I am not hip to the years that sbc engines came with hydraulics from the factory. I am going to do a tune-up on my buddy's '67 impala with the original motor (stock rebuild years ago) and would like to know if that year came with hydros or not, as the lash setting method is different between the two styles. I will pull the intake and check if I have to but it would be easier if someone could just give me a heads up. Thanks Mike
My Dad's new 55 Chevy hardtop 265 came with hydraulic lifters. My '54 Chevy ragtop I drove in high school had hydraulic lifters in the 235 six. I don't think Chevy every offered a solid lifter v8, except some of the HIPO optioned engines, everything else was hydraulic lifters. You'll be able to tell though, a solid lifter will tighten up hard, a hydraulic will keep going after the initial slack is taken out.
Anyone ever find a real 1955 Chevy 265? They came with solids the first year. I've got a new origional camshaft and lifters in the origional boxes out in the shop. The cam is a very mild grind as they were meant for everyday comuting. By '56 they were hydraulics. Since then they all were hydraulic except for high performance grinds. BTW, the valve lash is very tight on this cam, you can't hear any lifter tick when they are adjusted right. Frank
I wound up with one back in '86 that included a '27 T coupe, a roller T-bucket frame and the engine. Sold in Hemmings for really big bucks as that was right in the height of the restore your '55 period. Guy bought it for a Nomad.
as already said , it probably has hydraulic lifters. if they are not making any noise and none are loose , i would leave them alone
Thanks guys, I will adjust accordingly. He told me the engine started ticking and he pulled a valve cover and saw one of the rocker nuts backed off all the way!! I will go through each of them to make sure, but it's good to know that they pretty much all came with hydros. I am not a sbc guy, so forgive the question. Mike
If a nut backed off, replace the nut or it's never gonna stay adjusted. They're self locking and sometimes decide to revert to normal nuts after 30 years. Parts stores sell them. Personally, I like to get em warm so the choke's off and they're idling low, pull a valve cover, and set it running. If it's gonna get revved, back til it ticks, tighten til quiet plus 1/4 turn. If it's just a stocker then it's quiet plus 1/2 turn. good luck
Im wondering where I can see something in a Chevrolet engine manual or some such book that will tell me the first 265's were solid lifter engines. I don't think I can find it in my library. I know in the 265 there was no full flow oiling through the cam journals and bearings and the cam had a flat spot ( groove) machined into its rear journal for valve train lubrication. The early Vette had a 283 touted to have 283 HP and that was a solid lifter factory engine.In 57 there was a 283 with 2-4barrels rated at 270 HP and that probably ran solids. I think the 327/365 HP engine was also a solid lifter engine. Solid lifter 265?,,I may be wrong but I don't think there was one.Can anyone show me one ?
I think 55 Corvette V8 and 55 p***enger car with Std. transmission had solids. Powerglide V8 in 55 had Hyd. lifters. I could be wrong.
most have hydraulics.I don't think there were any years where hydraulics WEREN'T standard or at elast offered in the majority of models. My '70 vette has an SBC with factory solid lifters, 370hp/350 and by '72 they were back to hydraulics on the top SBC. I know there were several other vettes that had solids, but they had to be the top HP SBC to get them.
I used to have 327/365 horse power engine that came with solid lifters and ran a stock factory duntov 30/30 cam. Used to have also have a 265 and 283 with solid lifters but I don't remeber much about those these were mostly available in the Corvettes or high performrmance engines. It takes some practice to get the lash adjustments down but well worth the sound nothing like the sound of soild lifters if I remember right they were .030 clearance hence the 30/30 most ran with a dual point mechanical advance distributor and fuelie (camel hump heads) 11:1 compression ratio pistons were the average and windage trays in the pan.
Take that rocker nut and stand it on the floor on one of the flats, smack it with a hammer and screw it back on. Instant self locking.
They also made a dual quad version with hydraulic lifters, I think it was rated at 245 HP. Solid lifters in '55 with a stick and a four barrel, if my memory serves me right.
I checked in my MOTORS manual, and found that the 1955 Chev V8, Standard trans, had solid lifters, adjusted at .008 / .016 hot. Automatic trans had hydraulic lifters. All 1956 V8's were hydraulic.
At this point it's really moot what came with solids. The reality is you're 99% more likely to run into an aftermarket solid lifter cam that somebody put into a hydraulic motor. Seriously, solids only went in real real early, and real real high performance. How many of those are still on the streets? Those cars/engines are mostly in collections and were like hen's teeth in 1985 Functionally, solid lifters don't exist when you're asking about a garden variety SBC
While the debate continues over the '55's let me just say that no 1967 Impala ever came from the factory equipped with a SBC with solid lifters. IIRC the only solid lifter solid lifter small block in 1967 was the 302 Z/28. The 350HP L-79 had hydraulic lifters. The '61 Vettes had the last solid lifter 283 and '65 Vettes had the last solid lifter 327's. The '70-'71 350 LT-1's in the Z/28 and Vette also were equipped with solids.
Rumor has it that solids are not really "solid" any more. There is a small amount of oil cushion designed into the lifter. So much so that the sound is not the same as it used to be. Probably for wear reduction?? I have seen NOS sets of SBC lifters go for over $1000 just because somebody wanted the sound to be "just right". BTW - The solids on my 235 Chevy six are really solid. There were available in hydraulic for the Powerglide models.
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