For those who remember my original post, you all know I went with the stealth ram. You also will recall that I broke a hydraulic roller lifter in half while at Great Lakes Dragaway in WI. Well I finally have all of my new components fresh from my porch steps, and will be working over the next two weeks to get my IROC running again.
The new parts:
Comp Cam solid roller based on the XR280
Comp 977 springs, with titanium retainers
Crane Pro-series solid rollers
7/16" studs and rocker girdles
Crane gold series roller rockers
GM Performance .028" head gaskets (compression up to 10.5)
Dynomax Ultra-Flo muffler (replace flowmaster)
All of this should allow my motor to happily rev to 7000 rpm like it was when my lifter broke. I will keep everyone up to date on the goings on.
By the way, the powerband of the new cam is 3000 - 6700.

 

Sounds great!!!

I am very curious though. I have never heard of someone breaking an hydraulic roller lifter in two. How do you think this happen?

 

My guess is that a valve floated, the pushrod left the plunger, the lifter pushed the oem retainer up (that spider leg was bent up), the lifter turned sideways, and got hit by the lobe somehow tearing it in half. I know it sounds weird, but I was shifting around 7000 rpm. I'll have to get a picture of that lifter posted up here. The lifter will always remain in my toolbox.

 

Well, I did not get as much done this weekend as I'd have liked, but I did get all of my springs installed at 1.850" for proper pressures, and torqued the heads back in place. I'll just have to get it into gear next weekend, and get the cam changed out. I do have most of the front end of the motor apart, so it's just a matter of dropping the pan, and pulling the balancer.

 

gixxer9-

Is that solid roller cam made for a roller block, or did you do a retrofit-type setup? I've been researching solid rollers but I haven't seen any for use with a roller block.

I'm anxious to see how your setup goes, I'm really thinking about going with a solid roller myself.

 

there are a lot of companies that make solid roller lifters for the roller blocks. If you look at the lifter it self, it is the one with the bar at the top, not in center.

I have them in my block, although it is not a regular roller block, it has the same valvetrain

 

I meant the cam itself. I haven't seen any solid roller cams with the "step" nose for roller blocks....unless I have to go with a custom grind.

 

I had to pay for a custom grind to get the stepped nose. It really was no big deal, because that allowed me to customize the lobes to best fit my combo all for less than $300. Off the shelf solid rollers are $250 or so.

 

Yeah and actually if you look at Comp Cams prices from there site (direct) you pay a lot more (usually 100 bucks) for off the shelf soild roller cams from them than say going through Summit or Jegs and getting the same item. Wanna know the funny thing the custom grinds are a lot cheaper (around 50 bucks I think) than the off the shelfs direct from Comp Cams!

 

Do you forsee any problems with your knock sensor, while running the solid roller?

I am trying really hard to not go back to carb with this car, i already have my '86 Z28 carbed, and I want to learn FI with my '89 Formula

I have 2 extra motors with solid rollers, but worry about the knock sensor picking up the solid roller???

 

knock sensor and solid roller are a no no

 

So what is the solution? Remove/Disable the knock sensor?? Put in a resistor or something???

 

I switched to an Accel DFI 6.0 and disabled the knock sensor.

No real choice in this matter. just tune the car to run a little on the rich side as a precaution.

what size solid roller are you thinking of going with? ( i read XR280 but what kind of duration and LSA is that associated with)

Also I am assujming this is a production L98 block?

 

The XR280 is 242 248 @ .050" lift, and 280 286 @ .015" lift. Lobe centerlines are 107 intake, 113 exhaust. LSA is 110. As far as the knock sensor, I am planning on experimenting a little. I'm going to monitor knock retard with it connected (unmodified), try to desensitize it with a resistor, and if all else fails, disconnect it.

 

I run a solid roller cam on a small base circle that is 248/248 @ 0.050 with 615/615 lift on a 110 lsa.

I have read that hte miniram likes a single pattern cam and that is actually what TPIS recommended. BTW don't buy a cam from them, its like 400 bucks. You can call Comp or Crane and have them, grind the same one for about half the price.

As for the knock sensor I never actually tried running it because i went from a 305 TPI with stock ECM to 406 miniram with DFI.

I see that you have the TPIS chip...can they re-flash it for you without the knock sensor? If not you could put a resistor in line like you mentioned to have the ECM constantly think that there is no knock. Just make sure you have good enough fuel for it.

I like the solid roller setup, even though it is a little noisy and you have to run the valves every so often. But the power gains are worth it.

 

I really have no choice on going solid roller. I have gone through two hydraulic roller cams, and am tired of the time, and expense of replacing them. My motor is built to rev, and it does just that. I adjust the valves in my GSXR1340 two to three times a year, so I don't mind the fact I'll have to do the IROC as well. I removed the AC compressor, so it is easy to pull my valve covers. I just want a bullet proof valve train that'll hold up to 7000 rpm. I have purchased that valve train, and am going to setup the rocker geometry on thursday evening. It is almost ready to go.

 

So can anyone that burns chips just remove it too?

Isnt that one of the 10 commandments?? lol

 

I have the cam I mentioned, Comp Cams solid roller lifters, crane pushrods and the Crane Gold Aluminum rockers.

I shift the car at around 6800 without any problems yet.

Not sure what trans you have but 700r4's do not like anything over 7000.

 

I'll actually be shifting at ~6900 or so. I have to wait until I get my dyno numbers with the new combination before that determination can be made.

 

I installed my cam last night, and have determined the optimal pushrod length to be 7.950". Tonight I'll be installing the new timing set, and hopefully get at least one head setup, and lashed.

 

Another snag in the road. I ordered a double true roller timing set and tried to install it last night, but the chain hits the top oil gallery plug boss. The timing set was made for late model OEM roller blocks, but apparently the ZZ4 is different than the OEM block. I had to order a special GM Performance single roller similar to the one that came with my shortblock when I ordered it. I really wanted to go double chain for the extra strength, but I'd have to grind a 1/4" or more out of the plug boss, and I'm not comfortable with that. I'm just going to re-install the original crank gear, and then finish the valvetrain, and top end of the motor this weekend.

 

I had the same problem too on my ZZ3 block when I installed a double roller chain. I used a dremel to grind down the plug boss, it didn't take much and didn't have any problems with it.

 

I got all of the valves, except for one, adjusted this weekend. Intake lash is .016", and exhaust is .018". It turned out that I was missing an adjusting nut from my stud girdles, so I had to order that today. I'm still waitiing on my new timing set, so the front end of the motor is still apart, but I did get the intake base back on. I've just got that one valve to adjust, and then I'm going to double check all of the valves, and tighten the girdles. I will not be able to work on it until this weekend, but I should have it finished if everything goes as planned. I will have all of the parts by Wednesday. Thanks for reading my chronicles, lol! By the way, I have taken a few pics of this process with my brothers ancient digital camera, so I'll post some pics this weekend.
mike

 

Summit forgot to include the adjusting nut with the rest of my order, so the valvetrain still is not done. I did get the new timing set installed, put the aluminum timing cover on, and the oilpan bolted back up. That aluminum timing cover has a flange that is like 5/16" thick! That will make for a positive seal. My fluidampr is installed, and I added an ARP dampener bolt that has a 1/2" square drive in the center of the head to make turning the crank easier. I also have the exhaust all bolted back up, and have the plugs in.

Soon, very soon!

mike

 

The moment of truth has arrived! I have everything done now except for setting the fuel pressure, and timing the motor. I will start it up tonight after work, check for leaks, and take it on a test drive. The local dyno is having a party tomorrow (5/1/04), and you get two wideband pulls for $35! I will, of course, post the numbers as my baseline, and then when I fine tune it, we'll all know how much gain can be had by tuning.

mike

 

Sounds great...let us know how you make out. It's been fun hearing about your progress so far.

Steve

 

Fastbird,
thanks for reading my chronicles, lol! It has been frustrating at times, especially when I destroyed TWO hydraulic roller cams before I learned my lesson. It wasn't easy coming up with all the cash to purchase all the heavy duty parts, but it'll be worth it in the long run. I honestly do not know what numbers I'm going to be putting down, but I would like to think it'll be somewhere around 380 rwhp. My prom is not optomized for my current motor, but it is better than the stock prom. Because this is a special event and price, you only get two pulls, without any tuning, so I'll have to try and set the fuel pressure, and timing per the "butt dyno" beforehand. I will post the graph regardless of what it reads, but i'd expect it to be at least 350 rwhp, and will be pissed if it isn't, lol!

EDIT: By the way, I am using the stock throttle body and MAF with only the screens removed.

 

Don't be discouraged if the inital rear wheel dyno numbers are a little lower than you expected. When I first had my car dynoed, the motor had less than 50 miles on it. It was still breaking in. and it made 370 RWHP. I figured out through an on-line calculator that 370 RWHP and 3680lb car should go about 114 in the 1/4 mile.

However, with the convertor being stalled too low and the trans slipping bad between 2nd and 3rd, it trapped at 118.

118 mph is about 410 RWHP!!! and that was only 50 miles more on the motor (drive to the track). Thats a 40 HP difference.

With the trans fixed, and some more miles on the motor I am hoping for 122-123.

What I am getting at is let the drag strip be the proving ground, not the dyno and give her time to break in.

Good luck with her.

 

Bad news guys... I did manage to get the camaro started on Friday night, but the battery wouldn't hold a charge, and it got too late so I had to put it off until Saturday morning. I bought a new battery, and was going to install my new muffler, tune the motor the best I could, and get it out to the dyno, but my starter died when I was at the gas station so I was stranded for a few hours, and never made it to dyno. Technically I could have picked up a starter, and put it in, but I wouldn't have got to the dyno until at least 2:30 or so, and I had to be at my friends wedding by 5:00. I'm upset, but not greatly because there was no tuning allowed for this event, it was just an assembly line dyno, but it still would've been nice to have a baseline number. I can honestly say that the car feels slower. I have some serious tuning to do, and probably would have been disappointed at the numbers anyway. I say all of this because it used to be insane coming off of the line, DESTROYING the tires unless I had the drag radials on, and now it spins them, but not like before. I know the cam is a solid roller, but the numbers are pretty much identical to my hydraulic. Plus I raised my compression to 10.6:1, so that should have made it even stronger off the line. I'll get this thing figured out.

 

You're right, a solid cam with similar specs and more compression should give you more low end responce. Low voltage (if the alternator is bad) will definitely slow you down. However, if that wasn't it and you find it's not tune / timing related, you might want to back off your valve lash and see how it acts adjusted to .022 / .024 lash. That'll give you a little more bottom end and cut a few degrees overlap,, which should help out a little on the idle (if it's not OK now).

 

BadSS, thanks for the advice. I'm going to check things out as soon as I pick up a new starter. I'm leaning towards timing being the problem, and it smells kinda rich, so I'll back the fuel pressure off a bit.

 

So, how did you like the camshaft while you had it running (even though it was a small time)? I only ask cause I just put the same camshaft in my 383 that's in my bedroom. Last night I got around to installing the lifters, rev kit, heads, and rockers. Did you have to use a vac canister to retain decent vac for power brakes?

 

This is just a guess but I think your car feels a lot slower because you are probably getting a mountain of knock retard because of the solid roller cam...unless you have already addressed that with a resistor.

Also with a cam that big and fuel injection that is tuned properly, you will not need a vacuum conister. If its carbed..forget about brakes.

I run a 248/248 on a 110 with no brake problems at all and no canister neeed. but it is tuned well with a DFI system.

 

Yeah my new 383 is going to a Victor JR with a 750 DP Speed Demon.

 

It sounds pretty much the way it did with the XR294HR with the exception of the solid lifter ticking, and the cool whirring sound when revving the motor. I am not using a vacuum canister, and never have, but my brakes are fine.

 

The knock sensor on my year of car (1986) can just be unplugged (and is) with no ill effect except for the fact my computer cannot listen for knock. Most of my problem is that the car is very rich smelling, and timing is not optimal. I can't play around with the timing, or anything else until I can purchase, and install a new starter. My prom needs some serious re-tuning as well, and once I get the new exhaust on, and fuel pressure set lower, and the timing squared away, I'll get out to the dyno, and then get my prom closer.

 

I have been stupendously busy, and it seems like the summer is half over already! I hope to get the car finished or at least closer this weekend. Check the miniram vs stealthram post for my last update, oops, lol!