In the middle of rebuilding the black cars engine,
keep in mind that this is a daily driver not a trailer queen.
So do I convert to the hydaulic cam and lifters?
I have already gotten Jakes opinion but would like some input from someone who has used a hydaulic cam for a driver.
I will reveal Jakes opinion after a day or so.
I'm inclined to just go Jakes direction just cause he is from my Mamas home state!
Headed for a bike ride to keep this fat ass in shape, back in a while.

JT

I have seen literally HUNDREDS of failures of all types due to these stupid freakin lifters!

They cause everything from burnt valves, to droped valves to exploded lifters...

Porsche didn't use them till the last generation of the 993, in any engine! they NEVER used them in the 914 engine, only VW did and that was because of lack of sales, from idiots that couldn't use a feeler gauge every 6,000 miles and do a check on their valvetrain...

I hate to be a jerk, but this is a very sore subject with me. I hate them so bad, that I refuse jobs where customers want me to use them- Its like installing a grenade in the valve cover with the pin pulled- if you ask me!

disagree if you want, thats what the forums are for!

Well, now that we know where Jake stands.
I've had my stock 72 1.7 since 1999, and it's got hydraulic lifters. I have had no problems with it. I can see that solids are better, but I'm not going to tear down my motor when it runs OK with them. It's also kinda nice not to have to adjust at every oil change. But that's just me.

THEY SUCK...ya want hydro lifters...buy a bus.

Had hyd's in my Type 1 (bug) motor. It was a 1776 running dual Kadrons. I blew off my share of detroit iron from 1st, 2nd & sometimes even 3rd gear - for four years, over 30k miles without a problem. Just be religious about oil changes. They were a little wierd at times though. When the engine was REALLY HOT, think summer in o.c. ca. - I did notice a loss of power. So I added an electric fan to the remote cooler and stand-offs to the engine lid. Oil temp went down about 15-20 deg. When I sold the car, to buy my teener, the guy I sold it to said it was the quickest bug he had ever driven. If he had driven it 30k miles before that - it was even faster. Rimco did all of the machine work. Awesome folks. I certainly don't have Jake's experience, so if Jake say's don't do it - maybe I just got lucky...
Good Luck, Gary

There are plenty of cars out there running OK with a hydraulic set up, but you are giving up more than I would.

Solid lifters don't fail.

When the V8 crowd wants more reliability out of the drive train what do they do?? Chunk the stock (hydraulic) lifters and go with solid lifters.

There is a reason the 914 engine has solid lifters. Like Jake said, a 6000 mile valve adjustment isn't that big a deal.

If you don't want to adjust valves, don't mind losing power, don't mind lots of clatter if you haven't run you engine in a while, and don't mind the potential failure that Jake talks about, then go ahead with the hydraulic lifter/cam set up. I would never build an engine that way.

Just my .02

PK

All right y'all just confermed what my thoughts were on the subjict!

seriously , when we were doing the roundy round thing and when we had the hydro we ran solids just because we picked up a couple of hp when all was correct.
Thanks all even if Jake stole my thunder.

JT and Miss Mari

That setup was installed in my car, hyd lifter and cam set up. The car never ran the way it should and I can say from first hand that setup sucks. I have since converted back to the orginal setup and the car runs the way its supposed to. I would not recommend the hyd. lifters and cam set up. Costly experiment on my part, but I'm now happy with the orginal set up.

Thanks Strat and everyone for your input.
I am from the camp that say's "Leave it like the factory produced it."
At least for a daily driver.

JT and Miss Mari