roller lifters or flat lifters
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New User
Joined: Nov 2006
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roller lifters or flat lifters
I am just beginning the rebuild on my 1971 ford F-100 302. I took the engine block to the machine shop today. Apparently now you can buy hydraulic roller lifters for my engine. The cost difference between the roller and flat lifters seems to be pretty steep. I plan to make my truck a daily driver and I am wondering if the roller lifters are worth the extra expence or should I just stick with the flat lifters.
New User
Joined: Nov 2004
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rollers vs flat
The roller lifters will usually give you a flatter power curve because of the cam profile that can be used with the rollers, but not always a better peak power number. I've been in some pretty fast cars with regular old flat lifters, and some pretty slow cars with roller lifters.
You're right about the price difference, and i think your money would be better spent on other things that would probably have a bigger impact than the roller lifters & cam. Don't forget that your pushrod lengths will be different with the rollers too, and the retro-fit roller cam (smaller base circle cam) is more expensive. I don't think you can use a regular roller cam like what came in the factory roller blocks because your lifter galley isn't tall enough to support the roller lifters in a block that wasn't meant to have rollers in it, thats gonna limit your cam choices some if you go with the retro-fit roller cam.
You're right about the price difference, and i think your money would be better spent on other things that would probably have a bigger impact than the roller lifters & cam. Don't forget that your pushrod lengths will be different with the rollers too, and the retro-fit roller cam (smaller base circle cam) is more expensive. I don't think you can use a regular roller cam like what came in the factory roller blocks because your lifter galley isn't tall enough to support the roller lifters in a block that wasn't meant to have rollers in it, thats gonna limit your cam choices some if you go with the retro-fit roller cam.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11,141
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From: south louisiana
If your block is a roller block, by all means go roller. If it's a flat tappet block, the cost difference is not worth it. Going roller in a non roller block entails more than just the lifters. You have to change the cam, lifters & pushrods too, plus the distributor gear and cam retainer plate.
