Billet cams and lifter supply

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Doug Hoven

I guess the only solution I can think of to avoid this issue is to use a camshaft where you don't need a special set of lifters. I understand the benefits of a billet camshaft, along with the different pricy lifter options, but that's not really in my price range, so for now I make due with what I can afford. I actually found a small, family owned company out in California that sells flat tappet lifters made in the USA by Johnson Lifters. I've had very good luck with them even with my relatively square 6 cylinder camshaft profile, and plan to use them on my small block build this winter. Yes, billet cams are great, only if you can afford it along with the special lifters, even the cheap ones. It can be quite discouraging to even want to tackle building a stocker for a popular class with the knowledge that some of your competitors have cylinder heads on their engines that cost them about the same if not more than I am spending to build an entire engine. Though limited, there are combos in the guide you cannot physically get roller lifters for, so how would it be fair to allow roller lifters in all stockers? It's interesting to see how the same people that say "if you don't like that your combo doesn't accept aftermarket parts, choose a different combo" don't like being told "if you want roller lifters, either choose a roller lifter combination, or move to super stock." There's a lot of similarities with this as there are in allowing aftermarket heads for combos you "can't find head castings for anymore." If this does materialize, I would be more inclined to roll with it as long as there is an added hp if you decide to use roller lifters, but that could get a bit tedious to police. For now, I guess I'll see what I can do with a bit of "yesterday's technology" and hopefully be somewhat competitive. Plus there's a great deal of fun to be had in "scraping together" a stocker.

And for those of you who don't know Doug, he's a pretty darned smart 19 year old "kid" !