roller lifter
 

ISKY manufacturers a roller lifter (Red Zone EZ) that does not use needle bearings. Do they work the extra money ?

Re: roller lifter
 

I have had excellent service from Isky Red Zone lifters with needle bearings. Have not tried the EZ Roll deal, but as long as they have been around you would would expect we would have heard stories by now of failures.

Re: roller lifter
 

i have 200 plus runs going to 9400 rpm at 350 @seat. my jessell never made it that far. well worth the extra cost

Re: roller lifter
 

WE have about 60 sets in service,Best insurance policy ever ,failed needle bearings do thousands of dollars of damage .Bill C.

Re: roller lifter
 

they fail too. A local Super Pro racer running a 7 second piperack that goes rounds every week and wins races, broke one in his 565BBC this past season.

Re: roller lifter
 

Good to know. I just had my year-before-last Red Zones (needle bearings) rebuilt and they kinda tried to sell me on "upgrading" to those. I have never had a problem with the standard Red Zones, so passed on it. I always carry the previous year's lifters for spares. I never try to run lifters two seasons. Even as few rounds as I go. LOL

Re: roller lifter
 

I know several racers using them.......One experianced a failure in 60 runs, the other two have hundreds of run on them.
I would not use them unless the lifter bores have been squared.
The failed block had not had the lifter bores done and you could see the outer edge of the roller wheel was flaking before it locked. ...When he checked it with new lifters and prussian blue, the contact was showing heavy on the same edge that was worn.
While this might be true for needle bearings as well as the solid bearing, there is probably less forgivness in the solid bearing.

Re: roller lifter
 

Some racers and engine builder swear by those bushing style lifters.

They push them for springs with over 750lbs open pressure.

I just built a new engine for myself and used the Isky Red Zone needle bearing lifters and have spring pressure right in that 750 open area.

Isky used to be the best lifter money could buy in the past. I used them for years.

Crower SD Hippos always lasted very well for similar spring pressures with big heavy steel BB chevy valves.

The Isky Red Zones have 3 oil feed holes to help but if your running big spring pressures and heavy valves and turning a lot of rpm.......well you really have to constantly check your lash for signs of trouble.

Hopefully my new engine has the same reliability my last one did.....but every part we buy these days is suspect.....

Re: roller lifter
 

I'm a tick over 1000 open with no problems so far with needle bearings. I do check my lash every morning before rolling it out of the trailer.

Re: roller lifter
 

Geez Ed.......1000lbs on a little LT-1 ?

Like I said I stay conservative on valve spring pressures.......and it has worked fine for me.....but I am not running a SS engine......and not turning a lot of rpm.

I am sure you used what was recommended by either the cam company or someone else for your engine.....and finishline rpm

Re: roller lifter
 

Cam F/X lifters. Have not personally run them but I looked at every option out there as I thought I was going Super Stock. My impression is they are the best roller lifter out there.

Re: roller lifter
 

Can't say about the Isky but the Crower has worked good for us. We use the .903 with no problems. Was told last season there was a heat treat problem with some different batches of lifters, but problem has been fixed.

Re: roller lifter
 

Crower seems to have some issues with there .903 lifters IISKY are great but have seen a lot of sizing issues, One build took 3 sets to make up one set. I don't send any block out the door unless I have lifters in hand to fit.

Jesels and Morels seem to a great lifter and so far never had to send any back because of sizing issues.

Here is a link on roundness issues with crower .903
http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/sh...fter+roundness

Re: roller lifter
 

If have lifter problems first thing to check is springs,probaly 8 out 10 times you are gonna find you have other problems causing your lifter problem,especially when quality lifters fail

Bearing failure,axle breakage,flat spots on wheel, broke studs/rock.ers,head coming off valve,burred/stretched keeper grooves,tips of valves marked like X or * stretched timing chains all are signs of valve float,not always but most of time from too weak spring pressure,from wore out spring,wrong spring or setup wrong to start with.

Mike Taylor 3601

Re: roller lifter
 

Thank !everybody for your comments and advices.

Re: roller lifter
 

Rich, I ran less spring for a while and they didn't last, lash wouldn't stay where I put it, springs were moving around on the heads and the pushrods were beating up the heads at the pushrods pinch. Kept knocking epoxy loose in the ports. Now nothing moves and springs still check good after a full season if I set them up tight enough. I have torn up a lot of crap from not enough spring. Never hurt any parts with a lot if spring.
Just what has worked for me. Mine has never been over 8500 in the lights.