Rhoads Lifters

What is the consensus on these? Do they even still make them (you can tell how long it has been since I picked up a "Hot Rod" magazine)? Do they change they way the car sounds at idle? My cam in my .040 over 350 has .480 lift but I forget the duration or any other specs (built this engine 16 years ago when I thought the only important cam spec was lift!) I like the way the car idles now and don't really want to change it but my hyd. lifters seem to making alot of noise (sticking?? how to unstick them??) I like the idea of improved bottom end though (isn't that supposed to be the major merit of Rhoads Lifters?) Can you install new lifters on an "old" cam (the engine maybe has a couple thousand miles at the most) Thanks-

 

Yes, they still make rhoads lifters, and yes they work. They will actually make more noise than a stock lifter at idle though. They don't pump up all the way at low rpm, effectively shortening the lift and duration, that's why they make more torque and vacuum (it acts like a smaller cam), but that's also why they make more noise (sounds about like a solid cam). As far as new lifters on an old cam, from what I understand, it can be done, but with as cheap as you could buy a new cam, why not?

 

from what I know on a street driven small block a person doesn't want to go much more .500 lift and 300 duration, does that sound right? If Rhoads Lifters "tame" a cam, how close could I go to those numbers and still have the lifters make the cam "streetable" I know the lift numbers have more to do with valve springs and piston clearance than anything else, right? This engine is in a '65 Impala (heavy car) with a stock converter and 3.08 gears and gets driven on the street and highway. I like a rough sounding cam but want good power and street manners, too much to ask for? Thanks-

 

with that heavy of a car with the highway gears you'll need as much torque as possible, so I wouldn't get too crazy with it. I would look into the Comp Cams Extreme Energy series. I don't know how much you know about cam theory, but they have a more agressive ramp, which give more duration @.050, while maintaining the same advertised duration. I think it would give you the idle that you want, without killing the bottom end too much, and then you could run the rhoads lifters to boot!

 

I have Rhodes with the Comp XE268 in the 289 in my Comet. Works sweet. They have a nice sound- kinda like solids. I would say go with the 274 with your extra cubes, but you may want to stay with the 268 because of your weight.

Of course I know squat compaiered to some people on here, so take everything with a grain of salt.

The Rhodes will let you go one "size" larger camshaft. They stop bleeding off around 3000rpm. They will also rev higher than a regular hydralic lifter. Take a look at the "Pit Stop" section of the Oct '03 Hot Rod magazine.

Oh, and what carb, manifold, exhaust are you running? Are you always going to keep the stock converter and highway gears?

 

my boss (who usually knows his stuff) tells me that rhodes lifters are a good way to get streetability out of an engine with too much cam, but they really aren't worth much for performance. you really wouldn't want that much cam in a heavy car with highway gears anyway, which makes the rhodes lifters a moot point.



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I've used them in my Pontiac engines. Last one was a 428 Poncho I built for my buddy to go in his 40 Pontiac sedan....prolly 3600 lbs with 3.73 posi. The lifters tame the lumpy cam down for a good batch of low end torque and after 3000 rpm, the lift and duration come in for a strong mid range. I told him to never take it over 5500 rpm but I see him do it on occasion.
I used the Rhoades in a 389 I built for my 56 Pontiac chieftain hardtop.....3700-3800 lb car. I used a cam with plenty of duration and overlap..mucho lumpy idle until I slid a set of Rhoades in place to aid bottom end power. The idle smoothed considerably and I attained low end streetable power.....kept my mid and top end power too AND! I loved the click-click-click at low rpm....like solids without the hassle...
Last time I tried to buy Rhoades lifters, I hadda tough time finding them. Several suppliers claimed they had had broken rocker arm problems from customers..I never had any trouble from them and yes, you can use new lifters on a used cam but don't try to go backwards with used lifters on a new cam.....nor should you use used lifters from a different cam or even from a different lobe on the same cam. The lifters take a "set" to the cam lobe it's been riding on and if you mix em up, they'll eat each other..

 

I used a set of Rhoads lifters on a 289 with a 515L/312D cam and it was very streetable. I would use them again. Plus they do sound cool.