I have read in some dyno tests where solid lifters have been used on hydraulic cams but at the same time, I have never understood what makes each style unique? Aside from the inner function, is the taper much different?

The only reasons I can think of are solid cams generally have higher lifts and shorter durations making the ramps a too harsh for a hydraulic to handle ... as well there's the increased valvespring pressure which will fight the hydraulic system.

This topic may take a lot of

This topic comes up on Speedtalk, it's because hydraulic cams don't have "lash ramps". What those exactly are I don't know, but I'm guessing the initial ramp of the lobe may be milder than a hydraulic to take up the lash smoothly so it doesn't slam closed the clearance, but that's a total guess.

I know a very successful SCCA engine builder that uses solid lifters on hydraulic lifter camshafts in some of his spec. class motors, he set the lash at .0010 to no more than .0030 hot

I would ask why? the wiping out of the cam is probably more so than breaking in a solid lifter cam. so why take the chance, similar grinds are available and most hydraulic/lifter cams today can hang right with a solid.

I understand one can do it but because the hyd cam profile is designed for zero lash and solids need some amount of lash the duration is changed. iirc, peak torque and hp move down in the rpm range. Conversely, if a hyd cam is used on a solid lifter cam the peak tq/hp moves up the chart
rowing4 is on the mark, there are so many grinds available to put the curve wherever one desires. also if high hp/rpm is in order I think solid is still the best bet.

This doesn't sound like an experiment that's worth trying.

I have heard it done before by others, never talked to someone personally who done it. With a hydraulic cam, I don't think the solid lifters don't really gain you anything. Solids tend to have more aggressive lobes to take advantage of the solid lifter design.

You can. I have done it successfully over the years. Keep a tight valve lash, no more that .006" hot lash. Makes things tough on a aluminum head project. But for me it has extended the rpm range of the camshaft. Have the dyno tests in a folder around here somewhere.

I'm sure the Stock Eliminator guys have it figured out

Many years ago

In 1973 I did just that. I had a rebuilt 383 and put adjustable rockers with solid lifters on the stock hyd. cam. It ran fine and stayed that way(months) until I screwed up and didn't drain all the water out of the block for the winter.

the hyd cam lobe has sideways slant to it so it rotates the lifter so they don't wear out, you can use solid but they do not seat flat on lobe

He is asking about a solid lifter on a hyd cam so the ramp issue you talk about is a non issue, I agree with your spring theroy but that only requires the springs be changed ,

Comp sells/used to sell a set of hyd lifters that come with an instruction sheet telling the user to run .002 lash, I have a set.

Solids have to rotate also .

Solid and hydraulic cams both have an angle ground into the cam face along with a slight dome on the lifter face to keep the lifter rotating. If the lifter stops rotating it is instant disaster.

And the angle is the same for both except the original Six Pack cam which had a smaller taper.

R.

There's always Schubec lifters

Lol..alot of bad info on this thread....

This is what I remember being taught in my auto shop classes many years ago. The "lash or clearance ramps" that solid cams have are not needed on the hydraulic cam from what I remember. Its is right where the valve starts to open. It lets the solid lifter take up its lash adjustment and come in full contact with the cam lobe smoothly or as smooth as it can. Hydraulics dont really need these ramps since they have no lash and are always in contact with the cam lobe. Ron

IMO that's the main reason cams get wiped, lifter not turning freely, just sliding on the lobe.

Where can you find these? I have looked a few years ago but heard that they went out of business.

Saw them on EBay. There's a vendor that took them over when they went out of business


Jones Cam Supply

Jonescams.com

Are you sure you want a llifter with a ceramic coated puck glue onto the bottom of the lifter? Trend and probally others now sell a tool steel lifters which they are claiming are reusableble from one cam to another like the Shubic where claiming I heard that Shubic went out of business due to numermous lawsuits from customers that thier lifters had shatter the pucks off the bottom of the lifters and total thier motors from that debris Those customers supposedly had not use enough valve spring pressure to keep those lifters in constant contact with the top of the lobes, once they floated the lifters the pucks would shattered

I used the Trend tool steel lifters with the edm oiling hole, so far everything is good 1500 miles.

I use Comp EDM lifters and they work great for me. I dont think they are as hardened as Schubecks are. Ron