Ok can anyone in layman terms tell me the difference between the three types of cams; solid, hydraulic, and roller. I need it explaind in reference to having a 10 sec car. Assuming all other variables are in place, which cam would be the bast bang for my buck? :3gears:
Mike, there are actually 4 types of lifters "Flat Tappet" solid and hydraulic and "Roller" solid and hydraulic. The "Flat Tappet" is a standard lifter that spins in it's bore on the cam by a mild slope on the cam surface. They come in solid and hydraulic. The hydraulic lifter pumps up the lifter cup with oil pressure and needs no rocker arm adjusting under normal use (push rod will move lifter cup down when no oil pressure is present). Usually set to zero lash or a slight preload. The solid lifter is solid (push rod will not push down lifter cup without oil pressure). They require periodic rocker arm adjustment and are set up with a gap. The "Roller" lifter uses a cam that has no slope since the roller tip (like a roller rocker tip) spins instead of the lifter spinning in the bore. They come in solid and hydraulic (see above). The Flat Tappet hydraulic is most common and easy to use and will provide good results in a 10 second Buick. Hope this helps Mike carcrazy455@yahoo.com
A hydraulic, flat tappet cam is still your best bang for the buck. You can get just about any flat tappet cam for under $200 and a good set of lifters for $89. A custom grind is still under $500, I believe. A roller cam, hydraulic or solid, is going to cost you an easy $1000, but it does offer maximum performance, if that's what you're looking for. Solid rollers offer even slightly higher performance. Rollers provide this increased performance by being able to more smoothly open and close the valves and are able to do it smoother than a flat tappet cam. This means more air in the engine without slamming the valves.
Mike, a "Roller" cam is not worth the added expense unless you need more power than money. John Z. once told me his car only slowed .10 when he went back to a solid from a roller. The choice should be between solid and hydraulic "Flat Tappet" cam. The hydraulic has the advantage of needing no or very little maintenance vs a solid that should be checked and adjusted (if necessary) every 20 to 50 runs. Back in the 60s many "Muscle Cars" did have solids from the factory that did not require too much maintenance. There are several Buicks running hi 9s and low 10s with a hydraulic cam. Mike
