Did any of you read this article about running a solid roller on the street? What are your thoughts? There was so much ummmm BS that it wasn't even funny. If cam companies didn't influence that article I will eat it. Just in case you guys haven't heard we all better go to solid rollers because they aren't making flat tappet cams and lifters anymore, LOL what a joke. I don't know about you guys but, I can pick up the phone and get any flat tappet cam and lifters I want and have them here by tomorrow. This was the biggest sales push for solid rollers that I have ever seen.

While it looks like they have made some improvements since I made the mistake of trying to run one on the street, I still don't think I would try it again (yet).

did you have problems with yours :confused: , I'm running a solid roller on the street with no probs

i guess the new rollers are more "street friendly" than the old ones. some have a cast iron distributor drive gear pressed on so you don't need a wear prone bronze gear, and the newer profiles are more valve train friendly- which means less broken parts or worn out valve springs, as well as less frequent lash settings- while making more all around power than the older stuff. plus, i think they might have sorta figured out why the lifters would go bad from lack of proper lubrication of the roller.
i read the same article as you, and it just seemed like a compilation of things i've read in other places over the past few years.

Also, the article said the best way to set lash was cold. While repeatability of setting is influenced by having consistent 'hot' temperatures for settings, that was a twist to me. If I set them hot and rechecked cold, maybe I could do that for future settings. Certainly would be more comfortable.

Yes, I had a lifter fail and several other were on their way out. Let me tell you when a roller lifter fails it is UGLY and expensive. That alone steers me clear of them (for now). My roller was supposed to be a street roller, it lived about 2500 miles on the street. While the newer lifters might hold up better and that is what caused my failure. The lifters that came in my kit were not direct oiled like the newer ones are. At the time I got the "best" that was available, this has been a few years now.

Just seems to me the street friendly grinds don't offer enough of a performance adavantage to justify the added cost and risk. This is why I chose to go woth a solid flat cam this time around.

If they perfect the solid roller thing I might give it another shot.

Even when I bought my solid roller the guy (it was all Crower stuff, lifters, retainers, springs, rev kit, cam) said that I might get about 25,000 miles on the street. To me that is not bullet proof as the article tried to make it sound. He was only off by 90%

I would like to know good or bad how those of you running solid rollers on the street make out. Hopefully it is a little more reliable now. With the better lifters and less aggressive springs.

running a comp solid roller - matched springs, endure X lifters in the LT4, so far so good, still breaking it in, I'm not as afraid as I was with the ultradyne solid roller equipped pontiac motor I had (valve springs every spring)

the hyd are always gonna be around and extremely popular

I've heard baaaad things about them Comp lifters FAST . . . not to make you worry but there was a problem with the roller axles coming out. Keep an eye on your lash ;)

I agree with what you guys are saying about SR setups improving in recent years. It will take another year or two of improvements and prices dropping before I consider a street roller. Hopefully soon . . . but not yet IMO.

The good stuff is still outrageous (Isky Red Zone or Crower severe duty lifters $500-600, Isky tool room springs $300+, etc) and REAL street roller profiles are still few and far between (Comp XR series and a couple by Crane) are all I'm aware of.

I`ve got a lunati solid roller with some swap meet lifters in a 355 in my S10. I`ve got almost 30,000 miles on it now with no problems. I run 7/16" studs and stud girdles and lash never changes. My 496 is all solid roller Comp Cams stuff, hopefully I have the same luck with it.

I ran a Lunati solid roller with some used roller lifters in a 355 small block. I put just over 10,000 street miles on the motor before selling the car. The only thing that gave me trouble was valve springs. It seemed they would get weak and need replacing every 3000 miles.
Chris

Originally posted by Eric68:
I've heard baaaad things about them Comp lifters FAST . . . not to make you worry but there was a problem with the roller axles coming out. Keep an eye on your lash ;) :eek:

news to me, thanks for heads up, gonna hope you heard wrong though, fingers crossed

guess I should keep close tabs on it anyway though
procrastinators unite!
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