Billet cams and lifter supply

[Jim Kaekel]

If you want roller lifters, they are legal...in Super Stock.

[john ancona]

Originally Posted by Jim Kaekel

If you want roller lifters, they are legal...in Super Stock.

Why not just build a 1985 or newer and stay in Stock Eliminator most all have roller lifters from the factory , 38 years ago the American car manufactures pretty much switched to roller lifters ,and for a good reason the oil formulation changed , so fast forward to today ,like I have said before where were many of the keep the flat tappet cam alive racers when all the other rule changes over the years case in point a 68 Corba Jet C/SA went about 11.40 in 1978 ,today 10.30 I ran one 50 years ago ,and have a very clear understanding of how one goes over a second faster today. Wouldn't be all the rule changes would it, the same rule changes that apply today for most if not all the racers that say the same old if you want roller lifters ,they are legal ...in Super Stock
But wait what about all the rule changes racers took on there own to enhance other parts of the engine at a extremely high cost well we will just look the other way at those rule changes made by the racers themselves , the point is why other than for a few racers would the lifter problem be fixed by going to roller lifters at not only a much lower cost but ,and able to buy them .

[Rich67stang]

I am sick and tired of listening to the excuse "Supply Chain Issues". It is 2022, two years removed from Covid. All these companies showcase @ SEMA and PRI products they cannot produce, "Do your damn Job or close your Doors". I run a Construction Co in NYC, We NEVER stopped during Covid Nor Delayed projects. Incompetent people with excuses.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Rich67stang

I am sick and tired of listening to the excuse "Supply Chain Issues". It is 2022, two years removed from Covid. All these companies showcase @ SEMA and PRI products they cannot produce, "Do your damn Job or close your Doors". I run a Construction Co in NYC, We NEVER stopped during Covid Nor Delayed projects. Incompetent people with excuses.

I also work in the commercial construction world. Same here we never missed a day of work during covid. During that time all of the back stock was used up. Now we are having real supply chain issues. On the project I am working on now we had to wait a full year for the roof membrane. Now waiting for AC units that were ordered 8 months ago are still several months out for manufacture and delivery. The main electrical gear from Square D is over a year lead time. Waiting for an emergency generator from Cummins/Onan that has been on order for over a year and is 3 months overdue. Thats just a short list. concrete shortages. had a hard time getting 12 inch CMU. Insulated hurricane glass is a 6 month lead time. Then we had the hurricane about a month ago and the power company has paused all new construction projects while they ae in storm reconstruction mode . All of this is affecting our completion dates.

I can only imagine what these small high performance manufacturers are going through. I need to freshen my engine in the next several months to be ready for next year. Not sure if rings, valves and springs will be available. I guess i will find out here real soon. unfortunatly i dont see it improving any time soon.

[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.

[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" !

[B Parker]

Originally Posted by Jim Kaekel

If you want roller lifters, they are legal...in Super Stock.

Jim, Why didn't I think about that. So all you guys that have an older than 85 car and need a set of lifters that are going to last. Just put your cars in a car crusher. Maybe Jim will post his phone number and start giving away his money if you can't afford a Super Stocker.

Jeff V don't get me wrong I like the new cars in Stock but most are closer to comp motor's than old school Stockers. With your car you don't have to worry about them.

James Perrone I'd guess knowing your engine builder you already have a set of Tool Steel lifters in your car. What if you break and need to fix it?

Sam I'm not sure how many sets of roller lifters there are but with almost all race engine using them. I'm sure the supply has to be greater than flat tappet lifters. I used Schubecks for years with no problems. But we all know someone that has lost a motor with them. I offered my old set to a friend but his engine builder wouldn't use them.

Rich I'm sure we all agree with you. We can only hope for change in our Country. I sold my business at the beginning of the year because I'm done counting on employee's. But it still doesn't fix the problem.

[BG56]

Ahhh, bidenflation and universal economic incompetence. Or is it intentional. Love him or hate him, TRUMP had USA revving on all cylinders. And even peace breaking out in the Middle East! Tuesday is Election Day. Are you 'satisfied' with the current condition or maybe start to get back to where we SHOULD BE?!

[Jim Kaekel]

[QUOTE=B Parker;670286]Jim, Why didn't I think about that. So all you guys that have an older than 85 car and need a set of lifters that are going to last. Just put your cars in a car crusher. Maybe Jim will post his phone number and start giving away his money if you can't afford a Super Stocker.

Barry: I'm just not for rules that turn Stock into Super Stock. Racers wanted unlimited valve springs....they got them. Racers wanted roller rockers (even though Clark Holroyd's stuff was legal)...and they got them too. Add to that, and now some are calling for legalizing roller lifters on applications that never came with them. What's next, 14" x 32"'s and Edelbrock intakes? Personally, I have absolutely no interest in running Super Stock...it's been literally transformed into Comp.