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Well Patty me boy, yet another reason you get the Perpetual A$$clown Award...I really wish Peter would institute a screening process to prevent morons from writing checks to buy ERA cars. When the boys built it for you, the tip-off was the request for two rollbars covered in rubber HVAC insulation...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas
...I hope the real FFR, SPF, etc guys who have been pee'd on by him don't judge all of us ERA owners as smug a$$es.
Hey, every village has their idiot. At least ERA's is far and away easily identified. We won't hold it against ERA...they make very fine cars indeed.
Back on topic...I haven't run solid lifters since my '70 1/2 Z-28 days. Adjusting the rocker arms every 2-3K miles was cool for a while, then it got old (especially when the car was my daily driver). I really love the hydraulic roller technology that we have today...still makes great power down low (where it's used the most) and I never have to lift the valve covers. I miss the sound of them sometimes, but a little loud pedal overcomes that quickly.
Cobra Make, Engine: # 757 ERA 427 SC , 482 Al. big block
Posts: 896
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I`ve got both ... obviously not on one car . My ERA has hydraulic rollers and according to the dyno sheet makes 620 ft/lbs at 4100 rpm and 612 hp at 5800 rpm ... and the torque curve is almost flat . Robert said it can go 6300 to 6400 rpm ... but why , as max power is at 5800 ?? There are certainly guys out there making a bunch more hp and torque , but I`m happy , and so far my valve adjustment will be limited to once a year if then . My 427 solid lifter Galaxie is another story , as I go through those valves in the spring and winter when I put it away .... and there are always several that are off by about 3 thou .
Which is better ??? Depends on you and what you want/like to do . If you love adjusting valves and the sound a solid lifter engine makes , go with solid lifters ... if you want to make good power and have minimum maintenance , go with hydraulic rollers ... jmho .
What Ernie was trying to say is that the mere fact that you have rollers on your lifters does not make up for the fact that you are losing a third of your usable RPMs because you went hydro.
Can you explain this one to me? Does this mean I'm losing my power between 6,000-9,000 RPM. If so, I don't spend a lot of time in that RPM range.
Ernie, you should get a set of Webers, I hear they bring even more "oneness" with your engine.
It's that extra 1500 RPM (or more) that you get at the top end, and "usable RPMs" begin around 3000. Solids give you roughly a third more usable RPMs.
You miss Rod's point that since he makes 600 LbFt +/- at say 5800, (as most of the 482's do) what further use does he have for "usable" RPM above that?
Further-to what end? He isn't running laps or looking for tenths. How much time do you spend north of 5700 that solids were a requisite for you?
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas
You miss Rod's point that since he makes 600 LbFt +/- at say 5800, (as most of the 482's do) what further use does he have for "usable" RPM above that?
Further-to what end? He isn't running laps or looking for tenths. How much time do you spend north of 5700 that solids were a requisite for you?
No, I believe Rod is tracking his car, or plans to (he will correct me if I'm wrong on that). But my point is not limited solely to the power/time numbers, but rather to the enjoyment of the engine itself. When you have more rev potential, the engine is more fun to run -- you know that. This whole hobby is simply about having fun with our cars. If we were looking purely for the lowest speed times, we could have built something better for a lot less than we spent.
No, I believe Rod is tracking his car, or plans to (he will correct me if I'm wrong on that). But my point is not limited solely to the power/time numbers, but rather to the enjoyment of the engine itself. When you have more rev potential, the engine is more fun to run -- you know that. This whole hobby is simply about having fun with our cars. If we were looking purely for the lowest speed times, we could have built something better for a lot less than we spent.
I haven't tracked the Cobra yet, but I'd like to in the future, and that would include SAAC 35. Chas, is right. Power and RPM numbers are about right on. How much MORE enjoyment is there with my car at 6,000-7,500 RPM? I ran a solid lifter cam in an LS6 454 that I had installed in my '66 Vette. If you're making power in that 6,000-7,500 RPM range, the cam has to fairly unstreetable.
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