also went through 3 bronze distributor gears(3k-5k miles each) before installing one of the new billet distributor gears that would last with the hard billet camshaft core. Now all they sell are the composite ones.

If you must go roller cam, get one that uses standard lobe profiles and get the Morel link bar roller lifters. They seem the only ones of late that do not have issues that are reasonably priced. Going down the road you are going is an all or nothing affair. Either keep it simple and stockish with a HFT or SFT cam, or go roller and everything starts getting expensive fast. After going with my new custom SFT cam and valvetrain, I wish I would have done it like this all those years ago and saved myself a lot of headaches.

I've gone down the same road you are going down about 18 years ago. Just trying to advise you from the past issues I've run into before the engine is together and you need to live with it for the next bunch of years like I did, and fighting with it the whole time.

 

[turtle5353]

DON'T DO IT!!!!! SEND IT ALL BACK!! I strongly recommend not using comp Hydraulic rollers! I have had 3 roller failures from them in the past few months. I am fighting with them now to get my money back, well my machine shop is fighting for me. My machine shop quit using Comp completely. I had 3 collapse on me in a row! Go with isky or another good brand. Also they sell the dog bone type lifters that do not need the spider in the lifter valley. You have to drill and tap holes in the valley to keep the spider in place which hold the lifters in place.

I don't have Comp lifters. The guy at comp who helped spec out my cam told me that there were issues with their lifters and high lift cams. He gave me the name of a company to get them from. I forgot the name but they are Made in USA. I can swing by at lunch and look them up.

Did you ever get a chance to look and see what company made your lifters??  Who comp recommended?

 

[vozaday]

Im running the exact kit as Mister 4x4 and have been for about 8 years (give or take). Zero issues with the kit. A friend and I installed it including drilling and tapping the block.

 

[turtle5353]

Im running the exact kit as Mister 4x4 and have been for about 8 years (give or take). Zero issues with the kit.  A friend and I installed it including drilling and tapping the block.

Im not going anywhere near comp after 3 lifter failures.  Im looking at the Morel now.

 

[Tnfastbk]

Im running the exact kit as Mister 4x4 and have been for about 8 years (give or take). Zero issues with the kit.  A friend and I installed it including drilling and tapping the block.

Im not going anywhere near comp after 3 lifter failures.  Im looking at the Morel now.

That's odd I am running the comp link bar set up with my 408 and have had zero issues. Been about 6 years and 10,000 miles and a lot of spirited driving in that time. I know we are both running AFD heads as well. I'm not sure whats going on with yours. :chin:

 

[Mister 4x4]

I think it all has to do with how we run our cars and the expectations as well.  I know I don't plan on ever really working my car hard - I'm quite happy with the way it runs (although I'll be replacing the carb with fuel injection).

It sounds like CompCams has [admittedly] had some runs of bad products, but I'm sure they also have plenty of trouble-free products mixed in there as well..  I don't think I have any of the bad run of products (I hope not, anyway), but I guess time will tell.

 

[turtle5353]

Im running the exact kit as Mister 4x4 and have been for about 8 years (give or take). Zero issues with the kit.  A friend and I installed it including drilling and tapping the block.

Im not going anywhere near comp after 3 lifter failures.  Im looking at the Morel now.

That's odd I am running the comp link bar set up with my 408 and have had zero issues. Been about 6 years and 10,000 miles and a lot of spirited driving in that time. I know we are both running AFD heads as well. I'm not sure whats going on with yours. :chin:

Your build is about 2 years older than mine. The older stuff was supposedly very good. The newer stuff has went to pot.  Looks like I got some of the newer stuff.

 

[Tnfastbk]

Im not going anywhere near comp after 3 lifter failures.  Im looking at the Morel now.

That's odd I am running the comp link bar set up with my 408 and have had zero issues. Been about 6 years and 10,000 miles and a lot of spirited driving in that time. I know we are both running AFD heads as well. I'm not sure whats going on with yours. :chin:

Your build is about 2 years older than mine. The older stuff was supposedly very good. The newer stuff has went to pot.  Looks like I got some of the newer stuff.

Sucks that the new stuff was/is junk. They need to stand behind the product. If you have a run of bad products and stand behind them people are much more likely to forgive the bad run. if not owell on to the next company. My money still spends anywhere.

 

[InjectedMach]

Good made in USA rollers are MOREL and no harm in the holes that way you can use ford/trick flow etc lifters with the dog bones or but if you dont want to drill and tap you can use the

link/tie bar style.

 

[turtle5353]

I went with the Morel in mine this time around and she fired right up and sounds great. Just got the motor back in last night. 



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