[grivera]

Are you shaving the 6x4s? Otherwise, won't it be under 8.5:1 compression? If you go with the 62s and the Icons with 14cc dish, you'll be around 9.25:1 (assuming 75cc on 62's which are typically 75-78cc).

[Ponchomike57]

Thanks so much Dennis, I appreciate it. Do you have any good recommendations on lifters?I have read lots of different posts on here but lots are from 10+ years ago. Not to sure what everyone’s go to is now.
Thanks Mike

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

I think you'll be very happy with the 2801 with the 6X4 heads. If you want to use 1.65 rocker arms, you need to open up the pushrod holes in the head to allow them to fit, otherwise, they may (most likely will) contact the head and not allow the pushrod ball to sit in the rocker arm cup properly. Personally, I don't think your combo will benefit much from 1.65's. Yes, you may get a few more hp, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze in my opinion...and it'll reduce your low end torque a little. Get some Icon pistons too and you'll have a great foundation to add more power in the future.

Dennis

[Ponchomike57]

I’ll be shaving them down to reach at least 9:1. Hopefully 9.5:1. I’m going to cc the 6X4’s this weekend to see where I’m at right now. The 62’s don’t have valve in them so I’d need all new valves and need hardened seats put in them. The 6X4’s have 1.77 exhaust valves in them already and are in very good shape. I’m going to talk to my local machine shop and see how much I can take them down. I’m going to clean up the heads with the die grinder and gasket match them too.

Originally Posted by grivera

Are you shaving the 6x4s? Otherwise, won't it be under 8.5:1 compression? If you go with the 62s and the Icons with 14cc dish, you'll be around 9.25:1 (assuming 75cc on 62's which are typically 75-78cc).

[OG68]

Originally Posted by Ponchomike57

Thanks so much Dennis, I appreciate it. Do you have any good recommendations on lifters?I have read lots of different posts on here but lots are from 10+ years ago. Not to sure what everyone’s go to is now.
Thanks Mike

I'm using Crower 'Cam Saver' lifters with a Crower 60242 cam.
Although not a guarantee, they're looking good after 350 miles.

Crower Hydraulic Flat Face Lifter Pontiac & Oldsmobile V8 with Cam Saver Oiling
SKU 66056X3
Cam Saver
.0025 Groove from the oil band to the lifer face for reduced lobe wear
Heavy Duty Snap Ring

[chiphead]

I bought a set of NOS hylift-johnson HFT lifters from ebay for about 90 bucks. I did have to clean the hardened shipping grease out. Otherwise they've been fine for about 1500 miles.

Whatever you buy, check the face crown on each lifter with a surface plate and a dial indicator on a flat block. The lifter crown should be .0015 or so across the face. That is a good check that the lifter was machined properly.

[SD455DJ]

Hylift-Johnson's are good. Same with the Crower cam savers. Checking for crown is important. So far, we haven't had any problems with the Summit lifters (knock on wood!).

To bump up compression without excessively cutting your 6X4 heads is to go with mini-domes on your pistons. They do add a couple hundred bucks but are a good option to increase compression. They don't impact hp as much as you think. We've used them on 455HO and SD455 engines to get 9.5 to 10.0 compression rather than over cutting expensive factory heads.

Dennis

[Ponchomike57]

Do you know how are the comp cam lifters? 852-16

[P@blo]

I have the 2801 in a 9:25:1 400 with 6X heads and 1.5 rockers (stock ports) in a heavy automatic. Love the 2801 cam in these type of applications. And SD455DJ has a good suggestion using pop-ups alternatively .I ran the L2279 400 dome pistons for 27 years with no issues other than making me grin.

[67Lemons]

Originally Posted by Ponchomike57

Do you know how are the comp cam lifters? 852-16

Since Comp was sold to private equity and became a big conglomerate a lot of their stuff is garbage, sourced in China for Pennie’s on the dollar. You couldn’t give me a Comp Cams HFT lifter, Crower Cam Savers, Hylift Johnson’s from Butler or NOS GM’s are the only HFT lifters I’d run. They are finally offering their Pontiac lifter with a DLC coating but again I have no confidence in the cheapo lifter they apply the coating too.

[Ponchomike57]

Thanks everyone for your help!! I’ll be cc’ing my heads this weekend and figure out what pistons to get. Definitely going to order the 2801 and the crower cam saver lifters. I’ll report back on what the heads cc’d too

[Mike S]

I changed my 72 lemans to a cruiser and built a mild 400 for it a few years ago. I used 6x-8 heads that where mild to 90cc. I used the summit 2801 cam with summit lifters (has been 3 years and still good). If I remember right I went with an Icon piston that had 4cc valve reliefs. Compression worked out to 9-1. Car runs great on 87 octane. I have a 600 holley on it with a performer rpm intake. Should have a performer intake instead but was using parts I had laying around. I also put a 200r-4 trans in it with the 3.73 gear I already had in the car.
Cam sounds completely stock no lope whatsoever. Can't really remember but think it has 17 inches of vacuum. Idles at 600 and 500 when air is on.

I enjoy the car a lot more now with the 400 instead of the 455 when I raced it. Eventually plan on taking it on road trips, like from NJ to Florida. Working my way up to longer and longer trips

[grivera]

Sounds like a fun car - damn that’s a low idle rpm