SBC HFT lifters best buy ?

[madmooney]

Hello all. I think I may have found my power and start up noise issue per previous post. I had low power and bad lifter
noise after sitting a couple of days in a 388 SBC. Pulled intake and covers,rockers ect and found roughly half of the lifters
could be compressed with a screwdriver like they had never been run! Now nobody take this as knocking Howards as I
have been very happy with their products in the past and they are acting like they may warrant this issue. But this is the
3rd cam kit I have gotten from them in the last 10 years and lifter quality has for sure gone down. The first kit had what
appeared to be Delco with the pressed on foot and c-clip retainers, this set is in my 360 and are in very good shape and
will be run some more. The 2nd kit was much milder grind and came with a round piece of sheet metal pressed in to
retain the piston, this kit has survived transplant into 4 different blocks and is still running strong.This last set did'nt
make it a week before having bleed down issues.
I called Howards today and told them that regardless of the warranty claim I would buy a set max effort lifters to
get the truck running.I was informed they would not sell me a set of HFT lifters unless I bought a kit because of a lifter
shortage as the company they get the bodies from went out of business. How interesting. China maybe?
Anyhow summit and GM want 160$ for Delphi, I called Jones for pricing but it was late and I did'nt get through I'll
have to try again tomorrow. What other options are out there for a decent cost effective lifter that won't come apart
in a hour's operation?

[nxtruck]

On my last sbc build (a mild 355), I used Crower Cam savers. So far with about 20,000 miles on them, I’m very happy with them.

[Geoff2]

If you want a set of reliable lifters, find some factory lifters & have them re-faced. Been doing that here since Adam was a boy....

[CamKing]

Most everyone is out of chevy hydr flat tappet lifters.
We use the 817 lifter, and they are back-ordered
The plant in Michigan, that makes them has been closed for months, and just opened back up, about a week ago.
They're producing lifters, and filling back-orders as fast as they can, but it'll probably be months before the pipeline gets back to normal.

We're having the same issue with cam cores.

[bobmc]

I assume you have to disassemble the lifter before refacing? are they rehardened after refacing?

[Krooser]

I assume you have to disassemble the lifter before refacing? are they rehardened after refacing?

Nope on both counts. It's a pretty sole procedure ....


https://youtu.be/K1FXQ3qFFCY

[Krooser]

I assume you have to disassemble the lifter before refacing? are they rehardened after refacing?

Nope on both counts. It's a pretty quick procedure ....


https://youtu.be/K1FXQ3qFFCY

[madmooney]

Wow! Who would have thought a chevy lifter shortage in the USA? Shades of WW2. Jeg's have some CC lifters called
"race" lifters that are a little cheaper than the "Magnum" line, they are tighter than the "anti pump up" lifters and are
to be run with .030-0 pre-load. As I have about .250 P-V clearance I think I would rather pump up than be "mushy"
all the time.

Several places have "cam saver" type lifters in stock, I don't know about a flat spot on my lifters although I guess
it has been done a lot. I think I would groove the lifter bores first, but I bet this 388 slings plenty of oil on the cam
with the stock oil pan.

Maybe if this motor acts alright by next spring I can pop for a Jones SFT set-up.

[dynoflo]

i just got off phone with bullet cams. they have a set of delphi sbc hydraulics. ask for tim

[madmooney]

Bummer. I just pulled the trigger at Jegs. Thanks for asking though.

[GARY C]

I have never had an issue with Comps run of the mill lifters, could be that the smaller company's are looking for anything they can to stay in business.

Smaller company's may want to stock up on anything they can now as we rapidly become a fallen country.

[CamKing]

Smaller company's may want to stock up on anything they can now as we rapidly become a fallen country.

US Productivity is actually up.
Manufacturing is rebounding.
The US lifter and cam core companies are now at full speed. It's just going to take a while to refill the pipeline, that was depleted over the last 5 months.

If you don't want to wait, you can find the Chinese and Mexican made lifters and cams, from the big name sellers. Good Luck.

[Walter R. Malik]

For the last 50 years I have used the early Cadillac lifters in a hydraulic camshaft Chevrolet - #HT-969.
If you do enough engines to buy them by the tray, they are a whole lot less expensive by the piece.
The plunger travel is a bit more and the pushrod button is about .050" higher.

[Mark O'Neal]

Most everyone is out of chevy hydr flat tappet lifters.
We use the 817 lifter, and they are back-ordered
The plant in Michigan, that makes them has been closed for months, and just opened back up, about a week ago.
They're producing lifters, and filling back-orders as fast as they can, but it'll probably be months before the pipeline gets back to normal.

We're having the same issue with cam cores.

Tried calling PAC lately? The Governor of that State is insane.

[engineman1642]

LIBERTY still has DELPHI lifters in stock. not cheap but still available.