What do you know about the Rhoads lifters? I know that they have been around for a long time. Snake oil??

They kill duration at idle, they used to be a good old school way to kill some cam when what you had was too big. I used the Crane version on a couple motors in the late 80's - early 90's and the Crane worked pretty decent.

Now days there are so many cam choices out there I wouldn't bother with var duration lifters. Just get the right cam to begin with.

In 1985 I built an engine for best friend, a 350, that was going in his '79 Z. He wanted to use Rhodes lifters, so that is what I put in.

I can't tell you if they offer better performance than a more conventional hydraulic flat tappet. I had nothing to really compare it to. He liked the engine , the lifters did make some noise but wasn't too bad really. As for making more low end power, I can't say yes or no.

I have used them several times, both to calm down a cam that was mismatched for my combo. The old style ones mostly worked on the intake closing side and the exhaust closing side. If you were to use them on a cam that had the desired intake valve closing point and you used the rhoads there could be some detonation due the the valve closing sooner with the rhoads. The newer style V-max lifters supposedly work even better and are adjusted just like a solid lifter. Like advised by others, best to pick the right cam from your combo to start with. They are quality lifters in my opinion.

I have used them several times, both to calm down a cam that was mismatched for my combo. The old style ones mostly worked on the intake closing side and the exhaust closing side. If you were to use them on a cam that had the desired intake valve closing point and you used the rhoads there could be some detonation due to the valve closing sooner with the rhoads. The newer style V-max lifters supposedly work even better and are adjusted just like a solid lifter. Like advised by others, best to pick the right cam from your combo to start with. They are quality lifters in my opinion.

this detonation you speak of would cause a heat soak situation in the heads, correct ?
if so, I think I may have found part of (one of) my problems..

What ft cam has the smooth idle and high rpm power that Rhodes lifters give? They call them variable duration for a reason. Seems like less of a compromise than 'barely idles but good top end' or 'strong bottom end but no top end'. I've never ran them but a lot of people say they do work.

IMO they are an outdated design. The more modern versions made by other cam companies are quieter.

I run them and I love them. They do exactly what they say. It gives you more options as far as cams go. If you want a cam that is meant for say 2500-6000rpm, but you still want that off the line punch, the Rhoads will help with that. They have a faster bleed down rate than a standard lifter, therefore, they reduce both lift and duration at idle until 4000rpm. From 4000rpm-on, full lift is restored. They also offer a "Super Lube" version that has a groove machined into the lifter to allow more lubrication of the cam. This is the alternative to having your block machined. The old days you used to have to have the block machined with this groove, now the Rhoads offers it in their lifter bodies instead. I love the Rhoads. Yes they do make a little noise, but I like that about them. Sounds similar to a solid lifter. Also, the Rhoads lifters are stronger than a standard hydraulic so they rev farther into the RPM range. I think once you try them you will like them. Just my opinion and am in no way trying to down someone elses thoughts or expressions.

I've run a set for 25 years now. They seem to work as advertised but I've never been in a position to test them against standard hydraulic lifters.
Mine are wearing. The 'arch' is gone on the face and they're now dished. A new solid roller is planned. And with a high stall race converter, they aren't needed anyway. Oh, RPM's are no problem.

what lash do you~all have them set-to ?
I've read the Rhoads' installation sheet, and they recommend zero, allowing +0.002 on a static, or cold, adjust.
also ,, what procedure is the most-acceptable for correct adjustment ,, (or, what has worked best for your particular application) ?
I was under an assumption that all (adjustable valve train) Chevy V-8s were the same, but have read and been told many variations. :confused:

Rhoads variable duration lifters are adjusted like a solid lifter using a feeler gauge. If you run them at zero, you won't be getting the affect they are designed for. I set mine using a .020" feeler gauge. The instructions say for race use .030" and for street use .020". For ****s and giggles, I set mine to .023" just to see what difference it would have and once I set them to .020", it felt like the bottom end picked up some. No loss on the top end. Also, I did drop about 1"-2" of vacuum by dropping from .023" to .020", but other than that, no big deal. I run hydroboost anyway so vacuum is not too big a deal for me.

I also run Rhoads lifters w/ my crane cam been running them for 7 yrs and they do have a little noise to them i like them as well:) Pink

I have heard that different weights of oil effect how the rhoads lifters performe. Does anyone know if this is true?? For those of you that have experiance with the Rhoads Lifters, what have you found to be the best weight oil to run with them???

we've used Rhoads lifters as OEM in the Viper V-10 since 1996; calms down the idle enough to get us through the city-cycle portion of the emissions test. :)