Rollerlifters

3

3W Hank

Well-known member
I know a few had used roller lifters but I'm not shore if Crower or Jesel today make it ( if so special order )
I has seen own made in a bronze bushing with keyslots to Ford FH.
I don't know if Navarro had them in the late 40's (?)
But I'll also seen radial grinded lifters.
I will use std 8BA +40 grams lifters on my Potvin 425 cam but I has another project that can be cool use that roller design ( no racing just fun mechanical stuff )

Ideas on that.

-I seek a 32 core 425 cam, so if anyone has one 'over' I'm ready.
 
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My Ardun had a roller cam in it when I got it. Built in the early 50's. It had 3/4 roller wheel and knocked at the top. They had welded in studs in the block and a piece of angle iron to keep the lifters from turning. I still have it. My plan if I were to use it was to use 1" KB link lifters. 1" body and roller wheel. They fit the block perfectly. I made up one pair with Y-block lifters cut down to fit in the KB lifter with an alum insert to hold them in. That was to get the length right as real Ardun lifters were tall. I never did put much thought into seeing if this would work as flathead, but will work for the Ardun.
 
I don't think today Crower ever will do them.

Yes the Ardun might work with ex Chevy lifters with a connection arm, but the FH don't.
I was into lathe bronze bushing and has a smaller diameter body inside where bearings is mounted and then a max diameter roller bearing.
Bushing with a slot for the bearing and pressed into block.
That might keep the bearing in place over cam.
 
3W Hank said:
I don't think today Crower ever will do them.

Yes the Ardun might work with ex Chevy lifters with a connection arm, but the FH don't.
I was into lathe bronze bushing and has a smaller diameter body inside where bearings is mounted and then a max diameter roller bearing.
Bushing with a slot for the bearing and pressed into block.
That might keep the bearing in place over cam.
Click to expand...

Yes, they will. They cost approximately ($1,500 give or take) for a set. Give them a call.
 
Tim, information how they is located, bushing and weight ?
I has actually asked Crower before on a crank and they said theesedays special is hard or not possible.
I has a Crower in my 426 Hemi ( and special NHRA stocker specs but not billet.
 
3W Hank said:
Tim, information how they is located, bushing and weight ?
I has actually asked Crower before on a crank and they said theesedays special is hard or not possible.
I has a Crower in my 426 Hemi ( and special NHRA stocker specs but not billet.
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No idea. They are quite heavy. I know this because I passed on a set new in the box with the tool to drill the lifter bores at a yard sale for $100 in the '90's.

Give them a call. They will tell you.

If you go this route, prepare to open your wallet for you'll need one of their roller billet cams made as well. All in, you'll be at about $3-4,000 US
 
The Crower lifters use a 'groove lock' mechanism to orient them. A special tool is used that slips into the lifter bore and then you take a long 1/8" drill and drill down the side of the lifter bore. This 1/2 round groove is then used by a couple small round pins (in the side of the lifter itself) to orient the lifter.

Yes, the Crower lifters are heavy, but with a decent spring pressure of about 100 lbs. on the seat, they work great. I'm running single Isky 185G springs. I've spun mine up to about 6200 without float.

It has 1.72" intakes and 1.6" Pro-Flow style valves. The cam lifts .420 and has about 280 degrees of duration at .050 (I know, that is a lot, but I like it!). The engine is 284 cubes, very heavily ported . . . and runs like a beast!
 
Here is the idea I has, can be made very light in a chromemolly tube.
Why would one need a billet roller cam to roller lifters.
 

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3W Hank said:
Here is the idea I has, can be made very light in a chromemolly tube.
Why would one need a billet roller cam to roller lifters.
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The lobes on tappet camshafts are tapered to cause the lifter to rotate in its bore - something you don't want to have occur with a roller lifter. This is to prevent the tappet face from wearing unevenly. A roller lobe will have a flat, non-tapered face.

Lobes for tappet lifters are also not as aggressive with their ramp rates as is possible with a roller lifter.


You might be able to re-grind a Flathead tappet cam core to have a roller-compatible lobe. You'd have to consult with a knowledgeable cam regrinder.
 
I would not go Crower/Jesel on this project or a true roller cam billet big bore.
This is not Bonneville, just fun old parts/tech ( that 'could' be able late 40's )
This is a baby stroked 3.75" crank, 21A rods, Weiand intake, Kurten distributor, and fun has a steel core 32 cam and home made rollers.
I think some used rollers back then, but I'm not shore.
Maybe just grinded in a key flat tappets.
-Maybe some know ?

I can't say on flat tappet cam profile, vut reversed in NHRA stock we has now almost roller cam on std flat tappet lifters ( ok toolsteel and coated )
 
I would not go Crower/Jesel key ways in this project or a true roller cam billet big bore.
This is not Bonneville, just fun old parts/tech ( that 'could' be able late 40's )
This is a baby stroked 3.75" crank, 21A rods, Weiand intake, Kurten distributor and fun to has a steel core 32 cam and home made rollers.
I think some used rollers back then, but I'm not shore.
Maybe just spherical grinded flat tappets in a key (?)
-Maybe some know ?

I can't say on flat tappet cam profile to a roller, but reversed in NHRA stock we has now almost roller cam on std flat tappet lifters ( Ok, tool steel and coated )
 
I think you'll find locating a cam grinder who can do a roller grind very limited. Maybe Kiwi Tony Price, Salt City, Schneider or Crower. Either option is not going to be cheap since it not very common in this day & age. I don't think you can just throw in roller lifters and use a normal cam.

Do what you want, but you asked. Dale (Bored & Stroked) has extensive experience with roller cams in a flathead. Maybe he can help you out.
 
3W Hank said:
I would not go Crower/Jesel key ways in this project or a true roller cam billet big bore.
This is not Bonneville, just fun old parts/tech ( that 'could' be able late 40's )
This is a baby stroked 3.75" crank, 21A rods, Weiand intake, Kurten distributor and fun to has a steel core 32 cam and home made rollers.
I think some used rollers back then, but I'm not shore.
Maybe just spherical grinded flat tappets in a key (?)
-Maybe some know ?

I can't say on flat tappet cam profile to a roller, but reversed in NHRA stock we has now almost roller cam on std flat tappet lifters ( Ok, tool steel and coated )
Click to expand...

I suggest you do some reading on the subject. Even in the late '40's, cam technology was pretty crude compared to the early/mid-'50's. Winfield, Bertrand, Smith & Jones, Howard, Weber & Harmon Collins were the main players at this time.

I think you need to decide if you REALLY want to keep it in this time period and, if so, stick with it.

In the late '40's, Navarro was experimenting with mushroom lifters (I believe from MOPAR's) which require some specialized machine work to the block. Very late '40's and early '50's, Isky and Weber had radius lifter cams, but rollers didn't come around until Chet Herbert started making them, but I don't recall any Herbert stuff for flatheads. He saw the light with OHV motors.
 
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I guess your'e right, rollers was later but maybe radius ( speherical as I 'called' it.
Even if it never came into hotrod scene in the 40's, stuff like that is in racing is way older that one think.
It's jus for now a idea.
Ron's roadster told me about a camgrinder he rely on and he can do custom, but if he has a CNC grinder or a master to a 32 core cam ( roller... ) I can't say.
 
3W Hank said:
I guess your'e right, rollers was later but maybe radius ( speherical as I 'called' it.
Even if it never came into hotrod scene in the 40's, stuff like that is in racing is way older that one think.
It's jus for now a idea.
Ron's roadster told me about a camgrinder he rely on and he can do custom, but if he has a CNC grinder or a master to a 32 core cam ( roller... ) I can't say.
Click to expand...

I believe rollers were around from some time, but I can't recall exactly what they were used in. It wasn't mainstream automotive, but the idea isn't terribly new, it just wasn't a common use in the Big Three in the USA.
 
Tim Ayers said:
I believe rollers were around from some time, but I can't recall exactly what they were used in. It wasn't mainstream automotive, but the idea isn't terribly new, it just wasn't a common use in the Big Three in the USA.
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My 1913 Excelsior V-twin had them.
 
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