[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by scott70

I went with the evo’s cause what I was hearing was people liked them. You think that lifter is hit or miss?

I don't know Scott. I wanted to try them in my own engine because I heard the same thing you did. Didnt work out for me as I have one that bleeds down and can't pinpoint it easily I just wanted to try before I used them in someone else's engine. Guess I'm one of the lucky few that got a bad one.
So rather than go through however many intake removals replacing cartridges Ive elected to take it as a loss and shelve the units for some Johnson's. What I should have used from the start as it's been my go to lifters for many years. That's what I get for leaving my comfort zone lol

[scott70]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I don't know Scott. I wanted to try them in my own engine because I heard the same thing you did. Didnt work out for me as I have one that bleeds down and can't pinpoint it easily I just wanted to try before I used them in someone else's engine. Guess I'm one of the lucky few that got a bad one.
So rather than go through however many intake removals replacing cartridges Ive elected to take it as a loss and shelve the units for some Johnson's. What I should have used from the start as it's been my go to lifters for many years. That's what I get for leaving my comfort zone lol

Did you clean them before installing? I’m going to point out to my engine guys to please do that.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by scott70

Did you clean them before installing? I’m going to point out to my engine guys to please do that.

Depends on what your definition of cleaning is.

The instructions are very specific that you only do a gentle wash of the outside of the lifter. They don't want them taken apart and they don't want aggressive cleaning around the wheel as they have their own lubricant packed into the bearings that they want there during initial start. They did say soaking in break in oil for at least 2 hours was acceptable and preferred.

So that's what I did, a gentle outside wash, don't blow with compressed air. let air dry and then soaked for a few hours in brad penn 10-30 break in oil.

This is how I've treated every hydraulic roller lifter without issue. I have always taken the Johnsons or Hylift Johnsons, gave them a gentle bath and soak in break in oil. Install and go.

To add, I've changed the oil 4 times now in this engine. Initial run and tuning, then a short 30 mile drive and dropped the break in oil. refilled with more break in oil and drove roughly 500-ish miles and changed oil again to some ZR1. Drove another 800 miles and changed oil again this time with some Amsoil that is going to stay in the engine. So far that oil has about another 1300 miles on it I've cut the filter every time and other than the initial run in where I expect to see some metallic from break in, the filters have been very clean and oil looks good. Not using any oil and running really nice, but still a lifter bleeding down after it sits a few hours. The sewing machine noise I can live with even though it's louder than my solid flat tappet lifter engine LOL. But because of the bleed down issue I'm just swapping them out for Johnsons.

[charlie66]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

Depends on what your definition of cleaning is.

The instructions are very specific that you only do a gentle wash of the outside of the lifter. They don't want them taken apart and they don't want aggressive cleaning around the wheel as they have their own lubricant packed into the bearings that they want there during initial start. They did say soaking in break in oil for at least 2 hours was acceptable and preferred.

So that's what I did, a gentle outside wash, don't blow with compressed air. let air dry and then soaked for a few hours in brad penn 10-30 break in oil.

This is how I've treated every hydraulic roller lifter without issue. I have always taken the Johnsons or Hylift Johnsons, gave them a gentle bath and soak in break in oil. Install and go.

To add, I've changed the oil 4 times now in this engine. Initial run and tuning, then a short 30 mile drive and dropped the break in oil. refilled with more break in oil and drove roughly 500-ish miles and changed oil again to some ZR1. Drove another 800 miles and changed oil again this time with some Amsoil that is going to stay in the engine. So far that oil has about another 1300 miles on it I've cut the filter every time and other than the initial run in where I expect to see some metallic from break in, the filters have been very clean and oil looks good. Not using any oil and running really nice, but still a lifter bleeding down after it sits a few hours. The sewing machine noise I can live with even though it's louder than my solid flat tappet lifter engine LOL. But because of the bleed down issue I'm just swapping them out for Johnsons.

What part# of the Johnsons are you getting?

[Formulajones]

I forget the number off the top of my head but I ordered the reduced travel with pin oiling. Didn't want or need the short travel for this engine but I do like the pin oiling feature.

[Formulajones]

And I misspoke in an earlier post Jay was asking.

The cam is a 1223 not a 1203. The 1223 is a steel core from Summit. Something I had laying around for a different project that didn't get used. This particular engine it's in now was slated for a Howards hydraulic roller with 219 @ .050 and was supposed to be a 355. It morphed into a 383 build and I then didn't like the small 219 cam and wanted a little more. Realizing I had that 224 Summit cam on the shelf I grabbed it and used it.

Going by Jays description of lobe intensity this cam is only 52 degrees on the intake lobes which isn't bad. It's the exhaust lobe that is aggressive at 49 degrees. So it's a probability the sew machine noise is coming from the exhaust side of things, or I just have a crappy batch of evolution lifters because there is one that completely bleeds down after sitting. Who knows but I'm pretty confident this cam will be quiet with Johnson lifters.