customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

bought a set of 16 speed pro replacement roller lifters for my 383 HSR... one of them exploded with about 350 miles on them... and one scored my lifter so bad i have to replace the cam... all the others are not pumping up and im getting excessive play with the rockers after lashing them and its causes valve train noise and broken rocker studs.

so speed pro sucks.... what else should i get? i was looking into eaton stock replacement lifters from skips white performance. they are the same part number HT-2148 as the speed pros but he says there eatons and has proof of it. he also stated that they had a 30% failure rate on the speed pro lifters and they stopped using them and went to the eatons and have had no issues since.

specs of the motor are in the sig, main things are XFI280 cam, .576/.571 lift with 1.6 roller rockers, and im running .100" longer pushrods bc my valves in my heads are .200" longer than stock. the wear marks are dead center so i kno everything is setup right so its gotta be the lifters.

any ideas?

wanab03ss

iTrader: (20)

howards makes a nice set of oe replacements
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HRS-91113/

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

LS7 lifters $130 a set ; GMPP # 12499225
good for 7K
http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...99225/10002/-1

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NA...5&autoview=sku

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Used these in my 383 and then put them in my twin turbo car, no problems at all so far best deal going I think

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

how do the LS7 lifters work? they work with the stock spider and tbones?

would they handle the .576" lift that my cam has? i want to buy american made and i kno GM parts are but so were the speedpro/ federal moguls... which are poo.

also what is the max lift for these types of lifters/stock type? do i lash the LS7s the same as the stock L98 ones 1/2 turn past zero lash?

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Lift dont matter, the pressures do but the LS7's take a good bit. I ran .603/.613 on mine all the way to 6800 rpm LSx guys do the same and often times alot higher.

They work like stock lifters, same design really. The only thing is that the pushrod cup MAY sit lower than a stock OEM lifter, meaning you may need to check your pushrod length again... I think they typically use slighly longer pushrods than stock lifters.

1/2" past zero works, but i always ran about a 1/4 turn, maybe a 1/3

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

thanks guys... i trust the GM performance parts brand... since the stock Gm lifters in my L98 were fine for 130,000 miles. i ordered the LS7 lifters and i hope my pushrods are fine. mine are .100" longer than stock bc the valves on my heads are .200" longer than stock. if not then i will be ordering another set of pushrods lol.

i hope these lifters work good

i was told to maybe do the lifters 3/4 turn past zero lash. if they were noisy which they were but ive never done past 1/2 turn. why were u setting yours for 1/4-1/3 turn orr? any reason for that?

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

I've always heard less preload gives more power. Thought i read something on LS1tech too but its been years so i dont remember.

wildjyoung

iTrader: (6)

Did you purchase your Speed Pro lifters on ebay? I ran into a similar issue and when I cornered the guy he admitted that they are factory rejects and he cannot verify the brand although he suspects Speed Pro. I reported him but he is still selling!

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

The only other great lifter out there that I know if thats worth the money is the Morell lifters..but they are pretty pricey. I think 400 bucks or so. At that point i'd go solid roller cam and make more power anyway.

GM also has the caddy performance lifters that are found in the CTS-V racing stuff, at like 250-300 bucks. Designed for serious rpm useage over 7K rpm and higher spring pressures. Probably the best bang for the buck lifter there is, however I dont know too many using them.

I believe my buddy uses LS7's in his turbo 4.8L lsx motor that has turned 7500 rpm so they work well to high rpms anyway. I turned 6800 alot on my 383

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

no i purchased the lifters from scoggin dickey with the GM hot cam but i sent the cam back and went with the XFI280. wat i found weird was that 12 of them were clear heat wrapped in 3 nice bundels of four... but then 4 of them were just loosely thrown in. I also have 2 diff types of lifters within the 16 that where sent to me... the bodies on them are slightly different, one has a small groove/raised line the other does not. i can post pics prob if u guys want them... prob just a newer design tho.

well i hope to have the LS7s by thurs... and have the long block buttoned up by sunday. the engine wont see above 5500-6000rpms ever since thats when i will shift and i want to keep it below 6000 with the scat cast crank and 2 bolt mains. i hope these lifters work well... how long do u soak them? i had mine soaked for about 15min before i threw them in. and should i do 1/2 turn or 1/8-1/3 turn after zero lash?

basiccamaro

I just picked up a January 2010 Popular Hot Rodding Magazine and they are talking about some new "short- travel lifters" from Comp Cams. They say that rather than having .200 " of plunger travel, the short travel units only have .012 of plunger travel.
They claim that they will give close to solid roller performance but with a bit of hydraulic cushion and that they are going to use them in future PHRM projects. They are pricey though, over $500! It must be nice to have a magazine project car budget to work with!

But they sound like a good idea. Has anybody here used them?

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

.012" is not much clearance if any... figure the preload itself would be .100" or .050". that would basically just be a solid lifter... and would prob wear the valvetrain and require regular valve lashing/maintaince just like solid rollers.

sometimes i want to slap CHP/car craft/ super chevy in the head... they spend so much money on bull$hit items and usless parts when i could make more power for less money. sometimes they are just idiotic. i read from my stash a TPI 350 build and they threw like 3000$ at the motor and car and it never broke into the 13s. they threw on SLP siamesed runners and never port matching the plenum DOH!

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

I didnt soak them... rather just oiled the rollers/bearings area and rolled the roller back and forth with my finger until it loosened up. WHen you get them new, you will feel the roller is stiff. It needs oil and loosened up, so wipe some on and roll it on your finger til it moves freely. Then lube up the lifter bores and sides of the lifter and drop them in. They dont really need any soaking.

Then give them about 1/4-1/3 turn and it should work out well. Has for me for the two motors I've had them in so far

Air_Adam

Another vote for the LS7 lifters - however, some people claim to have had to get slightly longer pushrods when going from the original lifters to the LS7 set. Some did, some didn't, mostly LTx guys that reported the issue. Wouldn't be a bad idea to recheck your geometry if you do use them. Otherwise, its a simple drop-in, and its a bulletproof lifter - the LTx and LSx guys love them.

JakeJr

On another Forum (LS1LT1.com?), a member just received a new set of LS7s and measured them. He posted the pushrod cups sit .060" HIGHER than the LT1 lifters he was replacing. Another guy posted different results.

Also, Mike, on the Corvette Forum, just bought a set and posted photos of his LT1s Vs LS7s; the LS7s do sit higher, but I couldn't tell by how much from the photo. So, yea, it would be a good idea to check for the correct pushrod length.

As far as preload, it's all over the map. Some prefer less, others more. Choose your poison; this is a battle I'm not about to fight-again, LOL

Jake

JakeJr

Comp warns that their lifters come with grease at the roller bearings and that it must be removed with solvent before installing the lifters. I don't know about the lifters you're considering though, whether they have grease packed in the bearings or not. I suspect the grease can inhibit oil flow to the bearings.

I always clean my new lifters in solvent, dry them, then oil them with 30W. That's what Comp says to do, so I figure, why not.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

1989GTATransAm

iTrader: (3)

"As far as preload, it's all over the map"

Ain't that the truth for the LS-7 lifter. The "older" lifters in my current motor I have set at 1/4 turn. With the LS-7 lifters in my new motor I have them set at one full turn. That is the best consensus I have come up with after all the research and thread replys. Like said above these guys are turning 7000+ rpm with a full turn+ preload and have a quiet valvetrain.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Also depends on your studs.. 7/16 rocker studs or 3/8... I got 7/16 and I'm at about 1/3 turn on mine. Different rocker studs have different thread count and thus different preload per turn. Valvetrain is pretty quiet, except at the number 8 cylinder, may be abit loose or just a noisy lifter. Gonna pull the turbo stuff off to check it out here in the next week

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

well i got the LS7 lifters today... they just look like a better lifter than the speed pros... AC delco products are just better in my opinion. As far as the height difference between the 2 lifters i will post pics of it.as well as the depth of the plunger... but they seem to be the same as my speed pros. lifters are the same overall size too.

so no one soaks there lifters before install? lol... man i thought that was procedure. when i install my cam i always use assembly lube on the cam lobes and bearings etc... i dont want one getting dry on startup. im gona check the valvetrain geometry before i button it up... gona check the #1 cylinder intake and exhaust. im really worried about lifter preload... cuz my valvetrain is really loud for a roller system... u can hear the tapping under the valve covers over my dual exhaust turndowns. i would have thought that 1 full turn would have been too much... anyone know the max plunger depth?


so the consensus is.... to wash the lifters in solvent, then put oil on them (rollers and bore area), then throw them in and thats it? do i need to depress the plunger before installation? or anything?... i cant even push the LS7 lifter plunger down by hand right now outa the box

also...rocker studs now are the ARP series... 7/16" bottom and 3/8" top... ill get 7/16" top rocker studs if and when my rocker arms snap lol... then ill just go all 7/16 with the rockers and studs.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

oil the bearing/roller area and work the roller back and forth until it spins easily with your finger. It will be stiff and hard to spin out the box, just needs oil in there to loosen things up

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

well the rollers spin freely without being stuck at all outa the box... idk but my speed pros were the same way.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

OK GUYS HERES THE SPECS ON THE LIFTERS I JUST DID FOR U ALL! enjoy! i used a caliper for the rough estimates and i used a MIC for the inside plunger depth. (plunger depths were taken with lifters outa the box... they have NOT been compressed at all.

LS7 roller lifters
overall length including roller tip= 2.597"
Lifter outer DIA (shiny part) = 0.839"
Plunger depth, including roller tip (roller tip to plunger with MIC)= 2.3988"
plunger depth rechecked with caliper=2.399"

Stock Speed Pro/federal mogul lifters
overall length including roller tip= 2.6"
lifter outer DIA (shiny part) = 0.839"
Plunger depth, including roller tip (roller tip to plunger with MIC)= 2.3738"
plunger depth rechecked with caliper= 2.370"

So as u can see the LS7 lifter is basically the same as the stock... only difference being in plunger height. The LS7 lifter plunger being 0.025" taller than the stocker. which would require a SHORTER pushrod!

U can see in the pics that the plunger looks deeper in the stock lifter (see pics). also in the pic with the lifters side by side u can see that the OIL relief holes in the side of the lifter are exactly 180 degrees out from eachother. i found this interesting that the LS7 lifters are cocked 180 degrees out compared to the speed pros.

d4nk

iTrader: (2)

I had a set of comp link bar retro roller lifters in a ford 351 and 2 of em were collapsed out of the box.

I have a set of crower retro link bars in my 383 and have spun them up to 6500 a few times with no problems what so ever.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

ok guys i just spent a couple of hours out in the blizzard were getting in NJ tnite.

I converted 2 of the cr@ppy speed pro lifters to solids and then tested the heads for spring binding. I installed the new cam and spider with only the #1 cylinder Tbone and converted solid lifters. I installed the head (with no head gasket) and tq'd the head bolts to about 50ftlbs around the #1 cylinder. I then installed the pushrods and rockers and made the poly locks hand tight (no need to lash them really since the lifters are solids). i then found the max spring compression at the highest point of lift on the exhaust and then the intake. i slid a feel gauge in there and found the distance between coils (about 2-3 coils from the retatiner) this was just a minimum test so i didnt try to go for max distance between coils. basically just wanted to make sure i had more than .060" clearance. also i can only check the clearance on the outside spring since the inside spring is unaccessable.

heres the specs.
Exhaust spring= .097" clearance but there was alittle more, this was 2-3 coils down or middle of the spring
Intake spring= .073" clearance but there was alittle more, this was 2-3 coils down or middle of the spring.
this also doesnt take into the account the headgasket compressed thickness, i was using .041" compressed felpro permatorque head gaskets(stock replacement) but now im gona use the felpro 1094 shims with a .015" compressed thickness so add that to the clearances so i def have enough clearance.

this is more than the recomended .060" clearance so there is no spring binding or valve to retainer clearance issues. so im gona have to assume the lifters were just poop. any comments?