Visual difference between hydraulic & solid lifter cam?

Is it possible to be able to identify a solid lifter cam from a hydraulic lifter cam?

I bought an Erson "High Flow" cam for my Falcon (200 cid, 6cyl), I do not have the P/N with me but it did not show up in Erson's website/catalog page - I have yet to try and contact them. The cam was described as a solid lifter cam. Seller bought a nonrunning rebuilt engine. It appears the non adjustable push rods were the incorrect length (valves would not close). While the engine has been cranked, it was never run with this cam. Cam came with what appears to me to be hydraulic lifters - holes drilled into the side, retaining clip on underside of lifter. My engine is a later 200 and is intended for hydraulic lifters but I have no issue adjusting valves (solid lifters). BTW, I have tried to push down on the underside of a couple of these lifters and they will not compress (did not try this in the arbor press).

Just trying to figure out what I bought and trying to decide between an actual Clifford solid lifter cam and the Erson.

 

I went through that with an early olds cam. The engine builders I showed it to said you can't tell by visual.

You need to measure the "lash ramp". That is the area on the cam coming off the base circle at the lowest point that the lifter can be, and then look for the start of the lifter lift. Then you should see with an indicator, that there is a point between where it starts to lift, but the lift is very slight. Then an abrubt change in how fast the lift increases.

Then you measure exactly how much lift is between the start of lift, to where it goes from very gradual lift rate, to very rapid lift.

A hyd will show very little lift before going to rapid lift... about .003 to .006 as I was told on a race site. A solid cam might be in the .010 to .030 range.

Sounds complicated but it's not hard to measure.

If the cam is in the block, set up your dial indicator on the top of the lifter body edge. Rotate slowly until the gauge needle just barely starts to rise, set your dial to zero, then rotate very slowly and watch the needle to see exactly when the needle goes from a very slow lift, to a fast lift. Wherever the needle is at that point of change, is your total lash ramp spec in lift.

 

F&J:

THANKS!!!! THat was just the kind of info I was looking for - I have indicators, mag bases, etc.

 

My old catalog shows the grind numbers to end in either an H for hydraulic or an M for flat tappet.