In order to degree in a roller cam properly, I was told not to use the regular hydraulic roller lifter because it won't give me an accurate reading. I'm guessing I'm supposed to use a solid roller lifter? Where would I find such a thing, since I only need one. It's for a roller block, not a retrofitted roller cam setup, if that makes a difference.

 

You should be able to find a solid roller lifter.
If not what I use was an old lifter that I removed the spring, and installed a couple of washers in place of the spring. This kept the pushrod from preloading. Mine was a flat hydraulic cam though. As long as you can keep the pushrod from preloading you'll be ok.
The final line is that you need a roller lifter that doesn't preload to degree a roller cam.

The best way would be to degree right off the lifter, but is impossible with the heads on.
BTW: If you don't have the heads on, you can degree it off the rim of the lifter, so it doesn't matter weather it preloads or not. Obviously.

I degreed mine off the pushrod, and not the valve. It was easier to read the gauge going up, instead of going down. I also had a more consistent reading this way.

I attached a picture showing how I lined up the dial gauge with the pushrod. It has to be perfectly straight, or your readings will be off.


Ron

 

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if you could find someone with a lathe they could make you a piece to use as a lifter, or instead of a lifter.

 

Thats a bunch of crap. If you dont have a rocker installed on that cylinder you're checking from and you're just measuring off the pushrod or the lifter itself (which you should measure directly off the lifter anyway) then it being hydraulic or not has nothing to do with it.

 

I don't know, even with just the dial gauge I have on the pushrod, it might cause a little pre load (Especially with new lifters). Enough to throw it out "inconsistantly" a few degrees.

Again, your not getting a dial gauge on the lifter with the heads on. Good Luck if you can.

Ron

 

Never seen it happen before. The spring in the dial indicator is relatively weak compared to the lifter. As for a dial indicator thru the head, thats doable. Just need some extensions on it. Not a preferred method mind you, but it can be done.

 

I agree with MadMax. Unless the valve spring is acting upon the lifter, there should be no compression of the spring in the lifter. Thus, a standard hydraulic lifter should work with accurate results. The spring in a dial indicator is far weaker than the extension spring on a hydraulic lifter body.

With the heads installed, the lifter can be sensed directly as long as the intake is removed, but that is unnecessary if the above method is followed.