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To anyone running roller lifters on the street:

My name is Wayne Gill from Littleton, Colorado and pictured is my ‘70 SS Nova.  The engine is a 468 BBC 10.1 compression, with a 6 speed.  We drive it all over the country to shows.

The engine started out with solid roller lifters and a mild roller “street” cam.  After 2500 miles, two lifters came apart and tore up the motor without warning.  We rebuilt the motor with new parts and a different brand of needle bearing solid roller lifters  (2 nd mistake!).

We drove to other shows, including a trip to the Nova Nats. in Cedar Rapids Iowa, 2800 miles with no problems, thinking that a one time bad experience, was behind us.

Soon afterwards, we started out on a trip to Colorado Springs.  Part way south on I-25, I heard that noise again. It was same noise and I got that same sick feeling that I got the first time the motor was torn up.  I immediately shut off the motor and coasted to an exit where we waited for a flatbed to come to drag the Nova home.   We experienced the same problem – needle bearings from the lifter, loose in the motor.   Needless to say, I was not happy!

 

I then learned about Schubeck's composite radius lifters and even though they required a special designed cam, they were only 64 grams, half the weight of typicle roller lifters, but most important to me was that they had no needle bearings to fail!

With the Radius Lifters, the fresh motor made 623.8 HP on the dyno – 15 more than before.  I've driven 8500 miles with the new motor without even a lash change.

 

My advice: get rid of the time bomb (needle bearing lifters) and switch to Joe Schubeck's composite radius lifters. You won't be sorry.

 

Wayne E. Gill

Littleton, Colorado