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Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:50 AM

I had read alot about solid lifters for Pontiac's on this forum. I ordered a Lunati cam (407A1) and they gave me the Chevy/Pontiac solids. Long story short, the oil band on the Lunati lifters fell below the lifter bore. I found out that Crower carried the correct "high oil band" Pontiac lifters, and I ordered them. Here are a few pictures I took.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:50 AM

I had read alot about solid lifters for Pontiac's on this forum. I ordered a Lunati cam (407A1) and they gave me the Chevy/Pontiac solids. Long story short, the oil band on the Lunati lifters fell below the lifter bore. I found out that Crower carried the correct "high oil band" Pontiac lifters, and I ordered them. Here are a few pictures I took.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:52 AM

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Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:52 AM

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Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:53 AM

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Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 08:53 AM

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Big Injun · 05-06-2005, 09:33 AM

Does the wife know you are using her kitchen as a workbench? LOL

You did not mention that the interal hieght is not correct for a Pontiac as well.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 09:37 AM

Big Injun - The "wife" in this instance would be my father's wife. He's helping me build the car.

She knows...kinda.

And yes, you are right. The Chevy lifters required a longer (forget the measurements) pushrod because of the shorter integral height. Lunati gave me the Chevy length pushrods, those were exchanged for the "stock" length when we sent back the incorrect Chevy lifters.

rzrektd · 05-06-2005, 09:38 AM

So what's wron with them? The oil band is longer so that must give it more oil

Thanks for the heads up.

SCOTT ESTERLE · 05-06-2005, 09:54 AM

I'm running the Lunati Chevy lifters in my engine. I've had them in a couple of diff motors & the oil band was fine on my engines. I'm also using a lunati 40710 cam.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 09:55 AM

The lower oil band of the Chevy lifter falls below the lifter bore in your block on some (most?) cams. The problems are:

1) You lose alot of oil pressure because the lifter will release the pressure when the oil band goes below the bore (this happens when the lifter is on the base circle or non-lobe section of the camshaft).

2) You can actually crack the lifter bore and lose the block because of minor movements of the lifter inside the bore. On the way up, the lower lip of the lifter can get hung up on the bottom of the bore and crack the block.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 09:56 AM

Scott - It is true that people do get away with it (in some engines, the low Chevy band does NOT go below the bore). But, it would benefit everyone to check their clearances before running their motors with Chevy lifters. Or, they can avoid all this by getting the proper Crower lifters from the start.

onetru462 · 05-06-2005, 10:30 AM

Having posted on this previously, ...yes in some motors it will work. It is all in the base circle of the cam lobes, hence why some cams allow for them and some don't. If the base circle is smaller diameter then it DOES catch the bosses. That is why it is so important to check everything when putting solids in our engines. To be safe no matter what get the right ones. To save a few bucks, just check.

screamingchief · 05-06-2005, 11:25 AM

Yes sir,old news to me too.Have posted on this at least a dozen times,just use the crowers and be done with it.

Don't require the oil restrictors either,AND for street use/high milage you can get the "coolface" option with the EDM oiling hole for them.

Hill1513 · 05-06-2005, 12:38 PM

Definitely...I have read all the past posts. I was never able to see the difference though. The reason for this post is the pictures I was able to take. I hope they will help people in the future.

screamingchief · 05-06-2005, 01:13 PM

Wont hurt thats for sure.Also does'nt hurt to remind folks occasionally either in case they have CRSS(cant remember $#!t syndrome)!

I think there was an article in HPP awhile back that showed most of the then currently available flat tappet(hydraulic and solid)lifters for comparison too.

All the solids they had pictured were the lower seat style solids,unlike the current(correct)style crower solids,as pointed out by Big Injun.A big plus if you ask me...

Only solid lifters I'll even consider right now are the crowers,and any I consider in the future will have to match ALL those criteria to even be considered.

Maybe I'm getting paranoid lately but I have thought I might have to grab a couple extra sets to stick on the shelf and forget about in case crower looses intrest in keeping them available,like SO MANY other things pontiac over the years...

I KNEW I SHOULD have grabbed at least a half dozen timing covers when I bought that last one!

I JUST KNEW IT!!!

SCOTT ESTERLE · 05-06-2005, 01:44 PM

Well when i first decided to go with the Lunati cam back around 1993 i ordered the Crower lifters because of the correct oil band. Needless to say i lost that cam so the next one i went with the Chevy lifters & to this day i'm still running that cam & lifters. I said i would never run those Crower lifters again.

ponjohn · 05-06-2005, 02:02 PM

Great info as I am about to buy crower solids with the cool face.

john

frbird400 · 05-06-2005, 02:12 PM

I also run the same Lunati 40710 cam as Scott w/ the Lunati lifters, no problems.

Tom Vaught · 05-06-2005, 06:31 PM

With todays technology, a company like Bullit (formerly Ultradyne), using their cnc grinders
can build a cam that has a large enought diameter base circle to properly use the Chebby type solid lifter and still have a very good lift profile.

The key is finding a company who will work with you on the deal.

You are going to have a custom cam built anyway, why not get it for the readily available Chebby
type solid lifter?

Talk to Bob Cook at Bullit about that deal and mention my name. I have known Bob a long time.

Tom V.

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