Hydraulic lifter recommendation

[nrramse]

Who makes a quality hydraulic lifter these days? This is for a stock 302 valve train.

 

[73azbronco]

Ford performance, comp cams, howard to name a few

 

[bronco italiano]

Oregon camshafts
https://www.oregoncamshaft.com/
Cam research
https://www.camresearchcorp.com/cam-king-camshaft-break-in/

Todays flat tappet and even some popular roller lifter companies are hit and miss.
Nothing is inexpensive anymore, even quality tappets.
My buddy did replace his tappets 2 years ago with edelbrocks and so far so good though.
Depends on what you have done to your motor as the risk you are willing to take if a failure occurs.
Follow the break in procedure exactly as recommended.

 

[69_Sport]

Another option is to have your original lifters refaced. The metallurgy in the older lifters is often superior to the chinesium modern replacements.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, when I swap a cam, I use the lifter from the cam company. Good luck

 

[fordguy]

If it ain’t roller, I don’t fool with it.

 

[bronco italiano]

If it ain’t roller, I don’t fool with it.

I am with you. Cost me 700 more to convert my FE to roller and I do not regret it.

 

[Timmy390]

I am with you. Cost me 700 more to convert my FE to roller.

That's why I didn't convert my FE but I did my rebuild way before the lifter issues showed up.

Tim

 

[73azbronco]

Hi, when I swap a cam, I use the lifter from the cam company. Good luck

This, always, and rockers if able.

 

[bronco italiano]

This, always, and rockers if able.

Johnson doesn't make cams unfortunately
Them and Gaterman seem to make the most reliable roller lifters, and you pay for them too

 

[ngsd]

I just destroyed a new engine witha wiped cam and lifters. I wish I would have spent the moeny for a roller set up. Everything I read after the fact was about how the new chinese made ones are not great metal and this is a regular problem.

 

[WILDHORSES]

https://www.compcams.com/evolution-lifters/
I like these with the roller cam.

Jim

 

[ba123]

Yeah, rollers for sure and Ford Performance ones. Why eff around, use what you know works. Who wants to replace a bad lifter…

 

[SteveL]

Don't know how true it is but a couple years ago I I was looking for better lifters to go in with a cam swap. I was talking to a tech guy at summit and he said most lifters come from the same place and get rebadged anymore.

 

[nvrstuk]

From building Ford strokers for a few decades and the last 5 yrs having lifter/cam issues since ALL builds have roller cams, I will not use anything but Howard or Johnson, that said the last one I put together I tried USA made Isky. No issues so far.

I would not use ANY lifter unless it's Johnson, Howard or so far Isky.

Ford Performance lifters were decent. Last 8 yrs are crap. NO Ford Perf, No Summit, no Comp products.

High quality lifters are $1,000/set. Yeah, what happened right???

Lifter failure is the #2 most expensive repair for internal combustion engines.

These are my experiences and I won't spec or assemble an engine w/o roller lifter/cam.

 

[bronco italiano]

Don't know how true it is but a couple years ago I I was looking for better lifters to go in with a cam swap. I was talking to a tech guy at summit and he said most lifters come from the same place and get rebadged anymore.

-More likely than not true for most lifters about same price range. The premium quality are usually made in house such as Oregon cams, Johnson Lifters, Howards.
-I apologize as further research is stating Gaterman lifters are from China and assembled in USA, no bueno.

 

[DirtDonk]

Remember when 16 lifters cost $39? And they worked perfectly!

 

[bronco italiano]

That was when Ford, HM, and Dodge sourced USA made parts and were built in America. Sad times now

 

[nrramse]

I guess I'm off the hook for replacing lifters or replacing the motor (which I was leaning towards, after reading the comments here). I flushed the engine with this stuff and it sounds normal again!

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[DirtDonk]

So what was wrong in the first place? You just had a light ticking? More than one lifter maybe?
Or some other weird noise going on?