Got a bunch of roller lifters they are about .850 od ( or a lil less non digital calipers ),,but have a grove ??( right term ) I have never seen lifters like this what motor would have the matching grove ?
It is not for a factory block. The block has to be machined to accept the lifter guide. I have a 354 Chrysler with the grooves in the lifter bores.
If you have a block inserted with bronze lifter bushings you can have grooved bushings installed instead of smooth ones that require a tie bar of dog bones like a late SBC. The benefit among others is a lighter shorter lifter for lower valve train inertia. Not sure but I don't believe you would have a stock iron lifter bore broached to add the groove. I suppose it would be possible.
Looks like a groove for oil. After looking at the groove in the lifter body and the fact that the groove doesnt go all the way up and down the lifter body how would the lifter go into the lifter bore on a block if the block was machined for that lifter to keep it from rotating in the lifter bore?? good luck on that.
When Chet Hurbert first came out with roller cams for Hot Rods he would rent you a broch, shoe and straight edge with two dummy lifters. You put the two dummy lifters on lifter bores and alinged the straight edge with them. Then the shoe against the straight edge and insetted the broach. Drove it thrugh and you had grooved that lifter bore. Later I think it was Isky that came out with the "wrenchs" th hold two lifters straight. Now tie bars do it.. The broached slots were always lighter and less prone to fail
This technique is used today by the high-end roller lifters from Jesel . They have a really cool "keyway" lifter that uses a bronze lifter bore liner - usually with a .937 body for Nascar. The cool thing is the bronze liners are typically 1.0625 OD. So now you have me thinking . . . how about boring out the lifter bores of a flathead block a 1/16, using these press in bronze bushings and then running their roller lifters! You'd have to rework the lifters to have an adjustable top . . . or maybe just buy and overhead setup and run pushrods! Anyway, go to eGay and do a search on Jesel Keyway lifters . . . you'll see what I mean. The damn things cost about $2000 new, but you can find them used from Nascar teams for $200 - 300 a set. Probably one of the best lifters in the business!
Originally I was told they were for a Flathead,,but then someone else said no to small,,but with an insert then it makes sense ?
These are the stock .895" bore. I had to crawl over some transmissions and under a shelf to wrestle this bitch back upright to take pictures, so I hope you are happy! This engine also has some knife edge grinding on the crank and mallory metal welded in. The valve retainers look to be aluminum or titanium, so this must have been a hot motor in it's day.
I think it was Crower that made lifters with a little round button that fit the grooves. I saw a set on ebay some years ago, but the price went too high for my tastes. I need to find a set so I can use this block in something.
The groove in the lifter bore is full length, and the "key" on the lifter slides in that groove. So the "key" in the lifter doesn't need to be full length.
The ones I'm thinking of are the Crower Groove-Lock. Seems they still make them for SBC. Maybe I'll have to call them to see if they'd make a set for the Hemi.
The one of the right is a radius lifter -- like the Isky 404-A used. There was a special fixture that you used to drill the lifter bore and then little wire index keys were inserted into the lifter bore and then the ends are bent over on the outside of the bore to hold the wires/key in. Do you have a complete set of the radius lifters and what cam are you running or have for them?
Crower makes a set like this for the flathead - with a special jig that you broach or drill a keyway in the lifter bore with. Last I heard, Crower was about the only place you could conjure up a set of roller lifters for a flathead - to the tune of about $650 and you supply the Johnson adjuster.
Back when everyone built their own engines If you wanted a killer roller cam, you only had one choice. Didn't seem like so much work at the time. Still a bullet proof deal IMHO. Once it's done, what's to go wrong? The links can and do fail.
Not only that, but the whole reason companies like Jesel are going back to the keyway style because it results in the least possible weight in the valvetrain. I've got a couple sets of the .937 Jesels . . . what a beautiful lifter! Has high pressure oiling to the shafts and the roller itself, casidium (sp?) coated, etc..
I have a set for sbc for sale if you or anyone is interested. I am selling them for 150.00 they are new and never been installed in a motor. crower sells a jig for the block at their site to install them in a stock block these are solid roller sbc lifters and are for a standard lifter bore pn.66274-16 they sell for over 700 at crower. call me or email me 14146046541 or mookandairin@gmail.com if you want more info/pix
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